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1,059,168 | unian--2019-01-02--Ukraines energy market watchdog raises heating tariffs for households as of Jan 1 | 2019-01-02T00:00:00 | unian | Ukraine's energy market watchdog raises heating tariffs for households as of Jan 1 | # Ukraine's energy market watchdog raises heating tariffs for households as of Jan 1 The tariffs increased due to a rise in the price of natural gas. ## UNIAN Web subscription Get a complete information picture of the day by [subscribing](http://subscribe.unian.info/subscribe/) to UNIAN’s news feeds. For more information, please call: +38 (044) 354-28-06 [email protected] If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter | null | https://economics.unian.info/10397190-ukraine-s-energy-market-watchdog-raises-heating-tariffs-for-households-as-of-jan-1.html | 2019-01-02 11:25:00+00:00 | 1,546,446,300 | 1,567,554,280 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
1,062,471 | unian--2019-05-31--Zelensky Demonopolization of energy markets key issue in energy sectors reform | 2019-05-31T00:00:00 | unian | Zelensky: Demonopolization of energy markets key issue in energy sector's reform | Today, the issues of energy sphere were discussed in the format of the meeting, while relevant decisions will be made in two weeks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said one of Ukraine's commitments to the European Union is the reform of the energy sector with the demonopolization of energy markets being the key issue. During a meeting with members of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine concerning energy security, he said the next stage of the electricity market should start from July 1, according to the president's press service. "However, in conditions of total monopolization, there may be risks for producers, for consumers and for the Ukrainian economy as a whole. The international partners warn us against that," Zelensky said. The president reiterated he visited the Lisova mine in Lviv region yesterday, where two miners had been killed and expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims. "Two years ago, eight miners were killed at the Stepova mine. Recently, 17 miners were killed at the Skhidkarbon mine near Luhansk. These are all our people. Problems in the coal industry have common roots wherever they arise," the president said. Zelensky said that during the last week he had visited two places, where Ukrainians were killed. "Bullets and shells kill on the frontline. And irresponsibility, mismanagement and corruption kill in the rear," Zelensky stressed. Today, the issues of energy sphere were discussed in the format of the meeting, while relevant decisions will be made in two weeks. "The stakes are extremely high – the safety and welfare of our people," the president said. Zelensky said coal production by Ukraine's state enterprises had decreased by 47% during 2014-2018. The Ukrainian economy is critically dependent on the import of energy resources, and very little has been done to obtain them from different sources. "Despite rosy statements, gas production does not increase. Tomorrow is summer, but winter is coming. And we should prepare for the heating season," the president said. | null | https://www.unian.info/economics/10570887-zelensky-demonopolization-of-energy-markets-key-issue-in-energy-sector-s-reform.html | 2019-05-31 16:42:00+00:00 | 1,559,335,320 | 1,567,539,633 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
1,063,072 | unian--2019-07-06--Weeks balance Launch of energy market forex easing and Nefyodov starting war against shadow busi | 2019-07-06T00:00:00 | unian | Week's balance: Launch of energy market, forex easing, and Nefyodov starting war against shadow businesses | The first week of July was revolutionary for the Ukrainian energy market: its new model started working, the essence of which is that henceforth energy companies will buy electricity at electronic biddings. Previously, the electricity market worked on the principle of all generating companies supplying electricity produced to the state-owned Energorynok at a price set by the National Energy and Utilities Regulations Commission (NEURC). After that, it was electricity suppliers who purchased electricity and redirected it to consumers. The deep reform of the market was long overdue as well as the transition to European rules. The Ukrainian power industry was on the verge of a crisis: mutual debts without sources of coverage were formed, estimated at UAH 30 billion, low prices for the households were covered by the high cost of electricity for the industry, energy infrastructure failed to receive billions of hryvnias in investments required, while excessive over-regulation led to enormous corruption in the sector. Therefore, in April 2017, the Parliament adopted a reformist Law on the Electricity Market. It provides for the introduction of more transparent and competitive relations in the energy market, and also meets the requirements of the Third EU Energy Package. Two years were allocated for its implementation. It is worth noting that the experience of European countries that have carried out such reforms in their countries has shown that at first, following innovations, there will be a significant increase in prices for consumers. After upgrading, creating competition, and adapting to new conditions, prices will decrease, but this will take time – several years. It is clear that this may cause a wave of discontent among the population, already agitated by rising tariffs. To prevent social unrest and not to harm the economy, the government introduced temporary restrictive measures. The Cabinet of Ministers passed a resolution on special obligations, according to which the state-owned Energoatom will have to sell no more than 90% of its electricity at a fixed price, and Ukrhydroenergo – no more than 35%. This decision will prevent the increase in electricity prices for the households. In addition, the NEURC set a weighted average price for electricity for industrial consumers at UAH 1.62/kWh. On July 1, during the first bidding, the price on the market was formed at a level below the established limits. For coal generation (producing the most expensive electricity, not counting alternative generation, which does not participate in the market), the price was set at UAH 1.59/kWh, which is 2% below the weighted average. Thus, a new electricity market, although within certain limitations, has finally been launched. Ukraine is now facing tasks just as complex, both technical and political: to open the market for the households, bring software maintenance to perfection, ensure competition, and prevent monopolization, integrate the Ukrainian energy system into the EU market, and protect the reform from dubious judicial rulings and the someone's will to curb it. This week, the Cabinet of Ministers at its regular meeting approved First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Maksym Nefyodov as head of the State Customs Service. Prime Minister volodymyr Groysman expressed support for Nefyodov and noted that, together with the new prestigious status, he received an "order" to start war with shadow businesses. "Maksym Nefyodov, today you will receive an order to start war with shadow businesses. And as I once supported ProZorro and deregulation, I'll also support your work at customs. We need the result: [goods of] clean businesses must be cleared rapidly, while all shady schemes must be eliminated at the systemic level. And I am convinced that we can do it together," Groysman said. Nefyodov thanked the government for its support and promised to implement a quality reform of the customs service. "I would very much like the Verkhovna Rada to support us in the implementation of reform. For my part, I can guarantee that I will not become richer in this office, I will be open to business, and I can guarantee that we will achieve the result that we have shown in many other areas like deregulation or public procurement. We are really pleasantly surprising our international partners," the newly appointed head of the agency noted. He promised to eliminate the existing fiscal imbalance in customs, so that the agency staff would focus not on the process of collecting duties and filling the state budget, but on ensuring security and facilitating international trade. Among his priorities as head of the customs service, Nefyodov also called the need to create an electronic customs office and synchronize its work with the customs authorities of other states. In his opinion, this will eliminate corruption. He also promised to increase the salaries of customs operatives to encourage them to work honestly. "We need to create decent conditions for customs officers and revise their salaries. This is not a problem of customs alone, it is a problem of the entire civil service. Unfortunately, high-quality personnel have left the customs. Almost all the possibilities regarding the development of IT-products have been destroyed," the official added. In addition, Nefyodov considers it necessary to update the customs infrastructure to speed up the processing of export-import operations. Another major development of the outgoing week was a new wave of forex deregulation. On Monday, July 1, the National Bank canceled a number of administrative restrictions that created inconvenience to Ukrainian companies, foreign investors, and diplomatic missions. The regulator has canceled the cap on financing foreign representative offices and separate divisions of companies. Previously, there was a general limit on investing abroad for businesses at EUR 2 million per year. At the same time, to minimize the risks of unproductive outflow of capital, the National Bank ordered that banks receive detailed estimates from companies and other documents with a justification that these transactions are really necessary. Also, this easing will not apply to transactions on transfering funds to the aggressor or occupier states, offshore zones, and countries violating FATF recommendations. In addition, the regulator simplified the reinvestment of foreign investors' income from transactions with Ukrainian securities, by allowing the funds received on securities in a foreign depositary bank to be transferred from the correspondent account of this institution to its account in Ukraine. The NBU has expanded the list of transactions that are allowed to be conducted in Ukraine in foreign currency, supplementing it with operations between financial institutions and the Cabinet of Ministers in the framework of international agreements on credits, grants, and loans. Also in the first week of July, the State Fiscal Service made another gift to businesses by granting 239 Ukrainian enterprises the status of authorized exporter, which will allow them to export goods to the EU under simplified conditions. At the same time, the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine extended the term for granting by customs of the said status to the exporting enterprises from thirty to ninety calendar days from the date of receipt of the corresponding application. Incidentally, in the outgoing week, the European Commission reported that over the past twelve months, Ukraine entered the TOP 3 of largest agricultural suppliers to the EU, having delivered such goods worth almost EUR 6.3 billion. On year, imports of agriproducts from Ukraine grew by EUR 0.8 billion, or 14%. Week-start will be important with regard to Ukraine's movement toward Europe as the Ukraine-EU summit will be held in Kyiv, in which all key leaders of the European Union will take part. In addition, in the second week of July, the Ukrainian parliament will continue its work in a session mode and may adopt a number of important laws, while the State Statistics Service will report on the inflation rate for the first summer month. | null | https://www.unian.info/economics/10608492-week-s-balance-launch-of-energy-market-forex-easing-and-nefyodov-starting-war-against-shadow-businesses.html | 2019-07-06 09:30:00+00:00 | 1,562,419,800 | 1,567,536,694 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
1,065,629 | unian--2019-11-11--Bundestag's amendment would ruin EU Energy Market Security – experts | 2019-11-11T00:00:00 | unian | Bundestag's amendment would ruin EU Energy Market Security – experts | The coalition was confident it would send other EU member states a signal to quit resisting the construction of the gas pipeline and redistribution of the natural gas supplies in Europe. The adoption of the amendments to the Gas Directive by the German Bundestag would result in destruction of the European gas market regulation system and the European energy security as such, experts say. Such actions could make access to gas supplies hostage to political influence of Russia and Germany, the IGTDS think tank reports. With the help of a coalition in the German parliament, the Kremlin succeeded in breaking down the unity of the European community in the matter of diversifying gas supplies and preventing monopolization of the European gas market. Bundestag recently attempted to pass amendments to the law on ratification of the EU Gas Directive – the move that would play into Moscow's hands. The changes concerned application of European standards to gas pipelines laid from third countries, including Nord Stream 2. The updated Gas Directive, whis is part of the EU Third Energy Package, requires that the same company shall not sell and transport fuel at the same time; third companies shall have access to the pipeline; competitive transit tariffs shall be set by the recipient; full transparency shall be provided; and the rules shall not apply to pipelines built before May 23, 2019. So, Nord Stream 2 does not fall into this category. With the updated document, Brussels tried to protect itself from Gazprom's monopoly in Europe. As Germany's Bild reported earlier, just two days before the vote on the document's ratification, the ruling coalition in Bundestag, represented by the CDU/CSU Angela Merkel and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) removed Nord Stream 2 from under scope of the Gas Directive by dropping from the bill a time framework of May 23, 2019. The amended text "gives privileged status to existing investments in order to protect legitimate expectations." The coalition was confident that the said wording would send other EU member states a signal to quit resisting the construction of the gas pipeline and redistribution of the natural gas supplies in Europe. German amendments to the EU Gas Directive on New Nord Stream 2 are in conflict with a number of European goals and regulations. Read alsoNord Stream 2 poses major threat to environment in Baltic Sea over WW2-era chemical munitions – experts Changes in the Gas Directive, the experts stress, would undermine EU goals to secure the energy supply by diversifying imports. They would increase risks of Europe repeating its previous negative experiences with Russia, which in 2006 and 2009 suspended gas transit via Ukraine over pricing disputes. The Nord Stream 2 would be of most benefit to Russia and Germany, while other suppliers and transit states would face tougher competition. Germany would get direct supplies of cheap Russian gas and become its main distributor across most of Europe. In fact, Berlin gets an opportunity to copy Russian policy of influence on EU gas importers. Also the amendments are in conflict with the EU's climate targets and the commitments of the Paris Agreement, since Russia uses EU money paid for gas to invest in new infrastructure for production of fossil fuels. German MEP Rebecca Harms says the European bloc will fail to achieve decarbonization of economies and meet the obligations of the Paris Climate Agreement if it "continues to develop and pay for this huge fossil fuel infrastructure." By supporting the pipeline project with amendments to the EU Gas Directive, Germany is going against the will of the European Commission and the European Parliament, the experts say. The German government is allowing a major rift between EU member state to fester at a time when the EU needs cohesion more than ever. Nord Stream 2 doesn't diversify the EU energy as Russia is already the main supplier of Europe, while the new pipe would have most routes amassed in the Baltic corridor. The European Political Strategy Centre, the European Commission's in-house think tank, stated that "Nord Stream 2, seen from a common EU perspective, is a project with neither economic rationale nor political backing". Nord Stream 2 threatens to plunge the Central Eastern European states back into a pre-2004 market of greater supply security risk and greater Russian leverage in their markets. Read alsoPoland's anti-monopoly body says to impose big fine over Nord Stream 2 – media Enabling Russia to bypass and reduce gas flows via Ukraine – which relies on the lucrative transit fees – could allow Moscow to once again use energy as a lever to exert political pressure across the region. Russia and Germany are the main beneficiaries and supporters of the Nord Stream 2 project. Northeast Europe, namely, Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Slovakia oppose the pipe amid the imminent loss of their advantages as transit countries. Central and South Europe fear that the construction will result in the shutdown of the Ukrainian route, which would lead to a shortage of cheap Russian gas in the region. Network flows show, that even if Nord Stream 2 would provide significantly cheaper gas, the Eastern part of Europe will never feel its benefits. A way to maintain solidarity would be to introduce a compensation scheme, the experts suggest. | null | https://www.unian.info/world/10749864-bundestag-s-amendment-would-ruin-eu-energy-market-security-experts.html | Mon, 11 Nov 2019 10:20:00 +0200 | 1,573,485,600 | 1,573,475,589 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
815,779 | thenewyorktimes--2019-09-16--3 From JPMorgan Accused in Scheme to Game Precious Metals Market | 2019-09-16T00:00:00 | thenewyorktimes | 3 From JPMorgan Accused in Scheme to Game Precious Metals Market | JPMorgan declined to comment. In public filings, the bank has said that it is cooperating with the Justice Department’s investigations related to “trading practices in the metals markets.” The bank has also said it faces a federal class-action suit in which it is accused of illegally monopolizing the silver futures market. While Monday’s indictment could be a prelude to additional charges, the federal government was not successful in one recent case to crack down on spoofing. Last April, prosecutors in Connecticut charged Andre Flotron, a former trader at UBS, with manipulating precious metals markets by offering and then quickly canceling offers to buy and sell contracts before they could be accepted. At the time, the government said that Mr. Flotron’s behavior reflected a “systemic problem” in the market, but a jury acquitted the former trader. Mr. Benczkowski said that the alleged conduct in Monday’s indictment was more sprawling than that in the case against Mr. Flotron, and that the JPMorgan indictment was built on data analysis and the testimony of a number of cooperating witnesses, at least one of whom described how the defendants carried out the scheme. The government said Mr. Jordan was engaging in illegal trading behavior before 2008, then helped create a large-scale effort to game the precious metals market with the help of Mr. Smith, who joined the desk from Bear Stearns when it filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by JPMorgan in March 2008. According to the indictment, Mr. Smith taught Mr. Jordan a new way of executing illegal fake trades: Spoofing could be more easily concealed if traders quickly layered a series of fake orders rather than placing one large order. The government said that new style of illegal trading “took hold on the precious metals desk” at JPMorgan and was adopted by other traders, including Mr. Nowak and three unidentified co-conspirators. In one electronic message exchange captured by federal investigators, one cooperating witness — Christian Trunz, who had also joined the desk from Bear Stearns — explained to an unnamed co-conspirator that a large bid coming into the market was Mr. Smith “bidding up on the futures.” Mr. Trunz has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing. | Katie Benner | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/business/jpmorgan-trading-fraud.html?emc=rss&partner=rss | 2019-09-16 22:16:35+00:00 | 1,568,686,595 | 1,569,330,215 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
4,369 | activistpost--2019-04-02--Relative Strength Ratios in Metals Markets Hit Rare Extremes | 2019-04-02T00:00:00 | activistpost | Relative Strength Ratios in Metals Markets Hit Rare Extremes | It’s possible last week’s cascading selling rout in palladium ended its multi-year bull market. The formerly white-hot metal lost more than $200/oz (but is beginning to rebound). For now, however, palladium prices remain in a long-term uptrend above the bullishly aligned 20-week and 50-week moving averages – and physical supply remains tight. Regardless of whether the palladium market recovers to new highs in the weeks ahead, it is quite possible that it has peaked in relative strength terms versus its sister metal platinum. A few days ago, platinum traded at a historically large discount of almost 50% versus palladium. That discount narrowed considerably last week with platinum managing to post a slight gain in dollar terms. Another relative strength extreme that may be near a turning point is gold trading at 85 times the price of silver. The gold:silver ratio ran up to its highest level since the early 1990s in last week’s trading, rendering silver a potential once-in-a-generation bargain opportunity among the money metals. Silver is also deeply discounted versus the stock market. Last September, silver sunk to a 15-year low versus the S&P 500. The tremendous strength in equities and bonds in the first quarter of 2019 makes silver once again stand out as extremely undervalued versus financial assets. (Browse silver products here.) Stefan Gleason is President of Money Metals Exchange, a precious metals dealer recently named “Best in the USA” by an independent global ratings group. A graduate of the University of Florida, Gleason is a seasoned business leader, investor, political strategist, and grassroots activist. Gleason has frequently appeared on national television networks such as CNN, FoxNews, and CNBC and in hundreds of publications such as the Wall Street Journal, TheStreet.com, and Seeking Alpha. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/04/relative-strength-ratios-in-metals-markets-hit-rare-extremes.html | 2019-04-02 15:12:55+00:00 | 1,554,232,375 | 1,567,544,271 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
5,218 | activistpost--2019-08-07--MARKET PLUNGES Metals SKYROCKET | 2019-08-07T00:00:00 | activistpost | MARKET PLUNGES: Metals SKYROCKET! | We Bring You This Critical Alert, Contributed By CrushTheStreet.com and Their Editor, Kenneth Ameduri, Who I regard as an expert on investing in these critical times. Just as soon as retail investors thought it was safe to go back into the markets, it looks like buy-the-dip has finally stopped working – unless you’re buying the dip in precious metals,which is working out quite nicely. But if you’re holding the Dow, Nasdaq, or S&P 500 right now, the dip is only getting deeper as geopolitical turmoil holds the markets in its uncompromising grip. If you are reluctant to turn on the TV and listen to the talking heads on CNBC to find out what is happening in the markets that is violently rattling the markets, I’ll save you the hassle and give it to you here. We’re witnessing a reckoning in our markets that’s revealing itself in global political warfare… It started late on Sunday as Asian markets tumbled amid fresh developments in the U.S.-China trade war: China asked state-owned companies to suspend American agricultural imports as a retaliatory move against President Trump’s announcement last week that the U.S. would impose a 10% tariff on $300 billion worth of Chinese imports. Trump’s new round of tariffs rocked and roiled the American markets last week, with the S&P 500 and Dow falling 3%, its second-biggest weekly drop of 2019. I recall seeing Friday-night social media pundits declaring that buy-the-dip would work on Monday, as they’ve become accustomed to the Plunge Protection Team engineering a stick save every time the stock market goes down for a couple of days. But it’s not working this time, as Monday put the stock market into the red once again in response to Asia’s overnight market decline. Compounding this is another war going on between the U.S. and China: a currency war, or at least that’s how it’s being construed by President Trump: So now it’s a race to the bottom for the Yuan, which fell (or was pushed) below 7 to the dollar on Monday, marking an 11-year low for the Chinese currency. No one ought to be surprised if President Trump, perceiving this as a deliberate move by the Chinese to weaken their currency artificially, reacts with his own efforts to suppress the U.S. dollar. Meanwhile, the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield absolutely vomited to 1.75% during Monday’s trading session, proving once again what I’ve been saying for years: central banks aren’t in the business of helping retirees and investors get a decent yield they can live on. Investing in the government has never been a good idea – and as you can see, buying bonds nowadays is a low-yield, high-risk proposition. Hard assets, on the other hand, are benefiting from the currency devaluation war, Treasury-yield suppression, and the ramp-up of international tensions. It’s a perfect storm that’s 100% gold-bullish, and while I’ve been recommending a long gold position for many months now, it’s still a pleasant surprise to wake up and see gold in the green: Silver is also up, along with platinum and palladium; no matter which precious metals you’re holding, today is a very good day and I expect things to only get better. And if you have positions in gold and silver miners like I do, then your portfolio is most likely seeing astounding gains today, as the miners tend to magnify the gains in precious metals. On June 18th, I put out a piece about gold recovering and the investment community still being in denial. I profiled Barrick Gold (CAD: ABX & US: GOLD) in that email as a safer play because of the billion-dollar giant it already is, and here we are today, just a little over one month later and up 30% on this company alone. Again, aside from just owning physical gold, this is a “safer” way to expose yourself to gold and have the upside that comes from owning the miners. Having said that, I tend to think this bull market is just starting to ramp up… Besides, these metals and miners positions will provide a solid hedge against further international turmoil. This isn’t the first time we’ve witnessed an escalation in trade tensions, granted, but there’s a difference this time around: approximately two-thirds of the goods being tariffed in this round are , which will result in a pronounced impact on the American economy. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/market-plunges-metals-skyrocket.html | 2019-08-07 18:00:16+00:00 | 1,565,215,216 | 1,567,534,628 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
78,605 | businessinsider--2019-07-08--A major American steelmaker has lost 70 of its market value since Trump slapped steep tariffs on th | 2019-07-08T00:00:00 | businessinsider | A major American steelmaker has lost 70% of its market value since Trump slapped steep tariffs on the metal last year | President Donald Trump has sought to make the US steel industry more competitive through protectionism, but tariffs levied last year have accelerated the decline of some of its largest players. Bloomberg reported Sunday evening that a 25% tariff on imports of the metal has accelerated the decline of some of the mills Trump vowed to protect. The metal titan US Steel has lost $5.5 billion, or roughly 70%, in market value and idled two furnaces since the president announced the move in March 2018 on national security grounds. US Steel had originally emerged as a rare darling of protectionist policies, with tariffs expected to increase US output and metal industry jobs. Trump last summer visited one mill in Illinois, where US Steel had originally planned to boost production as tariffs restricted foreign access to the market. "The days of plundering American jobs and wealth — those days are over," he asserted to the Granite City crowd. But the increase in production came at the same time that demand began to cool, eventually sending steel prices sharply lower. Growth in the US and elsewhere is expected to continue to fall in the coming months, as stimulus measures fade and trade tensions persist. The divide created a complicated scenario for companies like US Steel, according to Bloomberg. That's because they use older and more costly equipment than companies such as Nucor, which run cheaper furnaces that can better compete in the new market. "Are some companies going to suffer? Absolutely," Nucor Chief Executive Officer John Ferriola told Bloomberg in an interview, adding that Trump's actions sped up expected changes in the industry. "We'll see some capacity go away, I'm sure of it." Bipartisan lawmakers and businesses have coalesced behind the need to address trade practices they say undermine American businesses. Some industry groups have stood by the use of blanket tariffs as a tool to win fairer trade agreements, while others argued they would ultimately risk pain for American businesses and consumers. US Steel and Nucor did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment. Markets Insider is looking for a panel of millennial investors. If you're active in the markets, CLICK HERE to sign up. | Gina Heeb | https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/trump-tariff-impact-on-steel-industry-billions-lost-protectionism-2019-7-1028335826 | 2019-07-08 16:05:08+00:00 | 1,562,616,308 | 1,567,536,536 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
175,736 | eveningstandard--2019-05-29--Markets tumble on China vow to choke vital US metal supply | 2019-05-29T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Markets tumble on China vow to choke vital US metal supply | The trade war between China and the US escalated dramatically on Wednesday when Beijing threatened to cut exports of rare metals that are vital to the American technology, car and defence industries. That would come in revenge for President Donald Trump blacklisting phones giant Huawei and cutting off the supply of the computer chips that it needs to make its products. Markets took fright on the news, with traders fearing that the trade war is spinning out of control. Shares tumbled across Europe. In London, the FTSE 100 fell more than 1%, losing 94.90 points at 7174.05. China provides around 80% of the US’s rare earth supplies such as cobalt, which is needed to make jet engines. There are 17 rare earth chemical elements used in everything from electronics to military equipment to magnets. Fiona Cincotta at City Index said: “The potential tightening of China’s exports would not only cause the cost of specialty metals in the US to spike but could actively impede certain production activity. From an investment point of view though, this has the potential to boost the share price of non-Chinese rare earth producers.” Economists are worried that the trade war between the two largest economies will hit growth across the globe. An editorial in the People’s Daily, the official paper of China’s ruling Communist Party, was headlined: “United States, don’t underestimate China’s ability to strike back.” The piece said: “Will rare earths become a counter-weapon for China to hit back against the pressure the United States has put on for no reason at all? The answer is no mystery. “Undoubtedly, the US side wants to use the products made by China’s exported rare earths to counter and suppress China’s development. The Chinese people will never accept this!” the newspaper added. Huawei said today that the move to put it on a trade black list “sets a dangerous precedent” that will harm billions of consumers. It has launched a legal challenge against the ban. Huawei’s lawyer Song Liuping said: “The US government has provided no evidence to show that Huawei is a security threat. There is no gun, no smoke. Only speculation.” America could look to source rare earth metals from Australia or Africa. | Simon English | https://www.standard.co.uk/business/markets-tumble-on-china-vow-to-choke-vital-us-metal-supply-a4154076.html | 2019-05-29 10:19:00+00:00 | 1,559,139,540 | 1,567,539,822 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
506,098 | sottnet--2019-09-17--Justice Department charges three traders in precious metal market manipulation scheme | 2019-09-17T00:00:00 | sottnet | Justice Department charges three traders in precious metal market manipulation scheme | The scheme is similar to those documented in "Flash Boys," a 2014 book by nonfiction author Michael Lewis.Federal prosecutors on Monday charged three JP Morgan Chase traders with manipulating the precious metals futures market in a scheme that cost investors tens of millions.New York FBI official William F. Sweeney said the men accused in the eight-year scheme traded gold, silver, platinum and palladium in a way that hurt "the natural balance of supply-and-demand."Michael Nowak, who led the precious metals trading desk at "Bank A" — an institution the Department of Justice has previously identified as JP Morgan — was arrested along with fellow traders Christopher Jordan and Gregg Smith.The scheme is similar to those documented in "Flash Boys," a 2014 book by nonfiction author Michael Lewis. The book ignited a firestorm on Wall Street over the practices of high-speed trading and "spoofing," where traders try to send in fictitious buy orders.Within a second of selling at the higher price, they would cancel their fake buy orders, duping the market into believing there was extra demand."The defendants and others allegedly engaged in a massive, multiyear scheme to manipulate the market for precious metals futures contracts and defraud market participants," said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski."These charges should leave no doubt that the Department is committed to prosecuting those who undermine the investing public's trust in the integrity of our commodities markets," he added.In a statement, attorneys for Nowak said it was "truly regrettable that the DOJ decided to go forward with a prosecution" of their client, adding that Nowak "has done nothing wrong.""We look forward to representing him at trial and expect him to be fully exonerated, said the attorneys, David Meister and Jocelyn Strauber.Jamie MacDonald, who heads enforcement for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said, the scheme "went unchecked for 8 years and involved thousands of transactions."In a call with reporters Monday, Benczkowski said the Justice Department would continue to use data to develop cases, as they have with probes related to the opioid crisis."It is fair to say that the data we have in our possession, directed us towards the trading activity of these particular traders," Benczkowski said.The indictment notes the scheme was not foolproof, with the traders sometimes not cancelling the orders fast enough.Nowak, 45, Jordan, 47, and Smith, 55, were joined by traders John Edmonds, Christian Trunz and Corey Flaum, also of JP Morgan, who had already pleaded guilty in the case. Trunz has a cooperation agreement with federal prosecutors.Smith, Trunz and Flaum came to JP Morgan by way of the defunct investment bank Bear Stearns as part of JP Morgan's buyout of the failed investment bank at the beginning of the 2008 financial crisis. | null | https://www.sott.net/article/420557-Justice-Department-charges-three-traders-in-precious-metal-market-manipulation-scheme | 2019-09-17 19:25:45+00:00 | 1,568,762,745 | 1,569,008,511 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
5,424 | activistpost--2019-08-28--Global Gold Industry Hit By Forgery Crisis As Fake Kilobars Flood The Physical Market | 2019-08-28T00:00:00 | activistpost | Global Gold Industry Hit By “Forgery Crisis” As Fake Kilobars Flood The Physical Market | Gold bars that are being fraudulently stamped with the logos of major refineries are being inserted into the global market to help launder or smuggle illegal gold, Reuters reports. The fakes, which are difficult to detect, have become an ideal way for narcotics dealers or warlords to move money. Over the last three years, bars worth at least $50 million that were fraudulently stamped with Swiss refinery logos have been identified by all four of Switzerland’s leading gold refiners. They were also found in the physical gold vault of J.P. Morgan & Chase, one of the key banks at the heart of the market in gold bullion (and which, as we first reported back in 2013, is located just across the NY Fed’s own gold vault). At least 1,000 of the bars have been found, at a standard size known as a kilobar. Each kilobar, about the size of a cell phone, is worth about $50,000 at today’s prices. It marks a small slice of the gold industry, which produces between 2 million and 2.5 million bars per year, but the forgeries are sophisticated, so many more may have gone undetected. Michael Mesaric, CEO of refinery Valcambi said: “The latest fake bars … are highly professionally done. Maybe a couple of thousand have been found, but the likelihood is that there are way, way, way more still in circulation. And it still exists, and it still works.” Fake gold bars, which are generally cheaper metal plated with gold, are relatively common in the industry and easy to detect. But these new types of counterfeit bars are more difficult to detect because the gold is real and has a very high purity, with only the markings faked. Richard Hayes, chief executive of the Perth Mint in Australia said: “It’s a wonderful way of laundering conflict gold. The gold is genuine, but it’s not ethically sourced. They look completely genuine, they assay correctly, and they weigh correctly as well. The perfect appearance makes the bars highly effective. Because gold is completely fungible, you can bleed it into genuine production. It’s very, very hard to control.” These fake branded bars are being used as a relatively new way to escape money laundering regulations. The forgeries could pose a problem not only for international refiners, but also for financiers and regulators who are trying to curb the world of illegal bullion. To be sure, skyrocketing gold prices won’t help temper back the forgeries. Rising gold prices have, in the past, also triggered a boom in informal and illegal mining that began in the mid-2000s. Without the stamp of a major refinery, this type of gold is forced into underground networks and sometimes has to be priced at a discount. By stamping these gold bars with the logos of major brands, metal that has been mined in places like Africa, Venezuela or North Korea can be easily slipped into the market and can be used to channel funds to criminals or sanctioned resumes. As of now, it isn’t clear who’s making the bars, but executives and bankers both said that they think most of them originate in China, which happens to be the world’s largest gold producer and importer. The gold may have entered the market via dealers and trading houses in Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand. Once accepted by mainstream gold dealers, the gold quickly spreads into worldwide supply chains. Word of these forged bars started to get around in the first half of 2017, when JP Morgan found out that its vaults contained at least two gold kilobars stamped with the same identification number. JP Morgan declined to address questions from Reuters and instead said: “It’s our standard practice to immediately alert the appropriate authorities and refineries should we discover mismarked gold kilobars during routine checks and procedures. Fortunately, we have yet to have an incident resulting in a loss to the firm or a client.” The Shanghai Gold Exchange, responsible for regulating the Chinese gold market stated that it has “established a thorough delivery and storage system. The process for gold (material) to enter the warehouse is strictly managed and in compliance with the regulations.” The forged bars, when found, are returned to the refiner that sources them, and sometimes to authorities will impound them. Swiss customs said 655 forged bars were reported in 2017 and 2018 to local prosecutors in Ticino, an area bordering Italy. The public prosecutor there confirmed that it had received three reports of gold bars with suspect serial numbers, but said that it couldn’t disclose more information. Executives said forged bars had also been reported in other countries. Swiss bars are more susceptible to being pirated due to their global reach and recognition. Swiss refiners Valcambi, PAMP, Argor-Heraeus and Metalor, combined, process around 2,000-2,500 tons per year, which equates to about $100 billion in gold. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/global-gold-industry-hit-by-forgery-crisis-as-fake-kilobars-flood-the-physical-market.html | 2019-08-28 21:04:17+00:00 | 1,567,040,657 | 1,567,543,602 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
5,607 | activistpost--2019-09-17--Oil Shock Will War Drums Inflation Fears Ignite Gold and Silver Markets | 2019-09-17T00:00:00 | activistpost | Oil Shock! Will War Drums, Inflation Fears Ignite Gold and Silver Markets? | Monday’s spike in crude oil prices could be a game changer – for geopolitics, for the economy, and for investors. Normally it would be foolhardy to draw big, sweeping conclusions from a single day’s trading activity. But in this case, it’s not just the fact that oil prices surged 13% to over $62/barrel. Or even the fact that more than 5% of the world’s oil producing capacity suddenly got taken offline. The world can cope with volatility in the energy market. An increasingly volatile environment for all assets presents much greater challenges. But few investors are positioned to cope with the rising risk of war in the Middle East. Few are prepared for the prospect of persistently higher energy prices and higher inflation. Even fewer are taking steps to insulate their portfolios from future black swan events. Black swans by their nature are impossible to predict. No one saw a devastating drone strike on Saudi Arabian oil production facilities coming. Delivering the biggest single blow in history to the global oil supply turned out to be surprisingly easy. Unfortunately, it may be just as easy for terrorists or rogue states to target electrical grid infrastructure, nuclear power facilities, computer systems, or gatherings of world leaders. A single, crudely executed strike could not only inflict disproportionate damage to the global economy but also potentially trigger a full-scale war. President Donald Trump says the United States is “locked and loaded,” ready to attack Iran for its alleged role in shuttering the Saudis’ oil facilities. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is suggesting we bomb Iranian oil refineries in retaliation – a move that could trigger another oil price spike and possibly provoke a Russian response. Things have escalated rapidly since President Trump controversially planned – then cancelled – a meeting with the Taliban last week. He then proceeded to fire his national security advisor, John Bolton, who had been pushing for war with Iran. That upset some of the war hawks on Capitol Hill. But the sudden attack on our putative ally Saudi oil machinery gives them one of their best opportunities to push Trump toward war. How can investors best position for rising risk factors in heretofore sanguine markets? Monday’s dramatic market moves offer some guidance. Energy stocks surged. Gold and silver gained 0.8% and 2.5%, respectively, on safe-haven buying. The major stock market averages fell, but only modestly. There was no indication of panic selling taking hold. Of course, the government’s Plunge Protection Team had the weekend to get circuit breakers on the exchanges in place. President Trump also vowed the U.S. would stand ready to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserves if necessary to boost oil supplies. Investors appear to still be largely complacent when it comes to the threat of future oil spikes. For the past few years the conventional wisdom has been that oil supplies are plentiful and therefore prices should remain low. But those low prices reflected, to some extent, complacency about geopolitical risks. Low oil prices have wrecked many marginal producers. Frackers and deep-sea drillers have been practically obliterated during a brutal bear market for the oil and gas sector that extended into this summer. It could leave a legacy of severe under-investment in oil production capacity. The last five recessions were each preceded by a run-up in crude prices of at least a 90%, according to DataTrek Research. A one-day spike won’t trigger a recession, but we are very late into the economic cycle where the energy sector typically assumes leadership, before the economy and stock market roll over. A surge in oil prices would put the Federal Reserve in a tough position. Rising energy costs hurt consumers and raise the odds of a recession. But if the Fed tries to help the economy by stimulating, it risks pushing energy prices, and price inflation more broadly, even higher. If the Fed cuts rates again this week as expected, it will be betting that the oil spike is transitory and that inflationary pressures remain well contained. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/oil-shock-will-war-drums-inflation-fears-ignite-gold-and-silver-markets.html | 2019-09-17 15:59:13+00:00 | 1,568,750,353 | 1,569,330,019 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
5,649 | activistpost--2019-09-21--Goldman Sachs Has Just Issued An Ominous Warning About Stock Market Chaos In October | 2019-09-21T00:00:00 | activistpost | Goldman Sachs Has Just Issued An Ominous Warning About Stock Market Chaos In October | Are we about to see U.S. financial markets go crazy? That is what Goldman Sachs seems to think, and it certainly wouldn’t be the first time that great financial chaos has been unleashed during the month of October. When the stock market crashed in October 1929, it started the worst economic depression that we have ever witnessed. In October 1987, the largest single-day percentage decline in U.S. stock market history rocked the entire planet. And the nightmarish events of October 2008 set the stage for a “Great Recession” that we still haven’t fully recovered from. So could it be possible that something similar may happen in October 2019? According to CNBC, Goldman Sachs is warning that the stock market could soon “go crazy again”… For investors taking a breather from the chaos in August, buckle up as the market is about to go crazy again, Goldman Sachs warned. Wall Street is now inches away from reclaiming its record highs, but a rockier ride could be around the corner as stock volatility has been 25% higher in October on average since 1928, according to Goldman. Big price swings have been seen in each major stock benchmark and sector in October over the past 30 years, with technology and health care being the most volatile groups, Goldman said. Goldman derivatives strategist John Marshall is the man behind this new warning, and he believes that there are some fundamental reasons why the month of October is often so volatile… And even though October hasn’t arrived yet, we are already starting to see some things that we haven’t witnessed since the last financial crisis. For example, the Federal Reserve had not intervened in the repo market since 2008, but this week the liquidity crunch was so bad that the Fed felt forced to conduct emergency overnight repurchase agreement operations on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. And then on Friday the Fed announced that it will continue to conduct emergency interventions “on a daily basis for the next three weeks”… The New York Federal Reserve Bank said Friday it will inject billions into the US financial plumbing on a daily basis for the next three weeks in an effort to prevent a spike in short-term interest rates. The Fed will offer up to $75 billion a day in repurchase agreements — exchanging secure assets for cash for very short periods — through October 10, it said in a statement. In addition, it will offer three 14-day “repo” operations of at least $30 billion each. In essence, the “plumbing” of our financial system has gotten all jammed up, and calling out Roto-Rooter is simply not going to get the job done. Of course Fed officials are trying to assure us that this is no big deal and that they have everything under control. But if all this is no big deal, why haven’t they had to conduct such emergency interventions for the last 11 years? And this comes at a time when the deterioration of the U.S. economy appears to be accelerating. In fact, on Friday St. Louis Fed President James Bullard publicly admitted that the U.S. manufacturing industry appears to already be in a recession… That is a stunning admission, because normally Fed officials try very hard to maintain the narrative that everything is wonderful because they are doing such a great job of manipulating the economy. The American people as a whole are becoming increasingly pessimistic about the economy as well, and Gallup just released some very alarming numbers… Americans’ confidence in the economy has become less rosy this month as Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index fell to +17 from August’s +24 reading, marking the lowest level since the government shutdown ended in January. At the same time, the public is evenly divided over the likelihood of a recession in the next year. The current expectation of a recession is nine points higher than it was in October 2007, just two months before the Great Recession began but slightly below a February 2001 reading, one month before that eight-month-long recession. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/goldman-sachs-has-just-issued-an-ominous-warning-about-stock-market-chaos-in-october.html | 2019-09-21 15:22:41+00:00 | 1,569,093,761 | 1,570,222,524 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
5,994 | activistpost--2019-11-15--DOJ Asked to Examine New Systemic Risk in Gold & Silver Markets | 2019-11-15T00:00:00 | activistpost | DOJ Asked to Examine New Systemic Risk in Gold & Silver Markets | Impeachment circus lows and stock market highs dominated the news cycle this week, and precious metals are quietly attempting a recovery. Bulls still have some work to do to repair the technical damage inflicted on both metals during last week’s selling. Gold and silver still face some overhead resistance and the potential for concentrated short selling by financial institutions in the futures markets. Significant price bottoms are usually reached after the commercial sellers force the speculative longs to capitulate. We certainly saw some of that last week. Whether there is one final washout ahead remains to be seen. Futures market manipulation of precious metals prices remains an obstacle to free and fair price discovery. Despite some recent prosecutions involving price rigging by banks, the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee believes the rabbit hole goes much deeper. The Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee reported this week that U.S. Representative Alex Mooney of West Virginia is pushing Attorney General Bill Barr to pursue additional investigations of price rigging in the futures markets. Mooney raises concern in particular about a mechanism for settling metals contracts called “exchange for physicals.” He notes this may pose “some danger of a systemic issue.” Both Mooney and GATA have repeatedly raised questions with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that have gone unanswered. Perhaps Attorney General Barr’s office will be more responsive to credible allegations of criminal manipulation in the precious metals markets. In the meantime, metals investors will have to be prepared for more artificially induced price volatility in their holdings. The best way to beat the paper manipulators long term is to avoid playing in their rigged casino and keep accumulating precious metals in physical form. The supply and demand fundamentals of the physical market will ultimately win out and force their hand. Futures contracts, exchange-traded funds, and other derivative products tied to gold and silver prices are no substitute for the real thing. Only the actual metal is a time-tested store of value and hedge against financial turmoil including the risk of an inflation outbreak. Speaking of inflation, on Wednesday the Labor Department reported that U.S. consumer prices rose more than expected in October. The consumer price index increased 0.4% last month as households faced higher costs for food, energy, healthcare, and a range of other goods. It was the largest monthly CPI gain since March. Many economists believe the CPI actually understates real-world inflation. The Federal Reserve has other preferred gauges for estimating inflation, but they all have their flaws as well. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell talks over and over again about pursuing a “symmetrical” 2% inflation target. But this number is completely arbitrary and is found nowhere in the central bank’s original “stable prices” mandate. Prospective Federal Reserve Board nominee Judy Shelton is skeptical of the prevailing thinking at the Fed on inflation. Shelton was floated by President Donald Trump as a Fed member several months ago and is still waiting for an opportunity to be confirmed by the Senate. She will have a difficult time given her unorthodox but very common sense views on things like true price stability. She appeared on CNBC this week and offered these thoughts: Judy Shelton: There are so many indices for evaluating inflation that right away, it’s confusing. Of course, for me, a dependable dollar wouldn’t lose value at all. Instead, we have this regimented built in 2% obsolescence and I would rather, and I think Paul Volcker has expressed this as well, not have 2% because that very easily can become 4%. I’ve seen some economists saying, well that would make life a lot easier for central bankers. They would have more room to maneuver, but it makes life infinitely more complicated for the people who have to use money. I’m leery that the Fed now talks about symmetrical inflation. If they ever do hit their target, it now sounds like they’re willing to go above that amount for a non-determined period of time so that somehow they balance out and say, well, over the long run we hit 2%. At least, people are not listing inflation as their primary concern these days, but still it’s a very interesting intellectual challenge to discuss what is the right rate of inflation. I guess I prefer zero. Sound money advocates would certainly welcome Shelton’s perspective having a seat at the Fed’s policy making table. She has previously expressed support for reintroducing gold into the monetary system as a way of tethering the value of the dollar to something solid. But for now, the monetary system isn’t tethered to anything except the unlimited demand by bankers and politicians for new dollars to be created out of thin air. Mike Gleason is a Director with Money Metals Exchange, a national precious metals dealer with over 50,000 customers. Gleason is a hard money advocate and a strong proponent of personal liberty, limited government and the Austrian School of Economics. A graduate of the University of Florida, Gleason has extensive experience in management, sales and logistics as well as precious metals investing. He also puts his longtime broadcasting background to good use, hosting a weekly precious metals podcast since 2011, a program listened to by tens of thousands each week. Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/11/doj-asked-to-examine-new-systemic-risk-in-gold-silver-markets.html | Fri, 15 Nov 2019 18:41:37 +0000 | 1,573,861,297 | 1,573,862,959 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
200,820 | fortune--2019-01-11--Goldman Sachs Says Markets Indicate a 50 Chance of a Recession | 2019-01-11T00:00:00 | fortune | Goldman Sachs Says Markets Indicate a 50% Chance of a Recession | Confidence in continued economic growth has been waning. A huge majority of chief financial officers around the world say a recession will happen by the end of 2020. Most voters think one will hit by the end of this year. Now the Goldman Sachs economic research team says that the market shows a roughly 50% chance of a recession over the next year, according to Axios. Goldman Sachs looked at two different measures: the yield curve slope and credit spreads. The former refers to a graph of government bond interest rates versus the years attaining maturity requires. In a growing economy, interest rates are higher the longer the investment because investors have confidence in the future. A frequent sign of a recession is the inversion of the slope, when investors are uncertain about the future, so are less willing to bet on it. Credit spreads compare the interest paid by government bonds, which are considered the safest. Corporate bonds, which are riskier, of the same maturity have to offer higher interest rates. As a recession approaches, credit spreads tend to expand, as investors are more worried about companies defaulting on their debt. However, despite the signs, Goldman Sachs assumes the indicators are wrong and that “recession risk remains fairly low, in the neighborhood of 15% over the next year.” The bank has predicted that the S&P 500 will finish 2019 at 3,000, up from the current value just below 2,600. | Erik Sherman | http://fortune.com/2019/01/11/goldman-sachs-recession/ | 2019-01-11 14:11:47+00:00 | 1,547,233,907 | 1,567,552,928 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
230,426 | globalresearch--2019-08-08--Is the Federal Reserve Losing Control of the Gold Price Rigging the Currency Market | 2019-08-08T00:00:00 | globalresearch | Is the Federal Reserve Losing Control of the Gold Price? Rigging the Currency Market | After years of being kept in the doldrums by orchestrated short selling described on this website by Roberts and Kranzler, gold has lately moved up sharply reaching $1,510 this morning. The gold price has continued to rise despite the continuing practice of dumping large volumes of naked contracts in the futures market. The gold price is driven down but quickly recovers and moves on up. I haven’t an explanation at this time for the new force that is more powerful than the short-selling that has been used to control the price of gold. Various central banks have been converting their dollar reserves into gold, which reduces the demand for dollars and increases the demand for gold. Existing stocks of gold available to fill orders are being drawn down, and new mining output is not keeping pace with the rise in demand. Perhaps this is the explanation for the rise in the price of gold. During the many years of Quantitative Easing the exchange value of the dollar was protected by the Japanese, British, and EU central banks also printing money to insure that their currencies did not rise in value relative to the dollar. The Federal Reserve needs to protect the dollar’s exchange value so that it continues in its role as the world’s reserve currency in which international transactions are conducted. If the dollar loses this role, the US will lose the ability to pay its bills by printing dollars. A dollar declining in value relative to other countries would cause flight from the dollar to the rising currencies. Catastrophe quickly occurs from increasing the supply of a currency that central banks are unwilling to hold. One problem remained. The dollar was depreciating relative to gold. Rigging the currency market was necessary but not sufficient to stabilize the dollar’s value. The gold market also had to be rigged. To stop the dollar’s depreciation, naked short selling has been used to artificially increase the supply of paper gold in order to suppress the price. Unlike equities, gold shorts don’t have to be covered. This turns the price-setting gold futures market into a paper market where contracts are settled primarily in cash and not by taking delivery of gold. Therefore, participants can increase the supply of the paper gold traded in the futures market by printing new contracts. When large numbers of contracts are suddenly dumped in the market, the sudden increase in paper gold supply drives down the price. This has worked until now. If flight from the dollar is beginning, it will make it difficult for the Federal Reserve to accommodate the growing US budget deficit and continue its policy of lowering interest rates. With central banks moving their reserves from dollars (US Treasury bonds and bills) to gold, the demand for US government debt is not keeping up with supply. The supply will be increasing due to the $1.5 trillion US budget deficit. The Federal Reserve will have to take up the gap between the amount of new debt that has to be issued and the amount that can be sold by purchasing the difference. In other words, the Fed will print more money with which to purchase the unsold portion of the new debt. The creation of more dollars when the dollar is experiencing pressure puts more downward pressure on the dollar. To protect the dollar, that is, to make it again attractive to investors and central banks, the Federal Reserve would have to raise interest rates substantially. If the US economy is in recession or moving toward recession, the cost of rising interest rates would be high in terms of unemployment. With a rising price of gold, who would want to hold debt denominated in a rapidly depreciating currency when interest rates are low, zero, or negative? The Federal Reserve might have no awareness of the pending crisis that it has set up for itself. On the other hand, the Federal Reserve is responsive to the elite who want to rid themselves of Trump. Collapsing the economy on Trump’s head is one way to prevent his reelection. Note to readers: please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc. Dr. Paul Craig Roberts writes on his blog, Paul Craig Roberts Institute for Political Economy, where this article was originally published. He is a frequent contributor to Global Research. | Dr. Paul Craig Roberts | https://www.globalresearch.ca/federal-reserve-losing-control-gold-price/5685877 | 2019-08-08 10:52:46+00:00 | 1,565,275,966 | 1,567,534,570 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
286,907 | lewrockwell--2019-07-27--We Have All the Elements of a Gold Bull Market | 2019-07-27T00:00:00 | lewrockwell | We Have All the Elements of a Gold Bull Market | Gold has pushed much higher in recent weeks, breaking through the $1,400 level and holding. Silver has also rallied and has started to close the gap with the yellow metal. In a recent podcast, Peter Schiff said we are seeing signs that the investment world is starting to catch on. The psychology has shifted and investors are started to realize that the gold bull-run is for real. A lot of it has to do with the anticipation of more easy money from the Federal Reserve. Fed-speak continues to boost anticipation of an interest rate cut. The only thing dampening expectations is the possibility of higher inflation. Peter said that doesn’t matter. Inflation or not, the Fed is cutting rates. Last week, Fed Vice Chair Richard Clarida said, “You don’t want to wait until data turns decisively,” before cutting rates. Meanwhile, New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said the central bank shouldn’t leave a lot of dry powder in the keg. It should fire its bullets at the first sign of trouble. As Peter noted, the Fed used to claim to be “data-dependent.” Why is the Fed so anxious to cut rates now? How an Economy Grows a... Peter D. Schiff, Andre... Best Price: $1.78 Buy New $5.95 (as of 04:55 EDT - Details) Obviously, the reason is the Fed is so afraid of the next recession that they just want to do whatever they can to try to postpone that recession from happening. It’s not like they can stop it, but they want to postpone it. And the reason is because the Fed knows there’s nothing they can do, that basically, their chamber is empty anyway. So, you might as well shoot what you’ve got left because there’s no way they have enough firepower to deal with this recession the way they have been doing it. They can’t blow up a bigger bubble. They don’t have enough room between where rates are now and zero. And the amount of quantitative easing that would be required to monetize the enormity of the coming national debt is going to produce the overdose. So, all these clowns can think of is we’ve got to postpone this no matter what.” But as Peter pointed out, every day the central bankers manage to put off the day of reckoning only exacerbates the problems. If the recession is when the mistakes of the boom are corrected, why should we postpone that day? The sooner we correct these mistakes the better.” Gold sold off a bit of its gain earlier in the week after the consumer sentiment numbers showed a bigger expectation for inflation. Peter said this led to the same old “brainless trade” we’ve seen over and over based on the notion that inflation is bad for gold and good for the dollar. The mainstream believes the Fed will adjust its policy if inflation starts to rear its head and that will put the kibosh on rate cuts. Peter said this isn’t the case. The consumer is right to expect more inflation. In fact, Peter thinks we’ll get a lot more than they expect. But the traders are wrong to expect the Fed to do anything about it. They’re not going to do anything about it. They’re going to cut rates no matter how high inflation goes because they can’t stop it. But if they raise rates, they’re going to create in their minds a problem that is worse than inflation. So, they would rather have inflation than the opposite, or what would be required to stop inflation, which would be a massive financial crisis because they have to raise interest rates and let this entire house of cards economy that they built on a foundation of cheap money – watch the entire thing implode.” Inflation is going to win this battle. The Fed is going to surrender. This is why investors should be buying gold. Higher inflation is not going to be seen as bad for gold. In fact, higher inflation is why people should be buying gold. The more inflation, the more gold you need to buy. So ultimately, higher inflation numbers, higher inflation expectations are going to be bought when it comes to gold, not sold.” The opposite is true for the dollar. The mainstream only thinks inflation is good for the dollar right now because it believes the Fed will rush in and defend it. Peter said that’s not going to happen. That means the dollar will be losing value. The Real Crash: Americ... Peter D. Schiff Best Price: $2.54 Buy New $7.99 (as of 04:25 EDT - Details) If the dollar is losing value, you want to get rid of dollars before it loses even more value. But the markets haven’t figured this out yet.” Peter noted that even as the price of gold dips with the daily market ebb and flow, investors are still buying gold stocks. And as he noted last week, silver is starting to play catch up. Now we have all the elements that we need of a gold bull market. Before, the problem was gold was going up by no one believed it. That’s why silver was still going down. That’s why nobody was buying gold stocks, because everybody expected gold to fall. People were just so conditioned to believe that the rallies would be sold that they couldn’t believe the breakout, so there was a lot of skepticism. We were climbing this little wall of worry. But now we’re breaking down that wall. Now we have silver outperforming gold and we have gold stocks outperforming the metal. That’s what happens in every bull market. Silver leads gold and stocks lead the metal. That’s what we’ve got all three firing on all three cylinders. That’s it. The market is going higher. People need to get in. They need to buy physical gold and silver.” | No Author | https://www.lewrockwell.com/2019/07/no_author/peter-schiff-we-have-all-the-elements-of-a-gold-bull-market/ | 2019-07-27 04:01:00+00:00 | 1,564,214,460 | 1,567,535,663 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
494,040 | sottnet--2019-01-04--Gold posts back-to-back gains as stock market declines | 2019-01-04T00:00:00 | sottnet | Gold posts back-to-back gains as stock market declines | Gold futures on Thursday climbed a second straight session to their highest finish in more than six months as U.S. stocks saw a sharp pullback and the dollar softened.A bearish revenue outlook from iPhone-maker Apple Inc. AAPL, +3.65% rattled markets, with investors pushing the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite IndexCOMP, +4.09% sharply lower. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +3.11%and the S&P 500 index SPX, +3.20% also declined as gold futures settled.Apple shares headed lower after the tech giant announced a rare cut to its sales forecast, citing sluggish economic growth in China, which could also be exacerbated by the longstanding tariff dispute between Beijing and Washington.February gold on Comex GCG9, -0.59% gained $10.70, or 0.8%, to settle at $1,294.80 an ounce, after the commodity closed 0.2% higher in the prior session. Prices marked another finish at the highest since the middle of June, according to FactSet data.Supporting bullion prices recently are equity-market jitters to start 2019, and growing expectations of a pause in coming rate increases by the Federal Reserve, which has become more cognizant of the market's tailspin lower.Also buoying gold is a softer dollar, with a measure of the buck, the ICE U.S. Dollar DXY, -0.16% off 0.6% at 96.26.March silver SIH9, +0.05% added 14.8 cents, or 1%, to settle at $15.797, after trading lower earlier Thursday. Silver closed up 0.7% Wednesday.Automatic Data Processing Inc. ADP, +3.63% showed that 271,000 private-sector jobs were added in December, compared with a previous monthly reading of 179,000.However, some of an important economic gauge, the Institute for Supply Management said its manufacturing index, produced a reading of 54.1 in December, down from 59.3 in November and below the 57 anticipated by economists surveyed by MarketWatch, adding to downbeat market sentiment and sending investors into the perceived safety of gold and silver.On Friday, market participants will watch a closely followed nonfarm-payroll report, with 184,000 jobs expected in December and an unemployment rate falling to 3.6%.On Comex, April platinum PLJ9, +3.30% traded at $799.30 an ounce, down 0.6%, while March palladium PAH9, +3.60% added 0.2% to $1,200.30 an ounce-the highest since Dec. 19. March copper HGH9, +2.75% fell by 2.1% to $2.568 a pound. | null | https://www.sott.net/article/404138-Gold-posts-back-to-back-gains-as-stock-market-declines | 2019-01-04 17:21:03+00:00 | 1,546,640,463 | 1,567,554,031 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
504,475 | sottnet--2019-08-05--Global markets are in panic mode sparking a wave of investment into gold bonds and currencies | 2019-08-05T00:00:00 | sottnet | Global markets are in panic mode — sparking a wave of investment into gold, bonds and currencies | , while the Japanese yen and core government bonds also rallied.It comes at a time of heightened volatility in financial markets, with the pan-European Stoxx 600 falling almost 2%. That's on top of the 2.5% it lost on Friday — its worst day so far in 2019.The panic is seen spreading across to Wall Street too , with the Dow Jones Industrial Average expected to fall more than 380 points lower at the open."The nervousness in financial markets over the falling renminbi ( yuan ) in recent weeks has reached panic levels, " Tom Elliott, international investment strategist at deVere Group, said in a research note published Monday."Just as in July and August 2015, when China engineered a small devaluation to support growth, global stock markets have panicked," Elliott said.The CBOE volatility index — known commonly as the VIX or Wall Street's "fear gauge" — climbed to its highest level since mid-May, while Europe's equivalent reached its highest since early January.At times of market turbulence, investors tend to flee to assets expected to either retain or increase in value — such as gold, the Japanese yen and government bonds. Spot gold rose 1.4% to trade at $1,460.11 per ounce at around 8:15 a.m. ET. It marked the yellow metal's highest level since May 2013.Philippe Gijsels, chief strategy officer at BNP Paribas Fortis, told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Monday.When asked whether he had a preference among the perceived safe-haven assets, Gijsels replied: "I prefer gold.""It is hard to argue that in the bond market you get a very nice price at the moment so, therefore, I think gold and silver look more compelling," he added.The onshore Chinese yuan changed hands at 7.0304 against the dollar on Monday, while the offshore yuan traded at 7.0807 against the greenback., according to Reuters.The sharp weakening in the Chinese currency came after Trump unexpectedly announced fresh tariffs on Beijing last week. The new charges are set to take effect from Sept. 1."I think in this environment, right now, today, it would be foolhardy to go into risky assets," Duncan Wrigley, chief strategist at Everbright Sun Hung Kai, told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Monday."I think there is going to be a little bit more of a market adjustment, and probably an over-adjustment, in response to the trade action and the yuan," he added.to its highest since a January flash crash. The currency was last up 0.5% at 106.04, after hitting 105.78 earlier in the session.to 1.0864 francs against the euro.At around 8:15 a.m. ET, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note , which moves inversely to price, was lower at around 1.7616%, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was also lower at around 2.3034%.The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield, which influences mortgages and other loans, fell almost 10 basis points on Monday, hovering close to a nearly three-year low.Some government bonds are viewed as safer assets by investors. The bond yields hitting multi-year lows shows there is a rising demand for the 10-year paper due to the ongoing uncertainty in the global economy.Trump's latest tariff threat on the roughly $300 billion of Chinese goods not currently targeted by American levies may force the U.S. central bank to cut interest rates more than it hoped was necessary to protect the economy from trade policy risks. | null | https://www.sott.net/article/418055-Global-markets-are-in-panic-mode-sparking-a-wave-of-investment-into-gold-bonds-and-currencies | 2019-08-05 21:28:56+00:00 | 1,565,054,936 | 1,567,534,861 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
520,710 | sputnik--2019-01-09--The Message in Gold a New Secular Bull Market | 2019-01-09T00:00:00 | sputnik | The Message in Gold: a New Secular Bull Market | As financial markets begin the year with huge volatile swings and job numbers surprise to the upside, Double Down talks to Mish Shedlock of MishTalk.com about what the Federal Reserve will do now that investors had priced in a rate cut in March: can the Fed do that in face of booming employment numbers and rising wages? And what about Warren Buffett, who seems to have poured 25% of his legendary portfolio into Apple shares right at the top. Those shares are down over $450 billion in market capitalization since AAPL's all-time high: is the market right? And the greatest value investor of all time wrong? Mish thinks that Warren Buffett may, indeed, be wrong and that Apple had already saturated the market in an even more saturated market filled with competitors. The only thing holding steady in the jittery markets of the past few weeks is gold. Is that in a new bull market? Mish believes we could be back in a secular bull. Tune in to hear more. | null | https://sputniknews.com/radio_double_down/201901091071321922-gold-new-secular-bull-market/ | 2019-01-09 08:14:00+00:00 | 1,547,039,640 | 1,567,553,339 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
542,854 | sputnik--2019-09-02--Investors Bet on Gold Over Fears of Market Volatility Amid US-China Trade War Reports | 2019-09-02T00:00:00 | sputnik | Investors Bet on Gold Over Fears of Market Volatility Amid US-China Trade War – Reports | Investors rushed to gold-baked funds with holdings of precious metal reaching 2,453.4 tonnes last week, amid the US-China trade war and stock market volatility, Bloomberg analyst reported on Monday. Deposits into exchange-traded funds that are backed by bullion exceeded 100 tonnes in August hitting the highest point since February 2013, according to Bloomberg, with holdings of the metal rising to 101.9 tonnes in the last week of August. With overall gold assets now reaching almost 2,500 tonnes, August was the third straight month in a row where gold stocks have dramatically increased. Gold gained 19% value this year with the price per ounce, starting at $1522.68 on the morning of Monday, 2 September. The metal reached $1,555 on 26 August, which was the highest price since 2013, while its current value is also likely to advance further, according to Goldman Sachs Group. The increased investments into the precious metal and its rising prices are likely to be connected to the fresh escalations in the trade war between the US and China, as well as the reluctance of the US Federal Reserve to significantly cut interest rates, boosting demand for gold as a store of value due to its advantages over other volatile global equities. On 23 August US President Donald Trump took to Twitter to announce a pledge to respond to Beijing’s imposition of tariffs on $75 billion worth of US imports, including the most traded corn, crude oil and wheat. Trump also said that he intends to shut down the operation of US businesses in China. After the New York Stock Exchange closed on 23 August, Trump declared a new hike on existing tariffs on Chinese imported goods worth 250 billion from 25% to 30% on 1 October. He also raised the planned 10% tariff to 15% on another $300 billion of China’s exports to the US. The world stock indices failure only contributed to the existing fears of a forthcoming recession in the US, as the presence of the so-called inversion of the US bond yield curve signalled coming economic troubles to experts. In the meantime, China and Russia became the most eager countries to invest in safe-haven golden assets following the market volatility, with Russia becoming the world’s largest buyer of gold in the first quarter of 2019 with 55.3 tonnes purchased, followed by China increasing its golden reserves by 33 tonnes at the start of 2019. This trend is believed to be a part of the de-dollarization strategy pursued by both states, with Russia also drastically reducing its US Treasury holdings from $160 billion in early 2013 to $10.8 billion in June 2019. | null | https://sputniknews.com/business/201909021076706283-investors-bet-on-gold-over-fears-of-market-volatility-amid-us-china-trade-war--reports/ | 2019-09-02 14:50:03+00:00 | 1,567,450,203 | 1,569,331,658 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
683,054 | theguardianuk--2019-01-02--UK housing market is a goldmine for wealthy foreign buyers | 2019-01-02T00:00:00 | theguardianuk | UK housing market is a ‘goldmine’ for wealthy foreign buyers | The global super-rich have taken advantage of the Brexit-induced decline in the value of sterling to buy up three times as many £10m-plus luxury homes as before the referendum vote. Some 300 homes sold for more than £10m each in the tax year to April 2017 (the latest for which figures are available), an increase from the 100 sold during the preceding 12 months. The figures, released by HM Revenue and Customs on Wednesday following a freedom of information request, were rounded to the nearest 10 by HMRC. Jonathan Samuels, the chief executive of property lender Octane Capital, said the 13% drop in the value of the pound compared with the dollar since the June 2016 referendum had turned the UK into “a goldmine for foreign investors seeking a bargain”. “The mainstream property market saw transaction levels tail off considerably following the EU referendum vote,” said Samuels, who submitted the FoI request. “But at the very top end of the market activity levels soared as ultra-wealthy opportunist buyers cashed in on rapidly softening prices. “The weakness of sterling means a fair percentage of these buyers were almost certainly based overseas, as some of Britain’s wealthiest cities became a goldmine for foreign investors seeking a bargain. “While many homeowners sit on their hands during times of political and economic volatility, the ultra-wealthy often use these periods to acquire assets at a significant discount.” Samuels said the fall in the pound, which has declined from $1.46 on 23 June 2016 to $1.26 on Wednesday, had “more than compensated” for the 3% second homes stamp duty surcharge the government introduced in 2016. The pound was worth $1.59 in June 2015. Stamp duty on properties selling for more than £1.5m is 12%, rising to 15% for second homes. In the 2016-2017 tax year, stamp duty raised £7.3bn for the government – £3.4bn of it in London. The Treasury raised £4.1bn in stamp duty on second-home sales in the 2017-18 tax year, a 21% increase on the previous year. Samuels said the highest levels of property spending had been in London. “Brexit had a particular impact on super-prime properties in the capital so for many very-high-net-worth individuals the fallout from the EU referendum vote was an investment opportunity,” he said. However, Henry Pryor, an independent luxury property buying agent, said the ultra-prime market had become much more fragile recently as buyers waited for the final Brexit deal to be agreed, and said potential purchasers were demanding significant discounts. “Best in class still sells, but through 2018 the top end of the market would have made a thrilling David Attenborough film with predators waiting for the weakest to stumble before they pounced,” Pryor said. “Demand for the best homes remains and the ability of the richest to pay for the best homes still exists, but my experience is that wealthy people are usually rich because they are careful with their money not despite it – and they want to be confident that they are not overpaying.” Recent high-end sales include a Grade I-listed mansion on Belgrave Square that went for £60m. The five-storey stucco-fronted property, which was once the London home of William Cavendish, the seventh Duke of Devonshire, had been on the market for almost a decade and was first listed for £100m. Other properties that have sold recently for more than £10m include a seven-bedroom property at the top of Primrose Hill in north London, which had been home to the same family for 45 years and went for £17.4m. A six-bedroom townhouse overlooking a private cricket pitch in Chelsea sold for £13.7m. Outside the capital, a nine-bedroom mansion in a private estate near Ascot sold for £15m. A seven-bedroom Oxford property designed by architect Frederick Codd and once home to social reformer and novelist Mary Arnold Ward sold for £10.5m. | Rupert Neate Wealth correspondent | https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jan/02/uk-housing-market-is-a-goldmine-for-wealthy-foreign-buyers | 2019-01-02 17:51:56+00:00 | 1,546,469,516 | 1,567,554,254 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
1,116,306 | zerohedge--2019-12-04--Gold Has Outperformed The Stock Market Over The Last Year | 2019-12-04T00:00:00 | zerohedge | Gold Has Outperformed The Stock Market Over The Last Year | For more than a year, I’ve been strongly encouraging readers to consider buying gold. In fact, almost exactly one year ago to the day, I wrote that gold was cheap relative to just about every other asset class in the world. Since then, gold has been one of the best performing investments in the world. Over the last 12 months, the price of gold is up 18.8%, handily outperforming everything from the S&P 500 index in the US to stock markets in China, Europe, and Canada, plus bonds, real estate, and even major commodities like oil. Gold has even outpaced the stock prices many of the world’s most popular tech investments like Netflix, Tesla, Amazon, etc. But while gold’s investment performance has been great, I want to tell you today why that doesn’t matter one bit to me. According to data published by the World Gold Council (WGC), in the last quarter alone, both retail investors and a number of large hedge funds have been piling into gold. That’s certainly been one factor driving prices higher. But to be frank, that sort of demand is extremely fickle. The WGC data show that most small investors are buying into gold ETFs (which as I’ve explained previously is probably the dumbest way to own gold.) Gold ETF buyers are NOT long-term investors. They’ll most likely sell the minute gold prices start to fall. Hedge fund managers won’t hesitate to sell either, especially if they need to boost their quarterly returns. So, long-term, gold prices won’t be driven higher by fickle investor demand. The real demand that’s worth watching comes from foreign governments and central banks– institutions with such a heavy appetite that they buy gold by the metric ton. In the third quarter of this year, Turkey bought 71 metric tons of gold. Serbia bought 9 metric tons of gold in the month of October alone. Poland doubled its gold reserves last year. And China has been gobbling up not only gold, but gold miners too. It’s critical to understand that foreign governments and central banks tend to be buyers of gold. They’re rarely sellers. In fact up until very recently, there was even an agreement among some of the world’s largest central banks to sell their gold in order to ensure price stability. And according to freshly-minted international banking regulations, gold is now considered to be a “zero-risk asset” for central banks and large financial institutions. This is important– because a number of central banks and foreign governments are really looking for alternatives to diversify away from the US dollars. Right now the US dollar is still the world’s most popular ‘reserve’ asset… meaning that just about every foreign government, central bank, and large commercial bank on the planet holds US dollars. China alone has TRILLIONS of US dollars in reserve. But for the past 20 years or so, the US government has increasingly used its currency, economy, and financial system as a weapon to threaten foreign countries. If you cross the US government, you’re threatened with sanctions, tariffs, and all sorts of financial penalties. Think about it– with so many problems and disputes looming, why would a country like China continue accumulating US dollar reserves? It doesn’t make any sense. And that’s why so many countries are starting to stockpile gold instead. It’s the best alternative to US dollars, and they’re buying up as much as they can. These foreign governments and central banks do tend to report their gold purchases. But it would be remarkably naive for us to assume they’re giving us the full story. Why would China willingly tell the world precisely how much gold they’re accumulating? There is absolutely no benefit for them to be transparent. So the real numbers could be far, far greater than what the official statistics say. This is ultimately what’s going to keep driving long-term gold demand. Individual investors and even big hedge funds will come and go. But foreign governments and central banks are very likely to continue hedging against the US dollar… and gold is literally the ONLY sensible alternative right now. This is definitely going to have a positive impact on the gold price. But it doesn’t guarantee higher gold prices over the next year or two. Roughly half of all gold demand comes from industry (primarily tech manufacturing) and jewelry. And both of these will take a big hit in the next global recession… which could cause the gold price to fall. And that’s the point I want to convey today. Yes, it’s possible to make money with gold. But frankly there are far more lucrative potential speculations out there, including gold miners. If you bought gold today and the price soared to $3,000, you’d double your money. But if you bought shares in a gold exploration company that discovers a huge gold deposit, your shares could increase in value by 2,000%. The decision to own gold should never be about the investment gain. Gold is a hedge against uncertainties and risks. And there are a lot of those in the world. We gladly buy insurance policies to protect our homes, cars, boats, and businesses against various risks. Plus we buy life insurance insurance, liability insurance, and disability insurance to protect our families against the unknowns. This is a great way to think about gold – it’s like a private, fully redeemable insurance policy with steady cash value and zero counterparty risk. And when combined with a properly structured retirement plan, it can be very tax efficient. | Tyler Durden | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/zerohedge/feed/~3/P7P5imojVmA/gold-has-outperformed-stock-market-over-last-year | Wed, 04 Dec 2019 22:15:00 +0000 | 1,575,515,700 | 1,575,507,028 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
1,116,858 | zerohedge--2019-12-16--What Will The Market Care About In 2020? Here Is Goldman's Answer | 2019-12-16T00:00:00 | zerohedge | What Will The Market Care About In 2020? Here Is Goldman's Answer | Now that two of the market's greatest unknowns - Brexit/the UK election, and the "Phase One" part of the US-China trade war (with the Phase Two supposedly on the "to do" list after the Nov 2020 elections) - appear to have found an interim, if not fully satisfactory, resolution, a recurring question among the trader community is what will the market care about in the coming year. Conveniently, an answer to that question is the topic of a Goldman report published over the weekend, and which points out that despite the immediate newsflow vacuum now that stocks will no longer rally on "optimism" of an imminent deal announcement, there is still quite a bit to occupy traders. Starting with the Treasury-market, Goldman notes that activity here will depend crucially on the Fed’s reaction function and the current pace of growth (among other things). As shown in the chart below, sensitivity to inflation surprises picked up sharply in late 2017 and 2018 as the Fed hiked, as realized inflation moved towards the target, and as the risk of overheating entered the mainstream policy debate. However, 2019 saw a reversal of all three trends, and inflation sensitivity declined arguably as a result. Following the sharp tightening in financial conditions at the turn of the year, the combination of renewed growth fears, declining core inflation, and the dovish Fed pivot resulted in a roughly 50% decline in inflation sensitivity. Equity-market inflation sensitivity also declined, albeit more modestly. In contrast, sensitivity to growth data picked up sharply in 2019, reflecting slowing growth and the return of recession fears. In fact, growth sensitivity in the bond market is already back to its level during the shale bust and capex-driven growth scare of 2016-17. Looking ahead to 2020, Goldman expects another signal reversal, as its forecast of improving growth and diminished trade risks suggests scope for a modest pullback in sensitivity to growth data. Treasury-market sensitivity has already overshot relative to the bank's predictions (see blue and red line in the left panel of Exhibit 6), and the end of the mid-cycle adjustment coupled with its expectation of firming US growth argues for more a normal degree of data sensitivity in early 2020. Similarly, equity-market reactions to growth data could also wane a bit early next year if growth picks up. It is also worth recalling that 2020 will be the year of the presidential election. As a result, Goldman analyzes the impact of elections on data sensitivity since 2000. Adding election dummy variables to the models shown in Exhibit 6, the bank finds a negative and significant “election effect” on growth sensitivity—with reactions to growth surprises attenuating in the quarter of presidential elections. Goldman analysts also find tentative evidence of attenuation in the quarter preceding the election (statistical power may be limited by the short sample). The implications for 2020 are shown by the dotted lines above (i.e., a short-lived lull in data reactions in the coming fall 2020). In contrast, the bank finds no such effects for inflation sensitivity. This may suggest that market participants view elections as more important for the growth outlook than for the near-term trajectory of core inflation (such that inflation news continues to be an important driver of price action, even if growth surprises are faded). In conclusion, Goldman expects inflation reactions to pick up gradually in 2020 as inflation rebounds towards the target and the Fed begins to contemplate its next move. All of that, of course, assumes that inflation will rebound next year as most on Wall Street now openly expect. However, if there is anything that 2019 once again vividly demonstrated, it is that when everyone expects something, the opposite happens. | Tyler Durden | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/zerohedge/feed/~3/bQrwaMPadp8/what-will-market-care-about-2020-here-goldmans-answer | Mon, 16 Dec 2019 00:20:00 +0000 | 1,576,473,600 | 1,576,457,027 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
4,571 | activistpost--2019-04-30--Silver Market Alert Powerful Bullish Setup Takes Shape | 2019-04-30T00:00:00 | activistpost | Silver Market Alert: Powerful Bullish Setup Takes Shape | The silver market appears to be setting up for a big move. After spending this spring stair-stepping lower in a narrowing range, silver prices have formed a falling wedge pattern. That pattern usually resolves in a powerful directional breakout. The good news for bulls is that falling wedges usually break out to the upside. Commercial hedgers and bullion banks (i.e., “smart money”) in the silver futures market have significantly trimmed their short positions over the past couple weeks – a bullish development. While their net positioning isn’t yet at an extreme, it is more favorable than not for a price rally to commence in the near future. Of course, neither futures traders nor chart patterns are 100% reliable. Nor do they have any particular implications for where prices may be headed years from now. Long-term investors can benefit from identifying opportune entry points on the charts. But if a big multi-year bull market is to come, it will be driven by fundamentals – supply, demand, relative valuations, inflation rates, and investor sentiment. Let’s therefore drill down into silver’s fundamentals. The Silver Institute is widely considered to be an authoritative source. The Institute released its annual World Silver Survey in April, which showed global silver demand rose by 4% in 2018 to more than 1 billion ounces. At the same time, supply from mine production fell 2% last year to 855.7 million ounces. At first glance, these numbers present a compelling case for higher silver prices. Demand appears to be outstripping supply. However, there is no actual physical shortage. The mining supply deficit is (for now) being made up by scrap recycling and other secondary above-ground sources of physical silver. There ultimately will be a physical shortage if demand continues to rise while mining production falls. The market’s way of averting such a shortage is through higher prices to incentivize more output and encourage thrifting by industrial users. Silver is a difficult market to forecast in part because there are few primary silver miners in existence. Most silver production comes from gold and base metals mining operations. The gold mining industry is shrinking as reserves get depleted without being replaced by new discoveries and small companies get gobbled up by larger ones. Some industry insiders believe “peak gold” has arrived, which would imply annual global gold mining output heads down in the years to come. Silver can be viewed as a leveraged play on gold. Silver is the more volatile of the two monetary metals. And right now it happens to be extremely cheap versus gold. Silver currently trades at about 1/86th the price of gold, just off a 25-year low hit earlier in April. A mean reversion toward a more typical silver:gold ratio would imply massive silver outperformance going forward. At silver’s last major cyclical peak in 2011 above $49/oz, the white metal traded at 1/30th the gold price. Going back further in history, there is precedent for further narrowing in the gold:silver gap. The wild card is investment demand, which often actually rises during periods of rising prices. It’s human nature to want to join a trend in motion – and over the past few years, U.S. retail investment demand has been soft amidst a trendless silver market. Only the most farsighted, hardy, and patient investors buy aggressively while the market isn’t going anywhere. They stand to reap the biggest gains, though, when prices finally do take off. Weak sales figures over the past couple years on popular bullion products such as Silver Eagles suggest investors remain largely disinterested in silver. However, digging deeper into World Silver Survey data, we find that global investment demand for bars shot up by 53% in 2018. Much of that demand came from India and China, where evidently more people of wealth are deciding to stack silver bars. Gold has long been a powerful status symbol in Asia. But silver represents a more practical, more affordable way for the masses to hold wealth and conduct barter and trade transactions. While central banks around the world (including China’s) accumulate gold at an accelerating pace, individuals accumulating their own monetary reserves in the form of silver bullion appears to be an emerging trend in the emerging world. The bottom line is that the underlying fundamentals of the silver market are turning more and more favorable, even though the headlines aren’t – yet. Stefan Gleason is President of Money Metals Exchange, a precious metals dealer recently named “Best in the USA” by an independent global ratings group. A graduate of the University of Florida, Gleason is a seasoned business leader, investor, political strategist, and grassroots activist. Gleason has frequently appeared on national television networks such as CNN, FoxNews, and CNBC and in hundreds of publications such as the Wall Street Journal, TheStreet.com, and Seeking Alpha. Provide, protect and profit from what is coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/04/silver-market-alert-powerful-bullish-setup-takes-shape.html | 2019-04-30 15:15:34+00:00 | 1,556,651,734 | 1,567,541,582 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
5,973 | activistpost--2019-11-13--Congressman Prods Attorney General on Gold, Silver Trading Questions Ignored by CFTC | 2019-11-13T00:00:00 | activistpost | Congressman Prods Attorney General on Gold, Silver Trading Questions Ignored by CFTC | A U.S. representative who has been pressing the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) with questions about the gold and silver markets has asked Attorney General William P. Barr to try intervene and get answers from the commission. In a letter dated November 1 and made public today, the U.S. representative, Alex W. Mooney, Republican of West Virginia, commends Barr for the Justice Department’s recent criminal prosecution of manipulation in the monetary metals futures markets. But Mooney calls attention to the explosion in use of a mechanism called “exchange for physicals” for settling metals futures contracts in the United States, a mechanism that, Mooney contends, may pose “some danger of a systemic issue” if, as seems to be the case, those settlements are being transferred to European markets. Further, Mooney complains to the attorney general that the CFTC is “apparently unwilling to answer a few straightfoward questions which I and others have repeatedly posed, including questions about unusual activity” in the exchange for physicals mechanism. Mooney questioned the CFTC in a letter sent February 5, echoing questions already posed by GATA and ignored by the commission. The commission has not replied to him despite repeated inquiries. “Given the CFTC’s delays in answering questions about these notable developments,” Mooney writes in his letter to the attorney general, “I would like the Department of Justice to examine the matter and provide me with the scope and purpose of EFP use, its legality, and whether full disclosure of EFP activity is (or should be) required.” “Additionally, please let me know whether the CFTC’s jurisdiction extends to trading by the U.S. government and/or its agents or if such activity is exempt from oversight. “With the recent explosion in EFPs,” Mooney concludes, “the CFTC’s failure to detect and/or prosecute criminal manipulation by participants in the precious metals markets is disturbing and needs to be addressed.” Like GATA’s, Mooney’s inquiries seek to determine if the U.S. government or its agents are trading in the monetary metals markets for currency market rigging purposes and if such trading is subject to ordinary antitrust and commodity trading law and CFTC jurisdiction or is exempt under the Gold Reserve Act of 1934 as amended since then. Mooney’s letter to the attorney general is reproduced in full here. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/11/congressman-prods-attorney-general-on-gold-silver-trading-questions-ignored-by-cftc.html | Wed, 13 Nov 2019 18:51:03 +0000 | 1,573,689,063 | 1,573,690,155 | economy, business and finance | market and exchange |
16,638 | aljazeera--2019-10-14--World Beach Games: Qatar stages first-ever edition | 2019-10-14T00:00:00 | aljazeera | World Beach Games: Qatar stages first-ever edition | The first-ever World Beach Games are underway in Qatar. The games are a multisport event featuring beach classics such as volleyball and wakeboarding. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/world-beach-games-qatar-stages-first-ever-edition-191014102449754.html | Mon, 14 Oct 2019 10:24:49 GMT | 1,571,063,089 | 1,571,056,979 | sport | sport event |
18,181 | aljazeera--2019-12-08--Gulf Cup: Bahrain stun Saudi Arabia 1-0 to lift first title | 2019-12-08T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Gulf Cup: Bahrain stun Saudi Arabia 1-0 to lift first title | Doha, Qatar - Bahrain have beaten Saudi Arabia 1-0 to lift their first-ever regional title at the Arabian Gulf Cup, in a matchup of two countries blockading the host nation, Qatar. Saudi captain Salman Mohammed Alfaraj had a chance to put his side in the lead with an 11th-minute penalty kick but misfired, hitting the top edge of the post during the first half of Sunday's final in the capital, Doha. • At Gulf Cup in Qatar, a showdown of 'football, not politics' Neither team was able to score in the opening 45 minutes of the championship game, a rematch of the two sides' Group B fixture, which Saudi Arabia won 2-0. But, 24 minutes into the second half, Bahraini forward Mohamed Saad al-Romaihi scored for the Reds assisted by a nifty cross from midfielder Sayed Redha Isa Hashim. That was the only goal of the final attended by Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who later crowned the winners. Saudi Arabia, ranked 33 places higher than their opponents, according to FIFA's latest rankings, were seeking their fourth title at the biennial regional tournament. They had narrowly defeated hosts Qatar 1-0 to reach their fifth final in front of a partisan home crowd. Bahrain, who were runners-up in 2004, were finally able to breakthrough after finishing second four times. "We've been waiting for Bahrain to take a championship for so many years," Maryam Hasan, a 21-year-old Bahraini supporter, told Al Jazeera. "We always reach the finals, but we never actually got a championship. This makes it history," Hasan, who arrived in Doha earlier in the day along with thousands of other supporters from Bahrain. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, along with the United Arab Emirates were late entrants into the draw, after they reversed their decision to boycott the tournament over a two-year-old diplomatic dispute with the hosts, Qatar. The final, originally scheduled to be held at the 40,000-capacity Khalifa International Stadium, was moved to the 12,000-seater Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, one of the smaller venues used over the course of the event. Despite a land, air, and sea blockade imposed on Qatar since June 2017, the Saudi and Bahraini football squads flew in directly to Doha. Bahraini fans dressed in their national red and white colours outnumbered those wearing Saudi colours on Sunday, occupying six sections of the stadium. Eleven Gulf Air jets carrying Bahraini fans flew to Qatar from Bahrain passing through Kuwait, in line with airspace restrictions. The longer journey took 1 hour and 50 minutes, Bahraini spectators told Al Jazeera. "We came here especially for the match," Hasan, the 21-year-old student from the capital, Manama, said. "It was a direct flight, but we passed through Kuwait and then came to Qatar. We didn't transit or stop, we just went through the air," she told Al Jazeera. Another group of Bahraini men were in high spirits before the match. They hoped the blockade would end soon. "It will be better for all," 31-year-old Ahmed Hassan Ali, said. As the tournament came to an end without much drama on the field, there have also been signs of a possible thaw in relations on the diplomatic front. Qatar's foreign minister said on Friday that the Gulf diplomatic crisis had "moved from a stalemate to some progress", following talks with Saudi Arabia. On Sunday night, Qatar's emir, who was also present at the opening ceremony, arrived just before the two teams' national anthems and kick-off. But, Andreas Krieg, a UK-based Middle East analyst, told Al Jazeera Sheikh Tamim's presence at the final was in "no way a political message" but one about "fair play and sportsmanship". "Qatar is aspiring to be a global venue for world-leading sport events and the Qataris have understood early on that sport must not be politicised," he said. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/gulf-cup-bahrain-stun-saudi-arabia-1-0-lift-title-191208091914575.html | Sun, 08 Dec 2019 19:36:49 GMT | 1,575,851,809 | 1,575,850,840 | sport | sport event |
23,706 | bbc--2019-02-28--European Indoor Athletics Steve Crams British athletes to watch in Glasgow | 2019-02-28T00:00:00 | bbc | European Indoor Athletics: Steve Cram's British athletes to watch in Glasgow | Former 1500m world champion Steve Cram has picked his British athletes to watch at the European Indoor Championships, which begin on Friday in Glasgow. Cram, who will again be part of BBC's commentary team, expects the team to shine on home soil over the three days of competition. He said: "I think we want to be top of the medal table here. "I'll be surprised if there are many stronger teams. We're not competing against Russia, who still remain banned from athletics competitions. "We'll have successes and win a lot of medals - hopefully a lot of golds." Oskan-Clarke took silver two years ago in Belgrade. Mari Smith and Adelle Tracey make up the British trio. "Shelayna has a great chance to go one better from 2017 and win gold. She controls races indoors and rarely gets it wrong tactically. "It's a pretty open event, but on home soil she's probably the favourite. Switzerland's Selina Buchel, the reigning champion, will provide stiff competition and has been in good form recently. "I suspect when Shelayna lines up in the final there will be names familiar to her. However, she'll have the opportunity to control the race and the rest will have to try to wrench it from her." Philip and Kilty are the defending champions. Kilty, who had Achilles surgery last summer, was originally excluded from the squad having failed to record the qualifying mark of sub-6.60 seconds. However, he will now race following an invitation from the European Athletics Council. "The women's event will be interesting, but the men's will be pretty poor. "Regarding reigning champion Richard Kilty, there was some controversy over his selection because of the initial decision to leave him out. I wasn't surprised by that, nor by the subsequent invitation. "I thought he ran reasonably well at the Birmingham Grand Prix where he finished fifth. Let's hope Richard takes advantage of the invite. Some of our guys managed the qualifying time [CJ Ujah and Reece Prescod] but this event wasn't in their plans. "Kilty has to find that little bit extra, but I think he will - he's had a couple of weeks to train since Birmingham. The standard is average in the men's event - so he might not have to do what he has done in previous years. "The women's sprint event is better. Asha is up against Poland's Ewa Swoboda, who took bronze in 2017 and will provide a stiff test but the Briton looks in great nick and looks well-conditioned. I'll be stunned if she doesn't win another medal." The World and European Indoors champion was unable to compete at the British Athletics Indoor Championships earlier this month and had his place confirmed for Glasgow earlier this week after proving his fitness. "Andrew won the world title last year but has lot to live up to. He will be there or thereabouts, although he won't be running as quick as he did last year. "As for his rivals, the Cypriot Milan Trajkovic ran well at the Birmingham Grand Prix, by finishing third. Andrew knows what he's up against and is pretty familiar with the guys. "What I will say about him is if he didn't think he could win a medal here then he wouldn't come." The 27-year-old beat some of the world's best at the recent Birmingham Grand Prix. "Holly's not been in this sort of form since 2012. She's attempting the heights she was back then. "Russian athlete Anzhelika Sidorova, who won European outdoor gold in 2014 and is competing as a neutral, is vaulting well. "Holly has said in big championships she has to convert good performances into major performances. On European level she has to win a medal, but if she wins this it'll be a massive, massive boost for her for the rest of the year." The Scot is hoping to defend her double crowns. "Britain haven't got too many at the top of the world in their event. "I really wouldn't want to put anybody up against Laura indoors - she's a brilliant indoors runner. She knows the track in Glasgow incredibly well and does a lot of laps around there in the winter. "She's set herself a difficult target by doing the double because Friday evening (the first day of the competition) is going to be busy - running a 1500m heat followed by the 3,000m final about one-and-a half-hour later. "Her only genuine rival is German Konstanze Klosterhalfen. She's also entered both events, but we're not clear if she'll actually line up for both. "Compared to 2017, both events contain stronger rivals. If Laura gets a tough 1500m heat it would make the task of winning the 3,000m harder. "Melissa Courtney and Eilish McColgan will also take part in the 3,000m. Melissa is in fantastic form (having run the second fastest 3,000m this year) and will have eye on a medal." The 26-year-old enjoyed her most successful season in 2018 when she won world pentathlon gold before taking the Commonwealth heptathlon title. "We're all disappointed reigning, world and Olympic champion and Nafi Thiam won't be there but that enhances KJT's chances dramatically. "This will be a big two years for her with the World Championships in Doha and then the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At this event she will want to continue the winning habit. The multi-sport events are not about one big performance but about being good throughout the competition - she's getting better at putting a competition together. "For British youngster Niamh Emerson, who received an invitation from European Athletics, this is a massive opportunity. "She won bronze at the Commonwealths, which were a massive learning curve. I'll be gobsmacked if she doesn't produce a personal best." | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/47361868 | 2019-02-28 00:46:27+00:00 | 1,551,332,787 | 1,567,547,003 | sport | sport event |
28,034 | bbc--2019-06-25--Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to cost 778m | 2019-06-25T00:00:00 | bbc | Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to cost £778m | The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will cost £778m, the government has announced. Three-quarters of the public funding for the 11-day event will come from central government, with £184m having to be found by Birmingham City Council. The budget is above initial estimates of £750m, but lower than the £967m spent on the 2018 Gold Coast Games. It will be the most expensive sports event in the UK since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. "The Games will be the biggest sporting and cultural event ever held in the city," said sports minister Mims Davies. "Watched by one and a half billion people worldwide, this is a massive opportunity to showcase the best that Birmingham, the West Midlands and the whole UK has to offer. "The Games budget is a significant investment in Birmingham and the region that will deliver benefits to local people for years to come. It will increase participation and encourage more people to get active and stay active, and to volunteer to be part of this fantastic event 10 years on from London 2012." Although most facilities for the event are already built, the central venue - the Alexander Stadium - is having a £70m upgrade, with a long-term tenant yet to be announced. Council chiefs are in talks with Birmingham City University about a potential partnership that could see part of the university campus move to the site. A £60m aquatics centre is being built in Sandwell, and £350m is being spent on the athletes' village in Perry Barr, which will then be turned into 1,500 homes. Birmingham City Council's financial position was described as "immensely serious" by a government-commissioned independent panel earlier this year. There have been £642m of cuts made since 2011 with a further £123m expected by 2021-22. The council is borrowing £50m to help pay for the event but insists it will not affect spending on local services. "The level of investment coming into the city and the wider West Midlands as a result of our decision to successfully bid for the right to host the Commonwealth Games is huge," said council leader Ian Ward. "The Games are undoubtedly a catalyst, bringing forward many regeneration and infrastructure schemes, so they are delivered much quicker than we could have done otherwise. "The event also gives us a golden opportunity to reposition the city and region on a global stage and bring citizens together." The 2022 Games were originally awarded to the South African city of Durban in 2015, but it was then stripped of the event because it did not meet key Commonwealth Games Federation criteria. Birmingham was named as the replacement host 18 months ago, and now has just three years before staging one of the world's biggest multi-sport events. This investment is expected to deliver significant benefits for Birmingham, the West Midlands and the UK long after the 11 days of sport are over. Organisers say Birmingham 2022 will open up a wealth of opportunities, including business and trade, cultural engagement, volunteering, physical activity, jobs and skills, education and tourism. Over one million tickets will be made available for spectators from across the UK and around the world. Additional commercial revenue will be raised by the Birmingham 2022 organising committee and Commonwealth Games Federation partnerships through ticket sales, sponsorship, merchandising and the sale of broadcast rights. Regular financial updates on the budget will be provided in the lead-up to the Games, with the organising committee also laying its accounts before Parliament. Commonwealth Games Federation president Dame Louise Martin: "An important element of the budget detail is the significant decrease in direct Games delivery costs compared to Gold Coast 2018." Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street: "Investment in the region is already being unlocked thanks to the Games, with improvements to public transport and the regeneration of Perry Barr well under way. We expect the wider benefits of hosting the Games, including the economic and tourism boost, to last long into the future." A spokesperson for the organisers: "Birmingham 2022 offers a unique opportunity to harness the power of sport and cultural activities to boost the West Midlands region and to promote global Britain across the Commonwealth as we leave the EU. "The evidence from previous host cities demonstrates the significant benefits of staging the Games. Gold Coast 2018 is expected to have delivered a £1.3bn boost to the Queensland economy." | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/48762084 | 2019-06-25 15:00:02+00:00 | 1,561,489,202 | 1,567,538,172 | sport | sport event |
52,380 | bipartisanreport--2019-11-03--Protesters Follow Trump To Weekend Event & Shower Him With Boos | 2019-11-03T00:00:00 | bipartisanreport | Protesters Follow Trump To Weekend Event & Shower Him With Boos | This week the impeachment hearings have begun to roll out the testimony of the courageous career employees. As the Donald Trump epic unfolds, people have begun to realize just how bad of a guy the president really is. POTUS expected to find Ultimate Fight Championship (UFC) supporters at the Madison Square Garden bloodsport event. He was wrong. Protesters stood outside where POTUS and his band of merry Republican politicians were expected to attend. The president did show up, but the people who greeted him were anti-Trump. The Associated Press (AP Sports) tweeted about the protesters: Two dozen very unhappy protesters carrying stop-dead orange anti-Trump signs met the president, according to The New York Post. The UFC 244 match between welterweights Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz was set to begin. Jorge Masvidal, an American mixed martial artist, competed in the UFC’s welterweight division. He was the first UFC BMF Champion and has won every year since 2003. This year he said that Trump was “a bad m*therfu*ker:” New York City posted a heavy police force on the sidewalks around the area. The NYC protesters were outspoken. Their signs read “Trump/Pence OUT NOW!” and “Trump is the Lynch-Mob Leader-in-chief!.” The protesters waved their signs while they waited for Trump to appear. Other protesters’ signs read in English and Spanish “No More Terrorists!” and “Deport Omar!” The NYPD posted a member of the police force every half-block around the entire arena. A wall of steel barricade enclosed parts of the arena. There was even a force of police helicopters circling overhead. Members of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the U.S. Secret Service (SS) mingled. They participated in screening people who went inside and others. Around 100 protesters stood on the corner of 31st Street and 8th Avenue. The protesters divided themselves into two groups” Refuse Fascism and Rise and Resist. One of the groups’ members carried white poster boards with “a thick, black letter.” Standing together, the letters spelled “#OUTNOW!” In addition, a protester with a megaphone shouted: At a later point in time, the lively protesters chanted: Other protesters held orange signs that said “Trump/Pence ¡FUERA YA!”, Spanish for “out now.” Some of the outdoor protesters had signs that read: When Trump’s motorcade sped along the street, he could see the protesters as they jeered at him. There was also a smaller group wearing red hats. Their signs read President of the UFC Dana White said, according to The USA TODAY Newspaper ‘Whoever you are … this is America. You believe what you want. If you want to boo, you boo. If you don’t, you don’t. As an American you can do whatever you want. You can choose whatever side you want to be on. I feel like these days, we live in a world where you can’t say, “I’m a Trump guy,” or “I’m a Hillary guy,” or whatever your deal is. This is America, you do what you want.’ The president traveled from Washington, D.C. with Representatives House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) Mark Meadows (R-NC). The event happened just days after Trump changed his residency from New York City’s Trump Tower to his resort Mar-a-Lago in Florida. After POTUS came into the arena via an underground garage, he and his entourage took their seats in the VIP section on the floor near the cage. Trump’s advisers wanted him to take a box, but as usual, he disagreed. UFC president Dana White said the Secret Service wanted the president to watch from a suite. Then, he added\ Trump “never listens to them anyway.” Representative Peter King (R-NY), Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump also attended with the POTUS. The president walked out immediately after the fight. Trump had already been booed at the fifth Washington National’s World Series baseball game this week. His image was also booed at the seventh game when he posted a revenge ad via the stadium’s jumbotron. The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order. | Gloria Christie | https://bipartisanreport.com/2019/11/03/protesters-follow-trump-to-weekend-event-shower-him-with-boos/ | Sun, 03 Nov 2019 17:52:31 +0000 | 1,572,821,551 | 1,572,881,363 | sport | sport event |
7,750 | aljazeera--2019-01-07--Qatar at Asian Cup No need to mix politics with football | 2019-01-07T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Qatar at Asian Cup: 'No need to mix politics with football' | Qatar's national team is hoping to keep the ongoing diplomatic dispute with some of its Gulf neighbours separate from the football field as they kick off their campaign at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates. A 25-player Qatari squad, coaches and officials landed in the Emirati city of Al Ain in a private jet after travelling via Kuwait for the monthlong event on Saturday. The tournament comes amid the Gulf crisis, now into its 20th month, which has seen Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain impose a land, air and sea blockade on Doha after accusing it of "supporting terrorism". Qatar has repeatedly and vehemently denied all the allegations. Despite the political tensions off the field, the players are eager to start the competition with their first match against Lebanon on Wednesday, Ali al-Salat, Qatar Football Association's (QFA) media officer, told Al Jazeera. "They are athletes, they are going to play football," he said in a telephonic interview." (There's) no need to mix political issues with sports." "In the end, sport has a message of peace," Salat added. "So, this is what we are going to do and we hope that we represent our country in a good way during the competition." Qatar is placed in Group E alongside regional rival Saudi Arabia, North Korea, and Lebanon. The highly-anticipated Qatari-Saudi match is scheduled to take place on January 17 at Abu Dhabi's Zayed Sports City Stadium. In nine previous attempts, Qatar have never made it past the quarter-finals stage. The Gulf crisis has already overshadowed the monthlong sporting event after Saoud al-Mohannadi, vice president of QFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), was denied entry into the UAE on Thursday, before eventually arriving on Friday. "The airline mentioned that he was not allowed to get on the plane because he doesn't have permission from the Emirati authorities," Salat told Al Jazeera. There were also reports of some Qatar-based journalists not being allowed to enter the Emirati nation to cover the event, after allegedly waiting at Dubai airport for 13 hours before returning to Doha. "We have journalists from Al Kass and BeIN sports, but the reporters from the local newspapers didn't come," said Salat. Qatar-based BeIN was temporarily blocked in the UAE in June 2017 after the diplomatic crisis started before its channels were restored. BeIN is the exclusive broadcaster of the Asian Cup tournament which will run until February 1. Meanwhile, on the field, Salat said the 24-nation Asian Cup offers Qatar a good opportunity to prepare as it looks forward to hosting its first World Cup in 2022 and competing in it. "We have a young generation - the average age of our team is 24 years," he said. "So this Asian Cup is good for them to gain experience and to prepare themselves for the World Cup." Qatar beat rivals Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States in 2010 to claim hosting rights for the World Cup, becoming the first Arab country to do so. Preparations are currently under way in Qatar, but FIFA is considering expanding the 2022 event from 32 to 48 teams with the possibility of Doha sharing the tournament with some other Gulf nations. Football's governing body is currently studying the feasibility of the expansion, with a final decision expected at the FIFA Council meeting in Miami in March. Emirati official Aref al-Awani, who is the tournament director for the 17th edition of the Asian Cup, has said his country "would be willing to provide any help needed". | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/qatar-asian-cup-mix-politics-football-190107084412575.html | 2019-01-07 10:31:10+00:00 | 1,546,875,070 | 1,567,553,633 | sport | sport event |
8,326 | aljazeera--2019-01-17--Qatar vs Saudi Arabia Football blockade and piracy at Asian Cup | 2019-01-17T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Qatar vs Saudi Arabia: Football, blockade and piracy at Asian Cup | Qatar and Saudi Arabia will face off in a highly anticipated football match - dubbed the Blockade Derby - at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup on Thursday, the first meeting between the two Gulf nations since the start of a major diplomatic crisis in June 2017. Both teams are coming into the encounter at Abu Dhabi's Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium after convincing wins - the Saudis beat Lebanon 2-0 while Qatar registered a 6-0 thrashing of North Korea. Play gets under way in the Emirati capital at 8pm local time (16:00 GMT). The match, which will decide the top spot in Group E, will be played against the backdrop of a regional political dispute, which saw Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt cut all political, diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar. The quartet accuses Qatar of supporting "terrorism" and destabilising the region, charges Doha has consistently denied. "We want to win this match, not because of the political matters but to get to the top of the table," Ali Al Salat, Qatar Football Association's (QFA) media officer, told Al Jazeera while stressing that "[there] was no need to mix political issues with sports". But the Gulf crisis has already overshadowed the 24-nation tournament, which kicked off on January 5 and will run until February 1. A land, air and sea blockade on Qatar meant that the private jet carrying the 25-player Qatari squad took a longer route and had to fly to the UAE via Kuwait. Qatari fans have also been unable to attend the games and support the national side from the stands in the UAE, where showing sympathy for Qatar remains punishable with up to 15 years in jail. "It's unfortunate that politics has to interfere with sports," said Khalid Al Mohannadi, a Qatari citizen and Doha resident. "Due to these unpleasant circumstances, we can only support the team from a distance." Qatar-based beIN Sports is the host and exclusive broadcaster of the tournament in the Middle East and North Africa region. The broadcaster's crew of around 20 people is currently in the UAE covering the tournament, along with Qatari channel Al Kass. However, some Doha-based journalists were barred from entering the UAE despite holding valid accreditation. A broadcasting row between Doha and Riyadh was also reignited after pirate company, beoutQ, which emerged in 2017 and is allegedly based in Saudi Arabia, aired the Asian Cup matches. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), joining a group of major sports federations and broadcasters in condemning the operation, vowed to take legal action in Saudi Arabia. "What started out as a concerted and targeted campaign against beIN has now morphed into the largest commercial theft that's ever been seen in the world of sport and entertainment," Tom Keaveny, managing director of beIN MENA, said in a statement on Wednesday. On the field, Qatar and Saudi Arabia will renew a sporting rivalry that dates back to the 1970s. Saudi Arabia leads the head-to-head with 17 wins and six losses. It is the highest-ranked Gulf side in the world at 69 and is hoping to avenge its 2014 loss to Qatar in Riyadh. Qatar won the match at the 2014 Gulf Cup 2-1 en route its third title. According to the AFC, a high level of security is provided to all competing teams during the continental tournament. "We expect all supporters, players and teams to be well behaved and any infringement of the rules will be dealt with under the AFC regulations," the Asian football body told Al Jazeera in an emailed statement. Ali Galadari, former player for Qatar's Al Ahli football club, will be watching the match on TV with family and friends in Doha. "Our heart is with them," he said. "We can only watch on the screens and support them from here." | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/qatar-saudi-arabia-football-blockade-piracy-asian-cup-190116145421321.html | 2019-01-17 11:46:48+00:00 | 1,547,743,608 | 1,567,552,071 | sport | sport event |
8,921 | aljazeera--2019-01-28--Blockade Derby Qatar UAE set for Asian Cup semi-final | 2019-01-28T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Blockade Derby: Qatar, UAE set for Asian Cup semi-final | Hamad al-Mansouri was sitting at a shisha cafe in Beirut watching his national Qatari football team take on South Korea in the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup on TV. The 37-year-old jumped off his chair when Abdelaziz Hatim scored the match-winning goal, sending Qatar to the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time. Mansouri, like many other Qatari football fans, has been unable to attend the 24-nation tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to a major diplomatic crisis. The tournament has been played against the backdrop of a regional dispute, which saw Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut political, diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar and impose a land, air and sea blockade on the Gulf nation in June 2017. And as Qatar gets ready to face the hosts and former finalists in front of a partisan home crowd in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a spot in the final, there is both anger and frustration among Qatari fans. "This is hurting us emotionally," Mansouri told Al Jazeera. "But even if they actually allowed us to go, I wouldn't go to the UAE because we are just so scared of being in that place. It's so dangerous for us." Showing sympathy for Qatar is punishable in the UAE, with a jail term of up to 15 years. Dubbed the Blockade Derby, the match is the first meeting between the two regional rivals since the start of the Gulf crisis. Free tickets were distributed among "loyal" Emirati fans on Sunday by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, which bought all the remaining ones for Tuesday's semi-final. Meanwhile, non-Emiratis attempting to avail the free entry were turned away, UAE news outlet, The National reported. "The Emirati authorities are willing to do anything to get a win of any kind over Qatar," said Mansouri. "The absence of fans from Qatar appears to mark a failure by the AFC to obtain sufficient assurance from the hosts that representatives from all participating nations will receive fair and equal treatment," said Kristian Ulrichsen, author of The United Arab Emirates: Power, Politics and Policy-Making. Ali al-Salat, Qatar Football Association's media officer, said the national side was aware that it will have to compete without its fans in the stadium, adding that friendlies against Switzerland and Iceland helped the team prepare. "They are athletes, they are going to play football," Salat said in a previous interview." [There's] no need to mix political issues with sports." But, political tensions marred Qatar and UAE's last football encounter at the under-19 AFC Asian Cup in Indonesia in October, when the Emirati captain shrugged off a customary handshake with his Qatari counterpart at the start of the match. "I think it's sadly inevitable that regional politics will tinge the match, though probably mostly in the media, and hopefully not down to the level of the individual players, who I am sure are professional both on and off the pitch," said Christopher Davidson, a UK-based expert on the Middle East. The AFC said it expects "all supporters, players and teams to be well behaved" during the tournament. "Any infringement of the rules will be dealt with under the AFC regulations," the Asian football body previously told Al Jazeera in an emailed statement. Qatar, ranked 93 in the world, heads into the encounter with a superior head-to-head record: 12 wins and nine losses. But the 79th-ranked UAE won its last professional match at 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia. Mansouri, whose father was part of Qatar's first national team in the 1960s, will be watching the semi-final with friends and family at his local majlis, a traditional tent, at his parent's house in Qatar's capital, Doha. "This is the most important game of all our lives," said Mansouri, adding that he was "too nervous" to make any special preparations or "think about food". "Winning this game would mean everything. It would be such a symbolic win." The winner will take on four-time champions Japan who beat Asia's top-ranked side Iran 3-0 on Monday. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/blockade-derby-qatar-uae-set-asian-cup-semi-final-190128112647794.html | 2019-01-28 15:30:13+00:00 | 1,548,707,413 | 1,567,550,564 | sport | sport event |
8,952 | aljazeera--2019-01-28--Qatar set for hostile crowd in Asian Cup semi-final against UAE | 2019-01-28T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Qatar set for hostile crowd in Asian Cup semi-final against UAE | Hamad al-Mansouri was sitting at a shisha cafe in Beirut watching his national Qatari football team take on South Korea in the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup on TV. The 37-year-old jumped off his chair when Abdelaziz Hatim scored the match-winning goal, sending Qatar to the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time. Mansouri, like many other Qatari football fans, has been unable to attend the 24-nation tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to a major diplomatic crisis. The tournament has been played against the backdrop of a regional dispute, which saw Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut political, diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar and impose a land, air and sea blockade on the Gulf nation in June 2017. And as Qatar gets ready to face the hosts and former finalists in front of a partisan home crowd in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a spot in the final, there is both anger and frustration among Qatari fans. "This is hurting us emotionally," Mansouri told Al Jazeera. "But even if they actually allowed us to go, I wouldn't go to the UAE because we are just so scared of being in that place. It's so dangerous for us." Showing sympathy for Qatar is punishable in the UAE, with a jail term of up to 15 years. Dubbed the Blockade Derby, the match is the first meeting between the two regional rivals since the start of the Gulf crisis. Free tickets were distributed among "loyal" Emirati fans on Sunday by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, which bought all the remaining ones for Tuesday's semi-final. Meanwhile, non-Emiratis attempting to avail the free entry were turned away, UAE news outlet, The National reported. "The Emirati authorities are willing to do anything to get a win of any kind over Qatar," said Mansouri. "The absence of fans from Qatar appears to mark a failure by the AFC to obtain sufficient assurance from the hosts that representatives from all participating nations will receive fair and equal treatment," said Kristian Ulrichsen, author of The United Arab Emirates: Power, Politics and Policy-Making. Ali al-Salat, Qatar Football Association's media officer, said the national side was aware that it will have to compete without its fans in the stadium, adding that friendlies against Switzerland and Iceland helped the team prepare. "They are athletes, they are going to play football," Salat said in a previous interview." [There's] no need to mix political issues with sports." But, political tensions marred Qatar and UAE's last football encounter at the under-19 AFC Asian Cup in Indonesia in October, when the Emirati captain shrugged off a customary handshake with his Qatari counterpart at the start of the match. "I think it's sadly inevitable that regional politics will tinge the match, though probably mostly in the media, and hopefully not down to the level of the individual players, who I am sure are professional both on and off the pitch," said Christopher Davidson, a UK-based expert on the Middle East. The AFC said it expects "all supporters, players and teams to be well behaved" during the tournament. "Any infringement of the rules will be dealt with under the AFC regulations," the Asian football body previously told Al Jazeera in an emailed statement. Qatar, ranked 93 in the world, heads into the encounter with a superior head-to-head record: 12 wins and nine losses. But the 79th-ranked UAE won its last professional match at 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia. Mansouri, whose father was part of Qatar's first national team in the 1960s, will be watching the semi-final with friends and family at his local majlis, a traditional tent, at his parent's house in Qatar's capital, Doha. "This is the most important game of all our lives," said Mansouri, adding that he was "too nervous" to make any special preparations or "think about food". "Winning this game would mean everything. It would be such a symbolic win." The winner will take on four-time champions Japan who beat Asia's top-ranked side Iran 3-0 on Monday. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/blockade-derby-qatar-uae-set-asian-cup-semi-final-190128112647794.html | 2019-01-28 15:30:13+00:00 | 1,548,707,413 | 1,567,550,564 | sport | sport event |
9,155 | aljazeera--2019-02-01--Latest updates Qatar v Japan a Asian Cup final | 2019-02-01T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Latest updates: Qatar v Japan – Asian Cup final | Qatar has defeated four-time winners Japan in the final of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup football tournament at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Qatar's Spanish coach Felix Sanchez said the tournament win was a "huge result" for the team. "Today we made history for our country, so we need to be very proud about our achievement," he said after the match. "This is one step more towards being ready for 2022 and represent Qatar as a very competitive team at the World Cup." Al Jazeera's sports correspondent Lee Wellings, speaking from London, said the fact that Qatar has a competitive team will be a really good factor for the host nation at the World Cup. "To actually have a team to cheer for and get behind will give a positive feel to Qatar going into the 2022 tournament," he said. "Our goal was to win the title, and so I'm disappointed and regretful we could not bring the Cup home to the Japanese people," Japan's coach Hajime Moriyasu said. "We love our team, they are our heroes and they have kept our heads high. "If there was no blockade, I would have gone to watch the match, but the fact that we won is all that matters." "I am very happy and proud of the Qatari national team. It is a big thing for the country and a good sign before the World Cup comes here." Celebrations are in full swing in Doha as Qatar are crowned Asian champions. This is the Gulf nation's first major football tournament win. Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani congratulated his country's football team for an "historic victory". "A tribute to our heroes who made this tournament an Arab achievement and... realised the dreams of millions of Qatari football fans across the great Arab world," Sheikh Tamim wrote on his personal Twitter account. Qatar's national football team has defeated Japan 3-1 in the final to lift its first Asian Cup title. Qatar's Akram Afif converts the penalty kick to put his side 3-1 ahead. He receives a yellow card for taking his shirt off to celebrate. Japan's Takumi Minamino scores the first goal for his side in the 69th minute. Japan's Yoshinori Muto comes in for Genki Haraguchi. Qatar's Boualem Khoukhi taken off the field on a stretcher. He is replaced by Salem Al Hajri Abdelaziz Hatim scores the second goal for the Maroons in the 27th minute. Qatar takes the lead with 22-year-old Almoez Ali scoring in the 12th minute. This is Ali's ninth goal of the tournament, he has broken the record for the most goals scored in a single edition of the competition. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has dismissed the protest lodged by the United Arab Emirates Football Association over the eligibility of two of Qatar's players, the body said in a statement ahead of the final on Friday. The complaint about Qatar's Almoez Ali, a 22-year-old striker born in Sudan, and Bassam Al Rawi, a 21-year-old defender born in Iraq, was reportedly filed within two hours of Qatar's 4-0 victory over the UAE on Wednesday. Japan remain the clear favourites, ranked third in Asia and having put through a commendable performance in the 2018 World Cup. They are ranked 43 places above Qatar. But Qatar have scored 16 goals in this tournament without conceding any and have beaten teams ranked well above them. An Al Jazeera English poll carried out on Twitter says fans are equally divided on who will win. Big screens have been set up around Qatar for fans to watch the final as they were unable to travel to the match in person because of a regional blockade by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt. Special TV screenings will take place at around the capital Doha, including Souq Waqif and Katara Cultural Village as well as restaurants, malls and hotels. "There are no words to describe what playing in the final means to me," Qatar's captain Hassan al-Haydos told reporters on the eve of the game. "It is definitely very important to us as a team." Qatar's coach Felix Sanchez believes his players are ready for one final push that can land them the title. "The players are determined to get the victory we want by putting in one more huge effort against Japan so that we can make the Qatari people happy once again and make history," said Sanchez. The air, land and sea blockade forced the team to take a circuitous route to reach Abu Dhabi from Qatar. Qatari fans were not allowed to travel to the UAE to support the team. At some games, Omanis were in the stands, cheering on the Qatari players. During the semi-final against the UAE team shoes and sandals were thrown at the Qatari players from the stands. For the fans back home, Qatar are already winners. Read the match preview by Saba Aziz here. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/live-updates-japan-qatar-asian-cup-final-190201110503552.html | 2019-02-01 19:18:11+00:00 | 1,549,066,691 | 1,567,549,991 | sport | sport event |
10,804 | aljazeera--2019-03-15--FIFA to explore expanding 2022 World Cup from 32 to 48 teams | 2019-03-15T00:00:00 | aljazeera | FIFA to explore expanding 2022 World Cup from 32 to 48 teams | FIFA's council has approved working with hosts Qatar to explore expanding the 2022 World Cup to 48 teams by adding at least one more country in the Gulf to host football matches. Gianni Infantino, the president of football's governing body, wants to enlarge the tournament from 32 to 48 teams, which a FIFA feasibility study said would require at least one additional country to be used among five nations identified as possibilities. The council approved further discussions with Qatar to produce a proposal for consideration in June when FIFA's congress meet in Paris ahead of the Women's World Cup. "We have shown the council the feasibility study in which we conclude: yes, it is possible to expand the 2022 World Cup - provided that some conditions are met," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Friday following the council meeting in Miami, in the United States. In 2017, the body decided that the 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams when it is co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. The Associated Press on Monday revealed details of a FIFA feasibility study that said Qatar would not be forced to share games with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates unless those countries restore ties with Doha. The three countries have imposed a land, sea and air embargo on the peninsula, in the Gulf's worst diplomatic crisis. Because of their neutrality in the situation, Kuwait and Oman are indicated to be the current possible options to host games in 2022, but their stadium infrastructure is only briefly assessed in a FIFA report. "Infantino did talk about the fact that sports is something that could bridge political gaps, that could repair damaged relationships," Al Jazeera's Andy Gallacher, reporting from Miami, said. While Oman and Kuwait have good relations with Qatar, the two countries however don't have adequate facilities, he added. But expanding the competition has advantages, most notably that it could raise an extra $400m, Gallacher said. The FIFA council has also agreed to introduce a pilot tournament of an enlarged 24-team Club World Cup in 2021 despite European opposition. A quadrennial version would launch in June-July 2021 to replace the current Club World Cup, a seven-team event played each December. Ahead of the meeting, the European Club Association (ECA) wrote to FIFA saying none of its teams would participate in 2021. The letter, viewed by AP, was signed by top executives from 14 leading European clubs, including ECA head Andrea Agnelli of Juventus. The ECA executive board letter said it was "against any potential approval of a revised CWC at this point in time and confirm that no ECA Clubs would take part to such competition". They urged FIFA "to postpone any decision relating to the CWC until such moment when the legitimate concerns and interests of the European Clubs have been properly addressed". Those concerns centre on not wanting FIFA to add new competitions until there is an agreement on a new international match calendar from 2024. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/fifa-explore-expanding-2022-world-cup-32-48-teams-190315174447160.html | 2019-03-15 20:35:36+00:00 | 1,552,696,536 | 1,567,546,147 | sport | sport event |
11,699 | aljazeera--2019-04-06--Footballer Mohamed Salah scores 50th goal for Liverpool | 2019-04-06T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Footballer Mohamed Salah scores 50th goal for Liverpool | Egyptian footballer Mohamed Salah scored his 50th goal for Liverpool on Friday night, helping his English club team beat Southampton 3-1 and return to the top of the Premier League. Southampton took the lead as striker Shane Long scored nine minutes into the game, but Naby Keita levelled the match before half-time with his first goal for Liverpool since joining last summer. Salah then put the "Reds" ahead in the 80th minute with his 50th goal for the club and substitute Jordan Henderson sealed victory in the closing stages. Liverpool now sit two points clear of defending champions Manchester City and will remain top for at least another week as Pep Guardiola's side take on Brighton and Hove Albion in the semi-finals of the FA Cup this weekend. "We have 82 points now, that is massive in this crazy league and everyone is waiting for us," Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp told Sky Sports. "I am really proud. It is incredible," he added. "We are in the race and that is nice." Salah, who had not scored for eight matches - his worst run at Liverpool - said he was "very happy" to end the drought and help his side. "I think that's goal number 50 for Liverpool in the Premier League, that's special," he told Sky Sports. "After nine games [without scoring], I'm very happy to score a goal to help the team. That's the most important thing for us." Salah is the eighth Liverpool player to score 50 Premier League goals, but his half-century arrived in only 69 games, three fewer than Fernando Torres, the previous quickest to the mark. Only two other players in the Premier League era have reached the landmark quicker - Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy and Alan Shearer for Blackburn Rovers. Last year, Salah was named Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year and the Football Writers' Association's Footballer of the Year after he scored 44 goals for Liverpool in all competitions. In a breakout season, the Egyptian striker helped his club reach its first Champions League final in a decade. Southampton remain just five points above the relegation zone in 16th place with six games left. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/footballer-mohamed-salah-scores-50th-goal-liverpool-190406074448390.html | 2019-04-06 10:45:43+00:00 | 1,554,561,943 | 1,567,543,789 | sport | sport event |
12,587 | aljazeera--2019-05-01--Ajax beat Tottenham 1-0 in first leg of UCL semifinal | 2019-05-01T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Ajax beat Tottenham 1-0 in first leg of UCL semifinal | Ajax have won the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal against Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in London. On Tuesday, Donny van de Beek gave the youthful Dutch side the win, taking Ajax to the first European Cup final in 23 years. Depleted by injuries and suspension, Tottenham gifted the visitors too much space to string together slick passes early on, and the 22-year-old Van de Beek ghosted into the penalty area to receive a through ball from Hakim Ziyech before knocking a shot past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in the 15th minute. Barcelona host Liverpool in the other semifinal on Wednesday evening. Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen had to be helped off the field shortly after attempting to play on following a clash of heads, putting a fresh spotlight on the handling of potential concussions in football. Vertonghen challenged for a header in the Ajax area but slammed his face into the back of teammate Toby Alderweireld's head, leaving him with blood pouring from a cut on his nose in the 32nd minute. Vertonghen received treatment on the field and went to change his bloodied white jersey to enable a return to action. The team doctor is required to perform assessments for concussion symptoms, including asking questions to check the player's awareness. Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino did not say if Vertonghen was concussed. "I wasn't involved. It was the doctor's decision," Pochettino said. "I think it's so important things, the rules and the protocol are there and our medical staff follow the protocol." Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz was pointing at his head as he spoke to Vertonghen, before allowing him to return to action in the 38th minute. "The decision was the doctor and the referee asked," Pochettino said. "He goes in. In the next action, we need to put him out because he didn't feel well." Vertonghen lasted only 40 seconds before going across to the sideline, leaning over and struggling to stand. Pochettino had to grab Vertonghen to stop him from keeling over before the Belgian was helped down the tunnel by two medical officials. Taylor Twellman, whose playing career in the United States ultimately ended because of the lingering effect of a concussion, tweeted that "under no circumstances" should Vertonghen have been allowed back on the field after the clash of heads. That view was shared by Ajax coach Erik ten Hag. "With a head injury it can be dangerous," ten Hag said on beIN Sports. "Take him off. Don't take risks with head injuries." Vertonghen was seen walking through the media interview area after the semifinal first leg. "He's OK, he is good, he was walking away," Pochettino said. "He was more relaxed. I hope it is not a big injury or a big issue. ... You know very well you need to keep eyes watching him and analysing him because it was a big knock. But I hope it is not a big issue." FIFA has resisted introducing temporary substitutions to facilitate lengthier concussion checks. Three-minute breaks in play are allowed for on-field checks under protocols adopted in 2014. Tottenham Hotspur forward Lucas Moura said these injuries are part of football. "First of all, I hope everything is ok with Vertonghen and that it is nothing serious. And I hope he will be ready to play in the second leg because he is a very important player. These are incidents that can happen, there's nothing we can do, they are part of football." | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/ajax-win-0-1-tottenham-leg-ucl-semi-final-190501060809642.html | 2019-05-01 07:16:09+00:00 | 1,556,709,369 | 1,567,541,534 | sport | sport event |
13,142 | aljazeera--2019-05-28--Arsenal Chelsea square off in all-English Europa League final | 2019-05-28T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Arsenal, Chelsea square off in all-English Europa League final | London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea will square off in an all-English UEFA Europa League final in Azerbaijan in what has turned out to be a landmark year for the footballing nation in Europe's top club competitions. The match will kick off at the 70,000 capacity Baku Olympic stadium at 11pm local time (19:00 GMT) on Wednesday. This is the first time in history that finals of the Champions League and Europa League will feature teams from the same country - Liverpool take on Tottenham Hostpur in Madrid on June 1 for the Champions League trophy. Much of the focus ahead of the Europa League final was on Azerbaijan's fitness to host, with Arsenal midfielder and Armenian national Henrikh Mkhitaryan staying at home for political reasons and fans complaining of arduous travel. Mkhitaryan's participation had been in doubt due to the ongoing conflict between Azerbaijan and his native country. However, the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) said in a statement that it saw no reason for the decision. "We very much regret this unwarranted decision taken, as we understand, collectively by Arsenal, the player and his family," the AFFA said. The statement added that Azerbaijan had provided all the necessary guarantees required by UEFA to ensure Mkhitaryan's safety. "It's the kind of game that doesn't come along very often for us players and I must admit, it hurts me a lot to miss it," Mkhitarya said last week. Fans from London have been deterred by high travel costs and both Arsenal and Chelsea have reportedly failed to sell their full allocations of 6,000 tickets. That number was already unusually low for a major final in a 68,000-seat stadium. Neither UEFA nor Azerbaijani authorities have said how many tickets have been sold. On the field, Chelsea are looking to add another European trophy to the five it has won since 1971 and repeat its championship-winning run at the tournament in 2013. Arsenal, which finished fifth in the Premier League this season, are seeking a maiden Europa League win to add to its two previous European trophies. The two sides' only other European meeting came at the Champions League quarterfinals in 2004, when the Blues won 3-2 on aggregate. Arsenal lead their overall head-to-head with 77 wins and 63 losses. The Gunners have lost just one of their last eight meetings. "They [Arsenal] are very dangerous as a team in the offensive phase," said Maurizio Sarri, Chelsea coach. "They are aggressive and able to press well in the opposition half, so it's not easy to play against them." Eden Hazard has said that victory in the final would be a fitting way to bring the curtains down on his Chelsea career. The Belgian international, who is a target for Real Madrid, will enter the final year of his Chelsea contract next season and has refused to sign an extension, meaning the London club could lose him for free if they do not sell him this year. "That would be good, that would be a nice last trophy," Hazard told reporters on Monday. "If it is my last game, I hope to bring the trophy. When you play a final, it does not matter whether it is the Champions League, Europa League or League Cup, you just want to win, you just want to bring the trophy home and celebrate that." For Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech, the aim is to add one final piece to a trophy case filled by years of success at Chelsea ... at the expense of his old club in the last game of his career. Cech won 13 trophies - including the Europa League in 2013 - during 11 seasons at Chelsea in which he staked his claim as the top keeper in the world. After moving to Arsenal in 2015 and adding another gong with the FA Cup, the 37-year-old is now set to hang up his gloves. "It will be remarkable to end my career against Chelsea," Cech told BT Sport after Arsenal's semi-final win over Valencia. "The last dream was to play this European final and it has come true. Now the dream is to win the trophy." | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/arsenal-chelsea-square-english-europa-league-final-190528065259185.html | 2019-05-28 09:58:54+00:00 | 1,559,051,934 | 1,567,540,018 | sport | sport event |
13,367 | aljazeera--2019-06-01--Liverpool face Tottenham in all-English Champions League final | 2019-06-01T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Liverpool face Tottenham in all-English Champions League final | Liverpool will be looking to clinch their sixth Champions League title as they take on the first-time finalists Tottenham Hotspur in an all-English final - a first at the top tier European club competition since 2008 - in the Spanish capital. Both sides will be backed by 17,000 supporters each, according to UEFA, when the match gets under way at 9pm local time (19:00 GMT) on Saturday in Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano stadium, while thousands more are expected to fill the 68,000 capacity venue. Five-time champions Liverpool overcame a 3-0 first-leg deficit to defeat Spanish giant Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate in the semifinals and reach the championship match for the second consecutive year. "This year we learned a lot," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said at a press conference on Friday. "We are a completely different side to last year, so the final was not too important for our improvement; the final was like a starting point again for the next steps. That's how we saw it, that's how we wanted to use it, and that's what we did. Meanwhile, the Spurs' route to its maiden final also saw a dramatic comeback win over Dutch side Ajax 3-3 on away goals. "The moment you get to the final, it's about winning the final," Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino said. "We trust in ourselves." Madrid is hosting its fifth elite final with the previous four in the city held at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. On the eve of the match, Spanish police said they detained four British citizens for alleged assault, including against officers. Spanish authorities deployed unprecedented security measures after reports of major problems in the capital, with more than 4,700 security personnel from several security areas involved in the operation. On the field, Liverpool will be boosted by the return of their ace forward Mohammed Salah, who missed the second leg of the semifinals because of a concussion. The Egyptian forward had to leave last year's final against Real Madrid in the first half because of a shoulder injury. "I am so happy that I have the chance to play another final," he told the Guardian newspaper. "I hope I can play the full game this time," he said. "I hope we can right what happened last season, get a good result and win the competition," Salah added. When asked if he dreamed of scoring the winning goal on Saturday, he replied: "Not just dream. I hope it becomes a reality and I score in the final, then win the African Cup of Nations [which kicks off in Egypt this month] too." Klopp said Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino has regained his fitness and will be available but didn't say whether he will start. The two English sides will renew their rivalry that dates back to the 1900s, with Liverpool leading their head-to-head with 82 wins against 48 losses. The Reds have lost only once in their last 14 matches against the Spurs. Their only European meeting to date was in 1973 in the semifinals of what is now called the UEFA Europa League. The last all-English Champions League final took place in 2008 when Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow. It has been a landmark year for English football in European competitions with all four finalists at the Champions League and the second tier Europa League featuring Premier League sides. Al Jazeera's sports correspondent Lee Wellings said it has been a "memorable competition culminating in this final between two English rivals". In a European club competition historically dominated by Spanish clubs, Wellings said, "English club football has eclipsed the Spanish giants in Europe this season, spectacularly, and that will hurt Barcelona and Real Madrid hugely." "The Champions League final will be historic, fascinating, and has been eagerly anticipated," he added. "Five times champions of Europe against a club trying to lift this cup for the first time ever." | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/liverpool-face-tottenham-english-champions-league-final-190601052751073.html | 2019-06-01 10:52:42+00:00 | 1,559,400,762 | 1,567,539,462 | sport | sport event |
13,461 | aljazeera--2019-06-03--Qatar to host next two FIFA Club World Cups | 2019-06-03T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Qatar to host next two FIFA Club World Cups | The next two Club World Cups, in December this year and in 2020, will be played in Qatar as preparation for the 2022 World Cup, global football governing body FIFA has said. The seven-team club tournament, which will include European champion Liverpool this year, will be played in December and in December 2020, FIFA confirmed on Monday. "It is an amazing test competition for us. We will try to use the Club World Cup as a test in as many ways as possible," Hassan al-Thawadi, chief of the local Qatari organising committee for 2022 said. That includes coping with an influx of potentially thousands of fans who will want to drink alcohol, which is currently only available for foreigners in a limited number of bars in Qatar. "Alcohol will be available in certain areas," al-Thawadi said. "The details of it operationally, how it's going to work out, all that stuff will be put in place and we will be announcing it in due course. "We will have fan zones available so it will be a great opportunity for us to put in place some of the plans we have for the World Cup already to get lessons learned from it." The decision to give Qatar the Club World Cup comes two weeks after FIFA settled on 32 countries for the 2022 World Cup rather than expanding to 48 teams. The Club World Cup has recently been held in Japan and the United Arab Emirates with seven competing teams - six continental champions and a team from the host nation. After Qatar hosts the final two editions of the tournament in its present format, FIFA will revamp it to include 24 teams, a move that has been opposed by the European Club Association (ECA) which has issued a boycott threat. Tunisian club Esperance de Tunis qualified last week as African champion, New Caledonian club Hienghene Sport will represent Oceania, and CONCACAF's place was secured by Mexican club Monterrey. The Asian and South American teams will be determined in their continental finals in November. The South American and European champions enter in the semifinals at the Club World Cup. Liverpool, which beat Tottenham 2-0 in the Champions League final on Saturday, lost its only Club World Cup final in 2005 to Sao Paulo in Yokohama, Japan. "It's a great opportunity, the time of the year that we have it, to test out their facilities," said Canadian FIFA Vice-President Victor Montagliani. "I think it will be good for Qatar to have the two events over the next years." | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/qatar-host-fifa-club-world-cups-190603170525934.html | 2019-06-03 19:01:26+00:00 | 1,559,602,886 | 1,567,539,260 | sport | sport event |
13,823 | aljazeera--2019-06-26--Al Jazeera Wins Gold Silver at New York Festivals Radio Awards | 2019-06-26T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Al Jazeera Wins Gold, Silver at New York Festivals Radio Awards | Flanked by industry peers on Monday in New York, Al Jazeera Digital received a Gold Radio award for its current affairs podcast The Take and a Silver Radio award for its sports and lifestyle podcast Game of Our Lives. The trophies were conferred during the New York Festivals Radio Awards gala in Manhattan in recognition of a wide spectrum of radio content submitted from 35 countries across a variety of genres, including breaking news, podcasts, audiobooks, live events, audio dramas and documentaries. The Gold Radio award marked a first industry recognition for The Take, which began its weekly production less than a year ago. Hosted by Malika Bilal, The Take interviews journalists from Al Jazeera's international bureaus to take a deeper look at the events that are shaping our world. Al Jazeera Digital's head of audio, Graelyn Brashear received the awards in front of a packed audience. Fellow winners and nominees included industry peers from The Guardian, BBC, Vox and CBC. "It's an honour to receive these awards on behalf of our talented, hard-working audio teams," Brashear said from the sidelines of the ceremony. "The Gold award for The Take is also a win for Al Jazeera's correspondents and producers in TV and Digital, whose firsthand knowledge of the regions they're covering help us to produce a show that truly covers the globe." "Podcasting is new for us at the Al Jazeera Media Network," said Carlos van Meek, Director of Digital Innovation and Programming, "so this win confirms there is a home for our content in audio and that our team is on the right track editorially." "We're very proud of what we've accomplished in a short time and with the resources at our disposal. I'd ask discerning listeners to watch this space. More award-winning content is on the way." Drawing upon the appeal of the world's most popular sport, Game of our Lives won the Silver Radio Award for its treatment of football as a metaphor for global living. Weaving together interviews with athletes, cultural icons and commentators, Game of our Lives spans the interconnected worlds of sportsmanship, politics and cinema. The podcast emerged ahead of competitors ESPN Films, BBC Radio 5 Live and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/al-jazeera-wins-gold-silver-york-festivals-radio-awards-190626142007061.html | 2019-06-26 18:04:31+00:00 | 1,561,586,671 | 1,567,538,049 | sport | sport event |
15,048 | aljazeera--2019-08-08--Premier League deadline day Whos playing for who next season | 2019-08-08T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Premier League deadline day: Who's playing for who next season? | Football fans are a strange bunch, at the best of times, but they do seem to go a bit mad in the off-season. To casuals, it can seem like the season never ends, with the Champions League, continental and World Cups - let alone the increasing range of money-spinning "warm-up" friendlies between mega-clubs set in lucrative TV markets - all conspiring to turn the football season into a 12-month affair. But to hardcore fans, these have been a few months wandering a desert, desperate for a fix of the beautiful game. But the off-season doesn't stop the true fans from dedicating their downtime to getting angry at "leaked" new season kit designs, or, of course, rampant speculation over the transfer market - the window in which the commodification of human skill is best exemplified, as clubs literally buy and sell those from whom they have demanded absolute fealty. Thursday was deadline day for the English Premier League. Any new contract had to be signed off by 5pm local time - and the money involved will leave many shaking their heads in disbelief. But with the new season kicking off this weekend, who will be playing for who? This transfer window's top-price signing was completed by Manchester United, who signed centre-back Harry Maguire from Leicester for $95m. Maguire, who has appeared 20 times for the England national team, is just 26 years old. Champions Manchester City brought Atletico Madrid's defensive midfielder Rodri to England for $76m. Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku was sold by Manchester United to Italy's Inter Milan for $71m. Tottenham announced the signing of two new players on deadline day: 19-year-old Ryan Sessegnon, the promising left-midfielder, from Fulham, and Giovani Lo Celso on loan from Real Betis. But it was probably Tottenham's north London rival, Arsenal, who have conducted the most productive transfer business, acquiring centre back William Saliba from Saint Etienne ($33m, loaned back for one season) and 18-year-old left-winger Gabriel Martinelli from Ituano in Brazil. They've also brought in Dani Ceballos, Real Madrid's midfield workhorse, on loan. Arsenal continued its transfer business on deadline day with the arrival of Kieran Tierney, the stand-out Scottish left-back from Celtic. David Luiz, Chelsea's veteran centre back, was also understood to be hammering out the final details of a contract with Arsenal as the deadline passed. Chelsea are currently serving a transfer ban after breaking FIFA's rules on signing overseas children to the club, and are not allowed to sign new players until the end of January 2020. According to Sky Sports, new Chelsea manager Frank Lampard reportedly told Luiz that, with Antonio Rudiger's return to fitness, it was unlikely he has going to get many games for the first team. Chelsea fans will also still be feeling the blues after losing Eden Hazard to Spanish superclub Real Madrid at the beginning of the window. But the excitement of transfer deadline day is not just about the biggest names and numbers. Sometimes it's about the emotion. "It's an amazing feeling. On the way up, it was just butterflies in my stomach," striker Andy Carroll told Sky Sports after re-signing for Newcastle - the club he played for both as an under-18 and a full senior. "Now, it's finally happened, it's a great feeling. I think I have unfinished business - I left on a high and I want to get back to it." And of course, everyone loves a bargain. While Watford, a relatively small club who made it to last year's FA Cup final, paid a club-record fee of $33m for Ismaila Sarr, they also managed to pick up Arsenal and England centre-forward Danny Welbeck on a transfer after his contract expired at Arsenal. One post on a Watford fan forum rejoiced at the club signing "someone I don't have to Google". The full list of Premier League transfers at 5pm London time was as follows: Out Steven Davis (Rangers) Matt Targett (Aston Villa) Alfie Jones (Gillingham) (Loan) Jack Rose (Walsall) (Loan) Kingsley Latham (Havant and Waterlooville) (Loan) Alex Cull (Totton) (Loan) Harry Hamblin (Bath City) (Loan) Jordy Clasie (AZ Alkmaar) Tyreke Johnson (Woking) (Loan) Josh Sims (New York Red Bulls) (Loan) Charlie Austin (West Brom) | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/premier-league-deadline-day-playing-season-190808162839219.html | 2019-08-08 18:02:10+00:00 | 1,565,301,730 | 1,567,534,598 | sport | sport event |
15,953 | aljazeera--2019-09-18--Qatar 2022 World Cup stadiums All you need to know | 2019-09-18T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Qatar 2022 World Cup stadiums: All you need to know | Months after the completion of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, all eyes are on Qatar as it prepares to host football's mega event in 2022. The tiny Gulf nation will be the first from the Arab world to host the World Cup, breaking with tradition with a winter kick-off as it looks to avoid the scorching summer heat. FIFA President Gianni Infantino hailed Qatar's progress on infrastructure during a visit to its capital, Doha, on Tuesday, after inspecting the eight stadiums and several training sites that will be used for the month-long tournament. "You can see the progress which is being made here four years before kick-off," Infantino said after a tour of the Al Wakrah stadium, a 40,000 capacity venue that will host matches up to the quarter-finals stage. "The Russian World Cup was the best ever, and the World Cup in 2022 has to be even better," he said. "I think this World Cup is extremely important, not only for Qatar but for the whole region - a region that has a passion for football and is investing a lot in the game." Qatar beat bid rivals Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States in 2010 to claim the hosting rights. As it looks to open its doors to football fans and teams from around the world for its biggest sporting event since the 2006 Asian Games, the Gulf state has come under increasing scrutiny over its treatment of migrant workers. To date, there have been three work-related fatalities and nine non-work related deaths of workers engaged in the construction of Qatar's World Cup stadiums, according to the tournament organisers. But the United Nations' International Labour Organization (ILO) dismissed all complaints lodged against Qatar following a new draft bill, introducing minimum wage and legal protection for the foreign workforce, approved by the government last year. At least 26,000 people are directly involved in the construction of the proposed stadiums. Contractors involved in the World Cup projects have agreed to reimburse more than $14.4m to the thousands of workers who had paid recruitment fees before moving to Qatar. Seven new state-of-the-art stadiums with advanced open-air cooling technology are being built from scratch for the 2022 event. The eighth one, Khalifa International Stadium located next to the iconic Torch Tower, was inaugurated in May last year, after undergoing renovations and upgrades. Meanwhile, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), which is overseeing the organisation of the 2022 World Cup, said earlier this year the Al Wakrah Stadium and Al Bayt in Al Khor will be ready by December. "All the stadiums will be completed two years before the tournament starts," Yasser Al Mulla, the SC's Landscape & Sport Turf Management senior manager, said in January. Here is a look at the progress of the stadiums. The Khalifa International stadium, which was built in 1976 in Doha, is the first tournament-ready venue. This 40,000-capacity arena has already hosted the Gulf Cup, Asian Games and the AFC Asian Cup. Located in the southern city of Al Wakrah, this 40,000-seat stadium is "almost complete", according to the SC, and its retractable roof is now being installed. The Lusail Stadium, located in Lusail city, about 23km north of Doha, will host the opening ceremony and the final of the World Cup. According to the SC, the concrete superstructure of the stadium and the seating terraces are at an advanced stage. The Al Bayt Stadium, located in Al Khor city, has a capacity of 60,000. Its exterior, which resembles tents used in Qatar's deserts, is half complete. Education City stadium, on the outskirts of Doha, is right in the middle of Qatar's leading universities. After hosting matches up to the quarter-finals stage, the arena will be reduced in half and 20,000 seats will be donated to build stadiums in developing countries. The Al Rayyan Stadium in Qatar's second-most populous city is being built on the site of the old Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium, previous home of Qatar's Al Rayyan Sports Club. It will have a capacity of 40,000 seats. This 40,000 seat stadium is located 12km south of Doha's skyline and seafront. It is an architectural depiction of the gahfiya, a traditional cap worn by Arab men. The venue's unique design won the Architectural Review Future Projects Award in May. To be built on the shores of the Gulf, the Ras Aboud stadium will overlook the Doha skyline in the backdrop. This 40,000 seat venue will be completely dismantled and re-purposed for other sporting and non-sporting projects after the tournament. Its foundations are currently being laid. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/10/qatar-2022-world-cup-stadiums-181025142408471.html | 2019-09-18 15:11:23+00:00 | 1,568,833,883 | 1,569,329,964 | sport | sport event |
16,439 | aljazeera--2019-10-10--Iran beats Cambodia 14-0 in historic match attended by women | 2019-10-10T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Iran beats Cambodia 14-0 in historic match attended by women | Iranian women have watched the country's national football team play after authorities allowed them to buy tickets for the first time in decades, celebrating their long-awaited access to the national stadium but also paying tribute to the "Blue Girl" fan who died last month. Iran, one of the traditional powerhouses of Asian football with a passionate fanbase, won their World Cup qualifying match against Cambodia on Thursday 14-0 but the one-sided game will be remembered much more for the scenes in the stands. Waving flags, blowing vuvuzela plastic horns and displaying the team colours of red, green and white, over 3,000 women watched from a special women-only section in Tehran's Azadi Stadium. Women have been banned from watching men's games in Iran since shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution with only a few exceptions made for small groups on rare occasions. But under pressure from world football's governing body FIFA and women's rights campaigners, Iranian authorities earmarked tickets for them to watch Thursday's game. FIFA had sent a delegation to Tehran to ensure that women were allowed to attend the game following the death last month of Sahar Khodayari, who set herself on fire to protest against her arrest for trying to get into a match. Dubbed "Blue Girl" online for her favourite team Esteghlal's colours, Khodayari had feared being jailed for six months by the Islamic Revolutionary Court for trying to enter a stadium dressed as a man. Video footage of the crowd at Thursday's match, posted on twitter, showed some supporters chanting "Blue Girl, Blue Girl". Other video showed supporters chanting "FIFA, Thank You". "We have an incredible feeling as the first Iranian women entering the stadium," said one fan, interviewed by local television. Another video interview, distributed on social media, showed a woman fan inside the stadium, on the brink of tears with an Iranian flag over her shoulders and painted on her face. "It was really a very big wish. Really, thank you for letting us come. I'm shaking. Thank you," she said. Al Jazeera's Zein Basravi reporting from the stadium in Tehran said that there are around 3,500-4,000 women who have been admitted inside, but it is a small number considering the stadium has a capacity of 80,000. He added that a crowd of women had gathered outside of the stadium still trying to enter. "We spoke to one woman who said that she's going to try to get in even if she has to stay there until the end of the day," Basravi said. "Another woman we spoke to said that she doesn't even like football, but getting into the same games as the men are allowed to attend is an equal rights issue, it's a women's rights issue." The game was sparsely attended but an extra area, next to the designated women's section, was opened for what appeared to be women who did not have tickets for the arranged area. Government spokesman Ali Rabiei said he viewed the presence of women at the stadium as a positive step, according to the official IRNA news agency. "The government has said to us that as far as they're concerned, this is the forward trend," Basravi said. "The number of women attending stadium games will only go up but there is a proviso - they will only do so in so far as authorities are able to maintain Islamic values, maintain public order laws that are in line with Islamic codes of conduct." While campaigners have welcomed the access granted for Thursday's game, it is unclear if such scenes will become the norm in Iran. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has urged Iranian authorities to open up stadiums to women for all games, not just World Cup qualifiers. The sport's global governing body sent officials to Tehran to monitor access for women at the match and said it will continue to press for their inclusion. "FIFA's stance on the access of women to the stadiums in Iran has been firm and clear: women have to be allowed into football stadiums in Iran. For all football matches," FIFA had said in a statement. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/iranian-women-attend-football-match-40-years-191010160637819.html | Thu, 10 Oct 2019 20:08:21 GMT | 1,570,752,501 | 1,570,749,204 | sport | sport event |
17,748 | aljazeera--2019-11-25--At Gulf Cup in Qatar, a showdown of 'football, not politics' | 2019-11-25T00:00:00 | aljazeera | At Gulf Cup in Qatar, a showdown of 'football, not politics' | Doha, Qatar - Ali Galadari has fond memories of attending the Gulf Cup with his family and friends, both at home in Qatar and in the neighbouring countries. In 1986, as a 12-year-old, he took his first trip for the biennial regional football tournament to Bahrain and has been a regular attendee since. "The Gulf Cup is in our blood," the former player for Qatar's Al Ahli Club told Al Jazeera. "Since the beginning, it was our dream to attend. I have been to many countries, including Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman," he said. • Qatar to play UAE in Doha amid signs of thaw in Gulf dispute • Is a resolution of the GCC crisis imminent? • Qatar vs Saudi Arabia: Football, blockade and piracy at Asian Cup On Tuesday, the 24th edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup kicks off in the Qatari capital, Doha, but not before a few hiccups along the way. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain were included late in the draw after they reversed their decision to boycott the event over a two-year-old diplomatic dispute with the host nation. A revised draw was made after new invitations from the organising Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) were accepted by the three nations earlier this month. The trio, along with Egypt, continues to impose a land, air and sea blockade on Qatar after severing ties in June 2017 and accusing it of "supporting terrorism", a charge repeatedly and vehemently rejected by Doha. But the Saudi Football Federation and the UAE Football Association adjusted the calendars of their local leagues to be able to compete in the eight-nation regional event. Teams from the three blockading nations landed in Doha on Monday. Welcoming their participation, the AGCFF said: "[The tournament] has underlined its ability to overcome the challenges and obstacles under the circumstances the region is undergoing." "The Gulf Cup remains a constant affirmation that our Gulf is one," it said in a statement. Despite a ban on direct travel, Jassim al-Rumaihi, the secretary-general of the AGCFF, told reporters that "the state of Qatar will make the necessary arrangements" to ensure that fans from the blockading nations can also attend the matches. Eight participating teams have been split into two groups. In Group A, Asian champions Qatar are drawn against Yemen, Iraq and the UAE. Defending champions Oman are in Group B where they will be joined by Saudi Arabia, 10-time winners Kuwait and Bahrain in the group stages. The opening match on Tuesday at 7:30pm local time (16:30 GMT) will see Qatar compete against three-time champion Iraq at the Khalifa International Stadium, a 40,000 capacity air-conditioned venue that also hosted the IAAF World Athletics Championships last month. Later on Tuesday, 2017 finalist UAE will face-off against Yemen at the 12,000-capacity Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium. This is the fourth time Qatar - a three-time winner of the cup - is hosting the regional event. The previous Arabian Gulf Cup, two years ago, was originally scheduled to be held in Doha, but was moved to Kuwait in the aftermath of the blockade. The Gulf diplomatic crisis overshadowed the 2017 event, with Saudi Arabia's team refusing to talk to the press due to the presence of Qatar-based news channels, including Al Jazeera. Analysts are hopeful tensions "will not be running so high" and the tournament "will be played in a spirit that reflects its sporting rather than political significance". "The about-turn and decision to participate in the Gulf Cup is an encouraging signal that relations in the region may be thawing and that the zero-sum mentality that came to characterise decision-making in the blockading states may at last be giving way," Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, author of The Gulf States In International Political Economy, told Al Jazeera. Christopher Davidson, a UK-based expert on the Middle East, said: "The decision by the UAE and Saudi Arabia to cancel their boycott … demonstrates an increasing awareness in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh of the need to burnish their regional and international reputations and to avoid being axiomatically labelled 'the bad guys'." "After all, they too host major international sporting events, and will be keen to avoid being blackballed by future organising committees," he added. Meanwhile, anticipation in Doha is high for the rematch of the AFC Asian Cup semi-final between Qatar and the UAE on December 2, with a limited number of tickets left for sale, according to the tournament website. Their last encounter in Abu Dhabi in January, which Qatar won 4-0 en route to its maiden Asian title, was marred by crowd disruptions with shoes and bottles thrown at Qatari players. Win or lose, Galadari is confident the home fans will welcome and treat their guests with respect. "We are having some [political] issues, but we will not bring them into sports," he said. "Here, when the national anthem of the Emirates starts playing, you'll see the whole stadium standing up in respect." The final game will be played on December 8. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/gulf-cup-qatar-showdown-football-politics-191125131643996.html | Mon, 25 Nov 2019 16:26:41 GMT | 1,574,717,201 | 1,574,727,665 | sport | sport event |
20,478 | bbc--2019-01-07--The toughest job in world football | 2019-01-07T00:00:00 | bbc | The toughest job in world football? | Reaching the Asian Cup finals for the first time would be no small achievement for Yemen at the best of times. But doing so as war and famine push the poorest country on the Arabian peninsula into the abyss has made it a minor miracle. This is no ordinary tale of footballing success against the odds. Yemen's story includes players kidnapped by extremists. Some can be found fighting in the mountains. Others are dead. As Yemen prepare to get their campaign under way in the United Arab Emirates - they are outsiders in a group featuring Iran, Iraq and Vietnam - the tournament offers a small degree of respite for a nation ravaged by war and famine. When they kick off against Iran in Abu Dhabi on 7 January they'll be serious underdogs. Their opponents are ranked 29th in the world by Fifa; Yemen sit 135th. But as Syria and Iraq have illustrated in recent years, turmoil can raise a team's game. Football has ground to a halt in Yemen. The league is suspended and the infrastructure has all but collapsed. Stadiums are turned to rubble, clubs disintegrating. It is all a direct consequence of war. The 2015 escalation of the conflict between the internationally-recognised Hadi government and Houthi rebels has engulfed Yemen in unspeakable torment. Tens of thousands have been killed in the fighting; hunger and disease compound the tragedy. The numbers are so large as to lose all meaning. Estimates suggest 85,000 children under five have died of starvation; 14 million people are at risk of famine. The country has been sliced in two by this proxy war. The UK and US have been criticised for their support of the Saudi-led coalition that backs President Hadi, and for supplying the bombs that rain down mercilessly. Iran backs the Houthi, who control the mountainous north-west, including the capital Sanaa. Al Qaeda and other local factions only cloud the picture further. Yet despite shattered families and homes, Yemenis also press on with their lives. According to sports journalist Bashir Senan, they have little inclination to pick through the geopolitical stew in which their country is simmering, but they are looking forward to that first meeting with Iran in Group D of the Asian Cup. The players are also keen to focus on football, but that's not easy. Some have managed to find clubs outside Yemen, many in Qatar, but for those still based at home, international games have been their only competitive matches for the past four years. Even when the few clubs still functioning manage to arrange local tournaments the war is always lurking. Chilling video shows rockets lighting up the sky at one such match as spectators perch on grubby plastic chairs by the side of the pitch. For new coach Jan Kocian, the challenges of preparing his team for a major international tournament are stark - and varied. Those still lucky enough to be attached to functioning clubs earn pocket money at best, forcing them to drive taxis or work in supermarkets to make ends meet. Others have joined the fighting; several international players have died in the conflict. "I have to think about doing something else to earn money," Ammad Amr Talal told a camera crew recently on the side of the dusty patch of waste ground on which Al-Tilal, one of Yemen's biggest clubs, now train. "Maybe I'll join the army." One member of Kocian's team says that despite a full-time job he still struggles to earn enough to live. Despite that, he says he had to fund his own journey to join the national squad's Asian Cup preparations in Saudi Arabia. Complaints against Yemen's Football Association are rife, although players are wary of making waves. The FA walks a fine line between the country's warring factions and is struggling to organise the Asian Cup campaign. The training camps should have been up and running before November, say critics, but the finances and logistics are daunting. A coalition-enforced air embargo means there are tales of risky trips to cross the few land borders still open and voyages in ships transporting cattle for slaughter. One player was kidnapped by extremist groups as he returned home from a game during the qualification campaign. "I had been left to a 48-hour road trip through some of the most dangerous territory in the country," he claims, preferring to remain anonymous. Politics continued to play havoc with Yemen's preparations as the Asian Cup approached. In early December, Saudi Arabia reportedly blocked the team from travelling to Qatar for a training camp and several friendlies, sending them instead on a hastily-arranged jaunt to Malaysia. Yemen does not have a glorious footballing history. Fans have spent decades honing a philosophical approach - avoiding a drubbing has often been cause to celebrate. They have never won an Arabian Gulf Cup match despite having played 27 times in the regional tournament, but triumphed twice and drew four times during the qualification campaign for the 2019 Asian Cup. Just a few hundred Yemeni fans were in the stands in Qatar to cheer the team's "home" appearances, but enthusiasm back home among a population desperate for good news rose alongside the points tally. The excitement peaked in March, when Abdulwasea Al Matari scored the two goals that beat Nepal and sealed a berth in the finals. However, Abraham Mebratu, the Ethiopian coach who steered Yemen through the campaign, was gone within three months, complaining about a lack of financing and keen to take up an opportunity to lead his home nation. In addition to the victory over Nepal, Yemen's underemployed team played just three friendlies in 2018. "I've played three top-level matches in 2018," says Fouad Al Omeisi. The 29-year-old midfielder is lucky - his club, Al Ahli Sanaa in the capital, still has its head above water. However, the "transportation allowance" he is paid is not even enough to fund regular gym visits. One team-mate struggles to fit training around a 10-hour shift driving a bus. He earns $6 (£4.70) a day. "The emotional and psychological stress caused by the war" only makes the effort to stay fit and sharp harder, Al Omeisi adds. Slovakian manager Kocian knows a thing or two about how political upheaval can impact on football. He won the last of his 26 international caps just months before Czechoslovakia dissolved. However, 1993's Velvet Divorce bears no comparison to the horrors stalking this Yemen team. Kocian arrived in Saudi Arabia in November to start preparing the squad selected by the FA to take its bow on the world stage. Tall, lean and enthusiastic, he brushes aside suggestions he may have taken on the toughest coaching job in the world. "The political situation makes for some unusual conditions for training a national team," he admits. "For one thing, I won't enter the country; that's in my contract. But it's an honour to lead this team." Favouring a technical, passing style, Kocian could prove a perfect fit for Yemen's young squad. The former centre-back never played for Slovakia, but during a stint in 2006-08 managing his home nation he did blood a 20-year-old Marek Hamsik, Slovakia's talisman ever since. Kocian says his players are keen and focused, and avoid talking about the problems at home, just as the break-up of Czechoslovakia "was never a topic among footballers". But that does not mean the devastation is not on their minds. Offering Yemenis a glimpse of hope, an escape from the horrors in which they are trapped, pushes the team to raise its game, according to veteran goalkeeper Mohammed Ayash. "This tournament is a way to give people a little joy and relief," adds sports journalist Omar Al Masri. "It's a big deal. People are trying to survive and find food for their families, but during the tournament they'll be filling the cafes to watch." Those players still based in Yemen also hope the Asian Cup could offer a literal escape. "Their dream is to get a professional contract abroad," says Kocian. No one is going to tour a war zone to scout for talent, so the players will have no shortage of motivation when they take on Asia's biggest teams. "Yemen won't be pushovers but they will rely on the counter attack against the likes of Iran," says Al Masri. "But they're there to prove themselves, and if they can beat Vietnam then all the better!" Kocian adds: "We know we're the outsiders in the group, but in football a small country can dream of big victories, and we're all aware that qualification for the Qatar World Cup begins in March." Given the challenges, just taking the field on 7 January will be a startling achievement. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46721547 | 2019-01-07 06:39:25+00:00 | 1,546,861,165 | 1,567,553,600 | sport | sport event |
20,517 | bbc--2019-01-08--Egypt named as the hosts of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations | 2019-01-08T00:00:00 | bbc | Egypt named as the hosts of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations | Egypt will host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) has announced. Egypt beat South Africa, the only other nation to bid, by 16 votes to one with one abstention at a Caf executive committee vote in Senegal. Original host nation Cameroon was stripped of staging duties in November because of slow preparations. Egypt has just six months to prepare for the expanded 24-team finals, which kick off in June. It will be the fifth time Egypt, which won the tournament when it last hosted in 2006, has staged the tournament. "I want to thank the (Caf) Executive Committee for the trust, and I thank the government for this support," said Egypt FA (EFA) president Hany Abu Rida. "We organised the tournament on 2006 and that make us against a challenge to make better and better, we are ready for this honour." "The guarantee from government helped us to win against South Africa and that will help us to make a good tournament," added Ahmed Shobair, vice-president of Egypt's FA. "The fans will be back again in the stadiums, which will be full in the tournament I promise." Egypt will use eight stadiums during the tournament, hosting in five different cities: Alexandria, Ismailia, Port Said, Suez and the capital Cairo. Caf had originally planned to name the new hosts on Wednesday 9 January. Since stripping Cameroon of this year's event, Caf has offered the country the chance to stage the finals in two years' time, which has meant that the original hosts for both the 2021 and 2023 finals have been asked to delay their tournaments. Ivory Coast, which was set to host the 2021, has protested against the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Guinea's football federation announced on Monday that it has agreed to move its staging of the Nations Cup from 2023 to 2025. Tuesday's announcement took place in the Senegalese capital Dakar, which will host Caf's annual awards ceremony later in the day. Egypt's Mohamed Salah is looking to retain his title as he takes on Gabon's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Senegal's Sadio Mane for the African Player of the Year award. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/africa/46788780 | 2019-01-08 11:20:07+00:00 | 1,546,964,407 | 1,567,553,441 | sport | sport event |
20,613 | bbc--2019-01-09--Manchester City 9-0 Burton Albion Gabriel Jesus scores four in Carabao Cup semi-final | 2019-01-09T00:00:00 | bbc | Manchester City 9-0 Burton Albion: Gabriel Jesus scores four in Carabao Cup semi-final | Irresistible Manchester City scored nine goals as they thrashed Burton Albion with an incredible display of attacking football in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at Etihad Stadium. Gabriel Jesus scored four, with Kevin de Bruyne, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez also scoring against Nigel Clough's beleaguered League One side. Headers from De Bruyne and Jesus made it 2-0, the Brazilian tapped in a third and Zinchenko's curler put City four up. Jesus added two more headers, with Foden, Walker and Mahrez scoring further goals. This was the first time in more than 31 years that City had scored more than eight goals in a single match - they beat Huddersfield Town 10-1 in a second-tier league encounter in November 1987. It means City have scored 16 goals in four days after thrashing Rotherham United 7-0 in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday. The second leg, merely a formality, takes place at the Pirelli Stadium on Wednesday, 23 January, with the final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 24 February. City, the Carabao Cup holders, are set to meet either Tottenham or Chelsea in the final, with Spurs leading 1-0 after Harry Kane's penalty gave them a first-leg victory at Wembley on Tuesday. Before the game, Guardiola called the tournament "a more local competition" and said "everybody is happy to win but no-one is sad to go out". However, the Spaniard still named a strong team that included De Bruyne, Silva, Mahrez, Sane and Jesus, with starts for 20-year-old goalkeeper Aro Muric and Spanish centre-half Eric Garcia, on his 18th birthday. It only took them five minutes to break through with De Bruyne's header, and Sane almost added a second but fired into the side netting. But three goals in a seven-minute spell in the first half took the tie away from Nigel Clough's side. Jesus got his first with a header after Sane's effort had been parried by goalkeeper Brad Collins, and the Brazilian tapped in from Sane's cross to make it 3-0, with the goal given after a video assistant referee check to see if he had been onside, which he was. Zinchenko got his first City goal when he looped the ball over Collins from the edge of the penalty area, with Mahrez denied a fifth when the Burton goalkeeper tipped over his effort. City did not let up after the break as Jesus completed his hat-trick when he headed in from Silva's cross, and the sixth goal was scored by Foden, following up after Collins had denied Jesus. But the Brazilian grabbed his fourth of the game three minutes later, with a tap-in from Sane's low delivery. Walker made it 8-0 with a side-footed finish and Silva hit the outside of the post, although the ninth was not far away as Mahrez bundled in another goal. City had a chance to get a 10th but Zinchenko's header was saved on the line by Collins. City have won this competition in three of the past five years and their 2018 success was Guardiola's first trophy in English football. With City playing eight matches in a hectic January, Guardiola will now have the luxury of resting some players for the second leg. Burton - ninth in League One, 51 places below City - were playing in their first major cup semi-final, and around 3,000 of their supporters had tickets for the match at Etihad Stadium. However, numerous traffic incidents caused tailbacks on the M6 with only one of their 31 fan coaches at the ground an hour before kick-off. Some of their fans had still not taken their seats when De Bruyne's header put the hosts in front, but the away fans should have been celebrating an equaliser seven minutes later, although Marcus Harness could only shoot over when unmarked 12 yards from goal. After that miss, Burton were outclassed by a ruthless City side. Clough's side still created chances, though, and Scott Fraser had an effort saved by Muric and shot just over early in the second half as the Brewers fans were denied the goal they wanted. Burton had beaten five teams to reach this stage - including Premier League Burnley and Championship sides Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough - but were powerless to stop a rampant City outfit. When you have got so much quality pushing quality, you are going to get better performances. Pep Guardiola knows he is going to push Liverpool all the way in the Premier League title race, and this performance shows that he has players fighting for those shirts. It doesn't matter to a centre-forward about the opposition. When the ball leaves any part of your body and goes into the back of the net, that is the feeling you work so hard for. Tonight will give Gabriel Jesus a lot of confidence. Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus on Sky Sports: "I have never scored four before in my career; I am so happy for this. We played very well and with respect, that's important. "Players like me want to play more, to help the team, and we went out there to win." Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: "The result was good and of course we are already in the final but we have to play the second leg. We will take it seriously. Burton have had an incredible tournament. They have to be so proud, they did so well. "Strikers need to score goals, Gabriel Jesus has had chances in the last few games and today he has scored. He is so important. "It is not easy to play this type of game against a lower team. We made good runs in behind and we took it seriously. After the second and third goal it was easier, we were faster and quicker. "I am off for a glass of wine with Nigel Clough. I know how important his father was for English football, he was a genius. Incredible. It will be a pleasure to share some minutes with him." Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough: "We didn't expect anything less with the gulf between the two teams. We thought it could have been more. We didn't too much wrong. With two or three of the goals we could have done more but we didn't do too badly." "We have made history in getting this far. It wasn't about tonight, it was about the achievement of getting here. We kept going right to the end, they [the fans] were shouting 'we want 10' and we stopped them, that's a positive for us. Some of the youngsters have had an experience that you can't buy. "It's not nice when the goals are going in and you can do nothing to stop it. Pep said 'come in for a glass of wine' and I hope he's got more than a glass. They are capable of doing that to Premier League teams." Manchester City return to Premier League action on Monday, 14 January at home to Wolves (20:00 GMT) and then face Huddersfield away on the following Sunday, before the second leg against on 23 January. For Burton, they have a home match in League One with Gillingham on Saturday and an away game at Doncaster the following week before facing Guardiola's side again. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46732982 | 2019-01-09 22:28:41+00:00 | 1,547,090,921 | 1,567,553,270 | sport | sport event |
20,786 | bbc--2019-01-11--Premier League predictions Lawro v The Greatest Dancer captain Oti Mabuse | 2019-01-11T00:00:00 | bbc | Premier League predictions: Lawro v The Greatest Dancer captain Oti Mabuse | Sunday sees the first big test for Manchester United interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when his in-form team take on Tottenham. So far, Solskjaer has won all five of his games in charge in the Premier League and FA Cup - but how will he fare at Wembley? BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson says: "Spurs have beaten United at home in each of the past three seasons, with most of their current team involved in those games. "It just feels like Tottenham know they can turn United over. They beat them at Old Trafford in August, so I am backing them to do a rare double - for the first time since 1989-90." Lawro is making predictions for all 380 top-flight matches this season, against a variety of guests. This week he is up against Strictly dancer Oti Mabuse, who is a dance captain on new BBC One show The Greatest Dancer. "Growing up in South Africa my dad had a huge passion for soccer," Mabuse told BBC Sport. "The World Cup in South Africa in 2010 was enormous, it changed how the country looks and works today. "I was an official dancer for the World Cup! Everyone was so excited, it brought the whole country together. That's the magic of football." You can watch episode one of The Greatest Dancer now on iPlayer. Episode two is on BBC One at 20:10 GMT on Saturday. A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points. Normal service will be resumed this weekend in terms of Premier League teams going with their strongest line-ups after resting players last week - not just here, but across the division. Both of these sides are safely into the next round of the FA Cup after beating lower league sides - I was at Blackpool for BBC Radio 5 live to see Arsenal cruise through. In the Premier League, the Hammers' form has been very up and down in recent weeks, but the same could be said about the Gunners. I am going for an Arsenal win here, but it is clear that Unai Emery still has a lot of work to do. He has only been in charge for half a season and I think that, when they come up against the top teams, the same problems still remain. The main issue is at the back. Would I back them defensively? No, absolutely not. Too many of their defenders are not Champions League level, which is the standard they need them to be at. Liverpool have got a problem in central defence with Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip injured, and I suspect Fabinho will play there - I can't see what else Reds boss Jurgen Klopp would do. Ki-Jana Hoever did great when he came on for Lovren against Wolves, but you would not want to chuck a 16-year-old in at Brighton because he would have Glenn Murray to contend with. I know the Seagulls are not the most attacking team, and Liverpool turned them over easily at Amex Stadium last season, but Murray against a kid? No, he would have too much experience for him. This is a really good test for Liverpool, on the back of their defeat by Manchester City and then their defeat at Molineux after Klopp decided the FA Cup was not in his top two priorities. It would clearly be preferable for Liverpool to be at Anfield as they look to bounce back this weekend, especially because the thing about Brighton is that they are very good at stopping teams from playing. Brighton have got a good home record too, which is why I am going for a draw here. I don't know whether this might be a little bump in the road for Liverpool but, if I am right and they drop points on Saturday, I would also back them to return to winning ways in their home games against Crystal Palace and Leicester before the end of the month. There are 11 days between the Palace and Leicester matches and, because Liverpool are out of the FA Cup, Klopp will be able to give his players a few days off to rest their bodies, and clear their heads. I have thought for a while that Burnley have clicked again and, including their FA Cup win over Barnsley, they now have three victories on the spin. Clarets boss Sean Dyche would probably disagree but I can't help thinking their Europa League campaign played its part in their poor start to the season. Burnley just seem to have got their hunger and desire back, as well as their form - and I just cannot see Fulham getting anything here. The Cottagers' home defeat by League Two side Oldham was one of the biggest upsets on third-round weekend. Away from home, they have got the worst record in the top flight with just two points from 11 games, and I don't see them adding to that tally at Turf Moor. Both of these teams are out of the FA Cup and just have their fight for Premier League survival to focus on now. Cardiff have given themselves a chance, but it is hard to hold out much hope for Huddersfield, who have lost eight league games in a row and are sinking fast. The Bluebirds have just lost their past two home games, to Tottenham and Manchester United, by a combined score of 8-1, but they have actually been on a half-decent run otherwise. At the start of the season I watched Cardiff and thought 'crikey, where are they going to get any points?' but they have improved a lot and now this is a game that I look at and expect them to win. Crystal Palace's last Premier League game saw them beat Wolves at Molineux, to follow up their famous victory at Manchester City before Christmas. The Eagles' home form has been a lot less convincing but they are still a team that is heading in the right direction and they should end up safely in mid-table. Watford are inconsistent but they always seem to score goals, which is why I have a feeling they might edge this one. Leicester's FA Cup exit at Newport last weekend was probably the most perplexing of all the upsets suffered by Premier League clubs, especially if you are a Foxes fan. Their win over Everton on New Year's Day had taken them up to seventh, and they are clearly not going to go down. We can only speculate about Claude Puel's reasons for changing his team so much on Sunday. It is all a little bit strange. Maybe his remit is that he has to finish in the top 10, so he was thinking the FA Cup might get in the way of that? On paper, Southampton's form has dropped off a bit with one point from their past three games. They worry me a little bit, because their squad needs some strengthening, but new Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has got something about him which helps, and I think they will be all right. Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez got a great welcome at Anfield when he went back with the Magpies over Christmas, but I don't think he will get the same sort of reception on Saturday at another of his former clubs. Sadly for Benitez, I can see him being on the wrong end of a similar result - although I do not see Chelsea hammering Newcastle the way that Liverpool did. It looks like the Blues are going to get a new striker in January, we just don't know who it will be yet. They need one because they have been a bit short of goals recently, but in the meantime I still think they will be too strong for the Magpies. Both of these teams have been in poor form recently - and Everton's results at home in the past few weeks are probably the most worrying thing for boss Marco Silva. The Toffees have only won one of their past eight league games, taking only two points from their past four games at Goodison Park. Bournemouth can be quite inconsistent anyway but they are more down than up at the moment - and have lost nine of their past 12 league matches. That run of results has seen both teams fall out of the the top half of the table, but they are still capable of a top-10 finish. I do think that Everton, in particular, will come good at some stage because they have some very good players. Silva just has to work out what his best team is - and this might be the fixture they need. The club has had a good week anyway with the news about their ambitious plans for their new stadium, and that might kick them on to produce a good performance in front of their own fans. This is a big test for United caretaker Solskjaer and it will be interesting to see whether he will be as attack-minded at Wembley as in his first five games. It is quite possible United will not have the same amount of possession they have enjoyed in those matches - if not, they will need a different approach. Tottenham's methods, meanwhile, are tried and tested. There was more news about Tottenham's stadium this week but if it is not going to be ready until March, they are better off staying at Wembley until the end of the season. Moving grounds mid-season is something no Premier League team has done before, let alone one that might be challenging for the title at that late stage of the campaign and also trying to progress in the Champions League. If Spurs can wait until the summer to move, then they should do. Oti's prediction: 1-1. "I love Jesse Lingard's moves! They are fresh! He's got some swag. I would give Dele Alli a six out of 10 for his floss. His was cute - but it wasn't fast enough." City scored seven against Rotherham, nine against Burton - so I guess they will be going for 11 against Wolves. Despite the return to form of Pep Guardiola's side, I think Wolves will go to Etihad Stadium in confident mood, especially because they gave the defending champions such a good game in a 1-1 draw at Molineux in August. In the same way that Liverpool's last-gasp winner in the Merseyside derby definitely spurred them on the next few games, I really do feel that Sadio Mane hitting the post for the Reds against City has had a similar effect on Guardiola's side. That game, which City won 2-1, was so finely balanced and if that Mane shot had gone in, I think Liverpool would have won it. You only have to look at City's results in the two games they have played since then to see how much that result has lifted them, and I just see them kicking on now. The blip they had over Christmas seems a long time ago already. Wolves, who are ninth, are looking good for a top-10 finish, and that is not just down to what we have seen from them in the first half of the season. In the past their owners have always kicked on from a position of strength, which is the way to do it - and they looked to do that again when they tried to sign Tammy Abraham. If they do stay in the top half that would be a really good first season back for them, and you could envisage them really building on that in the summer. In the third round of the FA Cup, Lawro picked the right result in 14 of the 32 ties, including one exact result. In the four ties where he went up against Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac [Tranmere 0-7 Tottenham, Everton 2-1 Lincoln, Blackpool 0-3 Arsenal and Wolves 2-1 Liverpool], Lawro got three correct results with no spot-on scores, while Annie also got three correct results but with one exact score. From the last round of Premier League games at the start of January, Lawro got four correct results, including one perfect score, from 10 matches, for a total of 70 points. He was beaten by rapper Yatez, who got eight correct results, with one exact score, for a total of 110 points. Lawro's worst score: 40 points (week three v Idris Elba, week eight v Chris Stark and week 12 v Mumford & Sons) | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46823759 | 2019-01-11 11:45:13+00:00 | 1,547,225,113 | 1,567,552,925 | sport | sport event |
21,628 | bbc--2019-01-24--FA Cup fourth-round predictions - Lawro v Radio 1Xtra DJs Dotty and Reece Parkinson | 2019-01-24T00:00:00 | bbc | FA Cup fourth-round predictions - Lawro v Radio 1Xtra DJs Dotty and Reece Parkinson | Between them, Arsenal and Manchester United have won the FA Cup 25 times, but it was United who made it into the hat for the fifth round this year. United's win on Friday was one of three fourth-round ties you can watch live on the BBC. BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson has taken a look at all 16 of this weekend's ties and given his verdict on who will make it into round five. For selected matches, including Arsenal versus United and the BBC's other two televised games - Millwall v Everton (Saturday 17:30 GMT) and Chelsea v Sheffield Wednesday (Sunday 18:00) - BBC Radio 1Xtra DJs Dotty and Reece Parkinson have made their predictions too. Reece presents his show on Sunday nights from 21:00 GMT and Dotty is on the Breakfast Show on weekdays from 06:00 to 10:00. Gap = how many league positions separate each team * Away team to win at home in the replay Manager John Coleman and his assistant Jimmy Bell deserve enormous credit for what they have achieved at Accrington on a tiny budget and with such limited facilities in comparison with most other League One teams. They get everything possible - and more - out of their players and it is great for the whole club that they have been given a pay-day like this, with this tie live on BT Sport, after beating Ipswich last time out. I will be there too with BBC Radio 5 live and I am looking forward to it. I think Stanley will give Derby a really good game - and earn a replay. It will be interesting to see what sort of side both managers pick. Brighton boss Chris Hughton shuffled his squad in the last round, and does West Brom manager Darren Moore want a cup run? I am not sure he does. Championship teams play 46 league games in the season and, if you are chasing automatic promotion as the Baggies are, then you can understand why that takes priority. Are they going to win the FA Cup, or even reach the semi-finals? Realistically, no. Can they get back in the Premier League this year if they throw everything at that? Possibly, yes. I have seen two of Doncaster's FA Cup games this season - at Chorley and also at Preston where they out-played my team and fully deserved to win. They have got a real threat in striker John Marquis, who has got 20 goals in all competitions this season, including one at Deepdale. Managerless Oldham had a wonder result at Fulham in round three to get this far, but neither side got the big tie out of the hat that they wanted. Still, it means we will have a lower league side in the draw for the fifth round - which is a heck of an incentive for both teams. I would back Doncaster to win here from what I have seen of them - they play some nice football and are a well-structured team. After they almost went out twice against Chorley, it would be incredible if they reached the last 16. City ended up beating Burnley pretty comfortably at home in the third round last season, and put five goals past them in the Premier League at Etihad Stadium in October. It might not be as emphatic, but I can certainly see this tie having a similar outcome. Yes, City will make lots of changes, but so will Burnley - and because of the respective strength of their squads, that means two very different things. City boss Pep Guardiola is very clever in the way he uses cup games - in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup - to put game time in his players' legs and keep them ticking over. After such a busy January, he cannot be far off the stage where all his players are at the same level of fitness and sharpness. One or two of City's kids will probably get a chance on Saturday too, so it is all good for them. Newport pulled off one of the shocks of the third round by beating Leicester, and they will take a load of fans to the North East. The club is subsidising their travel costs, which is a nice touch. There will be plenty of friends of Middlesbrough boss Tony Pulis among those making the trip - Newport is his home town, and he played for County in the 1980s. Like West Brom boss Darren Moore, I am pretty sure that Pulis will make plenty of changes, because promotion is his priority. That could include a debut for former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi, who signed for Boro this week, and with home advantage I still think they will be too strong. I don't think there will be as many Watford fans in the North East as Newport supporters - by the end of last week, the Hornets had sold only 600 out of the 6,000 tickets they have been allocated. This could be a significant moment for Newcastle fans. If the Magpies win this tie, they will be into the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since Mike Ashley bought the club in 2007. Is either manager really that bothered about making progress, though? Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez played some youngsters against Blackburn in the last round but they got through and when a team wins a game, it does lift the place - it showed when they followed that up by beating Cardiff in the Premier League. I think the feelgood factor of winning this tie would outweigh any possible distraction to their battle against the drop. As for Hornets boss Javi Gracia - I am not sure. His team are seventh in the Premier League, so they do not have worry about relegation. But does he see a cup run as imperative, or would he prefer to focus on trying to stay seventh? I don't think we will find out until the teamsheets come out, but Newcastle have taken four points off Watford in the league this season, so I am going to back them to come out on top again. Portsmouth are top of League One but have lost their past two league games. QPR, who are mid-table in the Championship, are on an identical run of form - and lost 4-1 at home to Preston last time out. On the back of that result, I am going to go with Pompey here, although it will be close. It is only around 30 miles from Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury and this is a great tie for the League One club, and a reward for getting past Stoke in round three. I don't see the Shrews' cup run continuing, though. Even if Wolves rotate, which they will, they have got enough quality to get through. Gillingham have already knocked out one Welsh side to get here, now they are looking to slay some more dragons - so to speak. It will be a big day for Gills boss Steve Lovell, who grew up in Swansea - his dad played for them and his family lived locally. His side will have absolutely nothing to lose but this is a tough tie for them to negotiate. I saw Swansea draw with Stoke earlier this month and they are a good side, so they have to be strong favourites. Millwall v Everton (17:30 GMT, live on BBC One and BBC Sport website) Millwall had a good little run over Christmas, which has kept them clear of trouble at the bottom of the Championship. Their manager Neil Harris has done a very good job there, and their players always seem to be able to play above themselves. That's one of the reasons this is a tricky tie for Everton, who were well beaten by Southampton last week. The big worry for me there was that they were out-fought, rather than out-thought, because if that keeps happening then they are going to be in trouble. The bizarre manner of the late defeat they suffered at Anfield in December seems to have knocked the stuffing out of them a bit, and they have never really recovered from it. They need a cup run to appease supporters after some iffy results, so I think they would settle for getting Millwall back to Goodison Park, and finishing the job there. Dotty's prediction: I think this is going to be a tight game, and could easily end in a draw - but Millwall are at home and I am going to say they are just going to nick it. 1-0 Reece's prediction: This really, really pains me to say this because I really do not want this lot to win - no bias! - but I am going with 1-0 Millwall. AFC Wimbledon are bottom of League One and are without a league win since 26 December but they will not have been thinking about their struggles in training this week. I am not sure who West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini will pick but, whoever is in his team, they will have to be ready. This will not be easy, as Liverpool found out when they went to Kingsmeadow in the third round in 2015. I know Wimbledon boss Wally Downes a little bit and I think any team that he manages will be scrapping for everything. I am going to go with West Ham to win it, but not without a fight. This is a very big game for Tottenham's season after Chelsea knocked them out of the Carabao Cup on Thursday. As daft as it sounds, though, with the way things are going with their injury list, going out of the FA Cup might be a blessing in disguise for Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino because he is running out of players, particularly in attack. This will be a tough ask for whatever team Pochettino puts out - I was at Anfield last week, and Crystal Palace were very good against Liverpool, so they are definitely capable of winning on Sunday. It is just down to whether Palace boss Roy Hodgson takes the FA Cup seriously, and I think he probably will give it a go. Chelsea v Sheffield Wednesday (18:00 GMT, live on BBC One and BBC Sport website) New Sheffield Wednesday manager Steve Bruce does not take charge of the team until 1 February but his assistants Steve Agnew and Stephen Clemence have done pretty well, and have only lost one out of five games this month. But going to Stamford Bridge is going to be a step up, obviously, and Wednesday remain a club in limbo until Bruce walks through the door, no matter how many telephone conversations he has had with them. I will be co-commentating on this game on BBC One, and it should be a great atmosphere because the Owls will bring lots of fans with them. It will be interesting to see how new Chelsea striker Gonzalo Higuain gets on too, because surely he has to play. But despite the problems that Blues boss Maurizio Sarri is having with his dressing room, I can only see one outcome. Dotty's prediction: This is going to be an absolute walk in the park. I am calling it now, 4-0 to Chelsea. Reece's prediction: This one, I feel an upset coming along - especially with Chelsea's form at the moment - they are not doing the best and lost to Arsenal the other week. So I am going with 1-0 to Sheffield Wednesday - hopefully! I am pleased that Barnet are at home after their great win over Sheffield United, and that this tie is being televised by BT, because the money will be a big boost for them. But I have watched Brentford this season and they have some very good players. They should be higher up the Championship table than they are with what they have got and, form-wise, they are in decent shape too - unbeaten in six league games. With only one away win from 14 league games this campaign, their results on their travels have let them down a bit, but I don't see them struggling on Monday night. From last week's Premier League games, Lawro got eight correct results, with no perfect scores, from 10 matches, for a total of 80 points. He lost to NBA star Mario Hezonja, who got six correct results, but with one exact score, for a total of 90 points. Lawro's worst score: 40 points (week three v Idris Elba, week eight v Chris Stark and week 12 v Mumford & Sons) | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46907475 | 2019-01-24 19:08:49+00:00 | 1,548,374,929 | 1,567,551,037 | sport | sport event |
21,754 | bbc--2019-01-25--Watch Millwall v Everton on Saturday - plus rest of BBCs FA Cup weekend coverage | 2019-01-25T00:00:00 | bbc | Watch Millwall v Everton on Saturday - plus rest of BBC's FA Cup weekend coverage | Premier League side Everton's FA Cup fourth-round tie at Championship club Millwall on Saturday (17:30 GMT) is one of two ties to be shown live on BBC One and online over the weekend. Holders Chelsea face Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday (18:00 GMT), while Arsenal were beaten 3-1 by Manchester United in Friday's game. BBC Sport will cover all 16 round four ties on television, radio and online. The draw for the fifth round is live on Monday's The One Show from 19:00. Mark Chapman will present the draw and will be joined in the studio by two-time Arsenal FA Cup winner Ian Wright and former Arsenal and England player Alex Scott. Gary Lineker, an FA Cup winner with Tottenham in 1991, will present all three live games on BBC One. On Saturday, Dan Walker previews the fourth round ties on Football Focus on BBC One from 12:00. The programme comes live from Fratton Park where League One leaders Portsmouth host Championship QPR. Walker will be joined by Scott as well as former Pompey defender Sylvain Distin, who won the FA Cup with the club in 2008. Jason Mohammad and guests react to Saturday's action on FA Cup Final Score on BBC One from 16:30. Final Score can also be watched on the Red Button, BBC Sport website, mobile, tablet and connected TV from 14:30. BBC Radio 5 live and 5 live sports extra will have commentary of nine games across the fourth-round weekend. BBC local radio stations up and down the country will provide commentary from all 16 ties on the BBC Sport website and app. You can also follow in-play clips of all the goals and key incidents from the non-15:00 GMT Saturday games shortly after they've happened. There is a Match of the Day FA Cup highlights show on both Saturday and Sunday on BBC One. Gabby Logan presents Saturday's programme from 22:20, while Manish Bhasin fronts Sunday's programme at 22:30. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46892127 | 2019-01-25 22:08:10+00:00 | 1,548,472,090 | 1,567,550,877 | sport | sport event |
24,473 | bbc--2019-03-20--Euro 2020 qualifying All you need to know about European Championship qualifiers | 2019-03-20T00:00:00 | bbc | Euro 2020 qualifying: All you need to know about European Championship qualifiers | Euro 2020 qualifying started on Wednesday with 55 countries battling for 20 spaces at the tournament next year. How does it all work? Who is looking in good shape? And how does the Nations League tie into this? BBC Sport answers all those questions and more. Next year's European Championship, which runs from 12 June to 12 July, will look a lot different to previous versions of the competition. While we are used to tournaments taking place in a single host nation - or across two countries, as with Poland and Ukraine in 2012 and Austria and Switzerland in 2008 - the 2020 edition will be played out across the continent, with games in 12 countries. No team automatically qualifies this time, with the games to be held across London, Glasgow, Dublin, Rome, Baku, St Petersburg, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Bucharest, Bilbao, Munich and Budapest. The opening match will be played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Wembley will host seven games - three group matches, one last-16 tie, both semi-finals and the final. Glasgow's Hampden Park and Dublin's Aviva Stadium will host last-16 matches and three group games. Every host country to qualify will play a minimum of two games at home. The format of Euro 2020 will be the same as Euro 2016 - six groups of four teams, with the top two and the best four third-placed teams going into the last 16. There are 10 qualifying groups, of five and six teams, with the top two countries from each group going through automatically. The first round of qualifiers are on 21-23 March 2019 - and the final games are on 17-19 November 2019. The Nations League finalists, including England, are not in action on matchday two or three in June 2019 so they can play the finals of that tournament. There are no play-offs after these qualifying groups for third place. The 16 teams who won their three or four-team groups in the Nations League last year guaranteed themselves a Euro 2020 play-off place, against teams of a similar level to themselves, if they fail to finish in the top two places in these upcoming qualifying groups. England and Scotland are among those teams. If some do qualify for Euro 2020 - which is highly likely - then the next best team in their Nations League tier (in terms of position in their group, points and goal difference) who don't qualify automatically themselves take their play-off place. The play-off draw is on 22 November 2019, with the semi-finals and finals being played from 26 to 31 March 2020. These are the teams guaranteed a play-off place at least. The Nations League finals - between England, Portugal, Switzerland and the Netherlands - in June this year have no impact on Euro 2020 qualifying. "It's very cruel, possibly the worst draw we could have got," Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill said after being placed with the Netherlands and Germany. Estonia and Belarus are the other teams in their group. Top-seeded England got a favourable-looking draw, in with the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Kosovo. Boss Gareth Southgate said "the biggest issue for us in preparing for those games" will be getting the right mentality and dealing with the away atmospheres. Scotland - who have the safety net of a play-off place - face Belgium, Russia, Cyprus, Kazakhstan and San Marino. "I believe we will have a chance," said manager Alex McLeish. Wales are in with World Cup finalists Croatia, as well as Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan. "It could be better, it could be worse," said boss Ryan Giggs, adding that "it is masses better" they are in a five-team group. The Republic of Ireland got fortunate when they should have been drawn in Group C - instead of Northern Ireland - but tournament rules mean only two host countries could be in one Euro 2020 group. That meant they got placed with Switzerland, Denmark, Georgia and Gibraltar instead. "There was a collective sigh of relief not being in the other group but it's hardly going to be easy," said Mick McCarthy, who starts his second spell as boss of the Republic. Germany come into qualifying on a low after going out of the group stages at the last World Cup and getting relegated in the Nations League. Coach Joachim Low took the unusual move of effectively retiring Bayern Munich trio Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Thomas Muller as part of a "new start". The trio, all aged 29 or 30, helped Germany win the 2014 World Cup and have a combined 246 caps. European champions Portugal are likely to have legend Cristiano Ronaldo back in the team. He sat out the entire Nations League to give him time to adjust to life in Italian football with Juventus, but he says he is now ready to return. Ronaldo, with 85 goals, is the second top scorer in international history, 24 behind Iran icon Ali Daei. World champions France are the favourites to win Euro 2020, although they lost their most recent competitive game 2-0 to the Netherlands in the Nations League. Spain manager Luis Enrique and Italy boss Roberto Mancini take charge of qualifying campaigns for the first time - though both lost matches in the Nations League. Simon Gleave, head of sports analysis, Gracenote, said: "The top eight nations in Europe according to the Gracenote World Football Ranking - France, Belgium, Spain, England, the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany and Croatia - all have more than an 80% chance of qualifying for Euro 2020. "Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Poland, Serbia, Russia, the Czech Republic, Wales, Sweden and Turkey are most likely to complete the 20 direct qualifiers for Euro 2020." | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47559736 | 2019-03-20 07:23:47+00:00 | 1,553,081,027 | 1,567,545,504 | sport | sport event |
38,364 | bbcuk--2019-03-30--Crystal Palace 2-0 Huddersfield Terriers relegation confirmed at Selhurst Park | 2019-03-30T00:00:00 | bbcuk | Crystal Palace 2-0 Huddersfield: Terriers' relegation confirmed at Selhurst Park | Huddersfield equalled the record for the earliest relegation in a Premier League season as second-half goals from Luka Milivojevic and Patrick van Aanholt earned Crystal Palace all three points at Selhurst Park. The Terriers' defeat, combined with victories for Burnley and Southampton, confirmed the visitors' demotion back to the Championship. Huddersfield, who have propped up the table since December, join Derby County and Ipswich Town as the only teams in Premier League history to be relegated with six games left to play. Milivojevic opened the scoring in the second half, sending Ben Hamer the wrong way from the penalty spot after Wilfried Zaha had been fouled by Juninho Bacuna. Patrick van Aanholt's composed finish secured a valuable victory for Palace, who move eight points clear of the bottom three. Huddersfield spurned several chances to open the scoring, but they failed to make the most of those opportunities as their two-year stay in the Premier League came to an end. Having started the day 16 points adrift of safety, it was always going to take a remarkable turnaround for Huddersfield to preserve their top-flight status for a third season. The Terriers' energetic and fearless approach under David Wagner last term endeared them to neutrals as they achieved what many regarded as impossible by avoiding an immediate return to the second tier. Life has been much more difficult this season. Wagner left the club by mutual consent in January with the club eight points adrift at the foot of the table having taken only 11 points from 22 games. Siewert has been unable to spark a recovery, losing eight of his nine league games in charge with the sole exception a win at home against Wolves in February. One of Town's main problems has been their lack of goals. They have scored only 18 in their 32 games, finding the net just once away from home in 2019. They were unfortunate not to make the scoresheet at Selhurst Park, with Chris Lowe twice forcing fine saves from Vicente Guaita. The Spanish goalkeeper produced a one-handed stop to prevent the defender's header from nestling in the back of the net, before tipping another goal-bound effort past the far post. Karlan Grant also went close to giving the visitors the lead before half-time, but the former Charlton man failed to direct his effort on target. The Huddersfield players received a warm reception from the travelling Terriers fans at the end of the game, but Burnley's win over Wolves and Southampton's victory at Brighton mean Siewert's side will be playing Championship football again next season. Palace have endured scoring problems of their own this season, particularly at Selhurst Park. Roy Hodgson's side had managed just 11 goals in their 15 home league games prior to Saturday's encounter, while only Fulham and Huddersfield have collected fewer points in front of their own fans in 2018-19. The Eagles were aided by the inclusion of their talisman Zaha, who was passed fit to play having been a doubt with a hamstring injury. The Ivorian was a constant thorn in the Terriers' side and played a crucial role in helping Hodgson's team break the deadlock, twisting and turning on the edge of the area before winning his side a penalty following Bacuna's foul. However, the former Manchester United man will be disappointed not to have got his name on the scoresheet after missing two gilt-edged opportunities in the second half. Zaha failed to get his shot off in a one-on-one situation with Hamer, before firing wide of the target with only the Huddersfield goalkeeper to beat. Andros Townsend was just as wasteful, twice firing wide from promising positions on the edge of the area. Fortunately for Hodgson's team, they were not made to rue their profligacy as Van Aanholt put the seal on a priceless win that puts clear daylight between Palace and the bottom three. Huddersfield Town manager Jan Siewert, speaking to BBC Sport: "It is hard to say what I am feeling, disappointment of course. It sums the season up that a penalty decides the direction. I haven't counted but we've conceded maybe eight to 10 penalties this season. "When you go into the dressing room at half-time and get applause from the opponent you must have done something right. But it is not enough to win games in the Premier League. "For me in life there is failure and success and it belongs together, as a club we have to learn from the failures. The performance proved it in a way, we've got to go through all the details and come back strong." Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson, speaking to BBC Sport: "I feel relief, the first half was nothing like what we wanted it to be. Fortunately they were not creating better goal chances but they had more of the ball and looked in control with us out of sorts. "I must say at half-time things were looking bleak. We made a few tweaks and moved Wilf [Zaha] up front. It took until the 74th minute to score, that goal from the spot was a such a relief. "Congratulations to Huddersfield, they are technically relegated but should be proud of their performance because they tested us. So in the end I'm happy we got the result. It lifts us to 36 points which, depending on results, might be a nice buffer from the bottom three." Palace face Tottenham Hotspur in the first game at Spurs' new stadium on Wednesday, 3 April (19:45 BST kick-off), while Huddersfield return to action on Saturday, 6 April at home to Leicester (15:00). | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47676513 | 2019-03-30 18:40:23+00:00 | 1,553,985,623 | 1,567,544,698 | sport | sport event |
39,364 | bbcuk--2019-04-21--Everton 4-0 Manchester United Toffees cruise to victory | 2019-04-21T00:00:00 | bbcuk | Everton 4-0 Manchester United: Toffees cruise to victory | Everton produced a thrilling display to outclass a woeful Manchester United at Goodison Park and expose all the problems facing Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. United face a fight to secure a Premier League top-four place and Champions League football next season after 90 minutes which were little other than torture against a rampant Everton. United goalkeeper David de Gea had saved superbly from Richarlison before the Brazilian hooked in an acrobatic 13th-minute volley to set the tone for a magnificent display from Marco Silva's side. De Gea was beaten by Gylfi Sigurdsson's low 25-yard drive, going down late, as Everton took total control. Everton did not let up after the break, Lucas Digne scoring from long range after De Gea punched out a corner, before substitute Theo Walcott ran clear on to Sigurdsson's pass to slide home the fourth. United have lost six of their past eight games in all competitions, while a fifth successive away defeat - for the first time since 1981 - leaves them facing the prospect of Europa League football next season. Everton are on a hot streak at Goodison Park but this can rank alongside the finest displays seen at the famous old stadium in many seasons. Yes, much will be made of United's obvious deficiencies, but it would be a gross injustice to ignore a magnificent performance from a side who have drawn with Liverpool and beaten Chelsea, Arsenal and United in their past four home games without conceding a goal. Everton swarmed all over United from the first whistle and there was never a moment when they looked like relinquishing control. Silva's pressing approach saw United harassed mercilessly for 90 minutes, but this was not simply about work-rate - Everton were full of skill, pace and athleticism. Idrissa Gueye was the fulcrum in midfield while Sigurdsson and the gifted Brazilian Bernard were the creators-in-chief from first to last. There may have been some doubts expressed about Silva's position not so long ago, but this blistering run of home form - and a style which will win full favour from Everton's fans - surely means he will be given time to build, as he should. United were reduced to being ironically cheered by their own supporters for merely stringing three passes together with Everton 4-0 up and in cruise control. And, yes, it was that bad. Solskjaer's side were quite simply over-run and did not even show the heart or fighting spirit to escape from a joyous Goodison with any dignity on a desperate day. There was simply nothing good about this United performance. Indeed, given Everton's superiority, they were fortunate the scoreline did not have an even more embarrassing appearance. Paul Pogba strolled around midfield while Gueye, Morgan Schneiderlin and Sigurdsson snapped into challenges, and it was a nightmare return to Everton for striker Romelu Lukaku. Taunted throughout, he could not do a thing right and his afternoon simply went from bad to worse. He was not alone. De Gea may have saved well from Richarlison early on but he was slow to react to Sigurdsson's shot and it was his punch that fell at Digne's feet to score. The Spain keeper is having a mixed season. It was five years ago to the day since a 2-0 loss here ended David Moyes' reign - and this United performance was even worse than that. Solksjaer has inherited a mess, the early gloss from his arrival has worn off and players like Pogba and Lukaku, who were revived after Jose Mourinho was sacked, look back to their bad old ways. Now there is the small matter of the derby against title-chasing Manchester City at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Everton boss Marco Silva, speaking to Sky Sports: "I'm delighted with the players. It's important to remind you what we did in the last four home games - we're on a fantastic run. "Our last performance away was not good enough and we must show something different. We did. We were the best team on the pitch from the first to last minute. "When we won against Chelsea we were 26 games without a win against the top six. After we won I said we will change that, and now we are playing with quality at home. "It's important to see our fans enjoying what we are doing - everything what I want as a manager. We are doing really well. Last seven games, five clean sheets." Man Utd manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, speaking to BBC Sport: "We were beaten on all aspects today. The only place we beat Everton - I can't say we beat them - but we had a fantastic support and I just want to apologise for the performance we turned out. "We have been fantastic for long periods and it's a tough league to get into the top four, never mind winning the league. There are six teams there and Everton want to be in there. "We know it's a big task and work to be done. We have to do it together; we have to get on with it because this is not good enough. "You have got to start somewhere and we will give it everything we have got with the last four games - massive games with City and Chelsea coming to Old Trafford. That's where we get the best support in the world. "We can turn it around. In football, like in life, things can change quickly. We have got to change it from bad to good. "We need a game of football as soon as we can as we need to get this out of the systems. "Everyone here can say with hands on hearts that's not good enough - not worthy of a Manchester United team. We know that and apologise again to fans." Manchester United host Manchester City in the derby on Wednesday at 20:00 BST, and Everton visit Crystal Palace on Saturday at 15:00. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47924122 | 2019-04-21 15:17:59+00:00 | 1,555,874,279 | 1,567,542,269 | sport | sport event |
41,304 | bbcuk--2019-06-30--England v India at the Cricket World Cup A clash of cultures | 2019-06-30T00:00:00 | bbcuk | England v India at the Cricket World Cup: A clash of cultures | "It's so embedded in the culture. The atmosphere that's created when an India game is on, it just adds to the emotional connection. That's really why I support India ahead of England." Pavan Patel, 21, is English-born and bred but during England's Cricket World Cup match against India on Sunday, he'll be rooting for India. This cultural clash is not an uncommon thing to hear. Cricket fans born and brought up in England, with family ties to another country, often choose to support their familial country over England. In 1990, Lord Norman Tebbit, a politician from the Conservative party, controversially suggested that Asian immigrants and their children had not truly integrated into Britain until they supported the England cricket team ahead of their country of origin. According to the International Cricket Council, over 80% of World Cup tickets have been bought by people who live in England, but less than half by people who actually support the England team. So what are the reasons behind this? "It really helps me feel in touch with my Indian roots. It's one of those things you're raised into," Pavan tells Radio 1 Newsbeat. For many young British Asians, family and cricket go hand in hand. "From a young age I've always just seen Indian cricket on TV. So the whole family get together and watch India's game. It's an electric buzz." Pavan says the attachment he feels to the Indian team is because of a "similar culture and background". "So growing up it's a cultural connection that I just didn't share with the England team." For 28-year-old Pakistan fan Annie Hayat, more diversity in the England team when she was growing up would have made all the difference. "I would've felt more related and connected to the English team than I currently do. "When I was growing up, I didn't get to see much of that [Asian people] in the team. You felt like 'I just don't fit in here' so you just steer towards the Pakistan team." With the likes of Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid playing regularly, Annie does recognise that Asians are now "represented a bit more" in the England team. But it's not just about ethnic representation. Cricket in England is seen as a sport for the 'elite' - with 43% of men playing international cricket for England going to private school, according to a report by the Sutton Trust and Social Mobility Commission. "With the English players, I've not heard of many working-class stories, it's more of a selective group that I can't identify with," says 23-year-old Sagar Ghelani, an English-born India fan. "But for Indian cricketers, I've heard the stories of rags to riches, where they've come up in poverty and had to toil." Sagar finds the stories of Indian cricket stars like Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni "inspiring". Dhoni was a ticket collector for the Indian railways and has gone on to captain India to multiple trophies, becoming a worldwide icon along the way. "They really followed their passion, their dream and became cricketers. I can feel that," Sagar adds. For many older immigrants, facing racism and discrimination when they first arrived in England was a big reason for not supporting the team. But is that the case for the next generation? Not for 23-year-old Sia Najumi, who is an Afghanistan fan. "I wouldn't say my support stems from the consequences of hate crime. It's my parents' country and I'm proud they've qualified, which is why I support them." Sia does say however that the reported rise in hate crime in the last five years has "driven" her closer to her Afghan culture and community - including the team. "It does feel like there's this invisible wall and an ongoing division between my culture and the English community." The latest statistics from the government show the number of hate crimes recorded by the police has increased by 123% since 2012/13, with 94,098 offences in 2017/18. Pavan says that while hate crime hasn't affected his support, "the current political atmosphere is probably not going to encourage" the future generation of British Asians to support England. So going back to Lord Tebbit's test, does not supporting England in cricket mean you're not integrated? Not according to Sagar. "It's an easy link to make between supporting a team and not being a proper part of the country." Sagar says he considers himself English, supports them in football and loves the NHS. But he supports the Indian cricket team because they "connect" with him in a way the English team doesn't. "Supporting a team doesn't necessarily reflect what your view of a particular country is." Many of those who support Asian teams like India and Pakistan in cricket, support England in every other sport they follow. A survey by ComRes and BBC Asian Network found 77.19% of British Asians born in the UK support the home nations in international football tournaments. According to Pavan, supporting a team in any sport is about feeling a "relatable" connection to them. "Growing up here, you're just surrounded by football and everyone supporting England. That whole environment fed through to me." A greater diversity of backgrounds in football has also "made a huge impact". "You see people from every background which reflects the entire country. Someone like Raheem Sterling, I've heard about his background and struggles. "So I think you see yourself more in the England football team than the cricket team." Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-48777755 | 2019-06-30 08:20:20+00:00 | 1,561,897,220 | 1,567,537,512 | sport | sport event |
41,491 | bbcuk--2019-07-02--Womens World Cup 2019 Mapping Englands Lionesses squad | 2019-07-02T00:00:00 | bbcuk | Women's World Cup 2019: Mapping England's Lionesses squad | England's Women's World Cup squad carry the hopes of an entire nation on Tuesday night in their semi-final clash with the USA. The Lionesses are also a distinctly northern group, with the majority of the 23-strong squad born in north-west or north-east England or Yorkshire. Not a single player was born in London, the East or the South West of England, with just three born in the South East. Merseyside has provided four of the players, with defender Alex Greenwood and forwards Toni Duggan and Nikita Parris all born in Liverpool and Jodie Taylor over the river in Birkenhead. Arguably goalkeeper Karen Bardsley should not be on the map as she was born in Santa Monica, California. However, she plays for England - and has now done so in three World Cups - thanks to her family ties to Stockport and plays for Manchester City, so she takes the north's tally of players to 16. Elsewhere in the North West, Keira Walsh is from Rochdale, and Abbie McManus from Prestwich, Bury. Georgia Stanway was born in Barrow-in-Furness. From the North East, the team's captain Steph Houghton is from Durham, Jill Scott from Sunderland, Demi Stokes from South Shields and Carly Telford from Newcastle. Right at the top comes Lucy Bronze from Berwick-upon-Tweed. England boss Phil Neville called the goalscoring right back "the best player in the world, without a shadow of a doubt" after the win over Norway on Thursday but if she had been born just three or four miles further north she could have been playing for Scotland. The northern dominance of the England squad is also a trait of the men's team, as we illustrated this time last year, but for the Lionesses the ties to Yorkshire are more spread out, instead of concentrated around Sheffield. Defender Rachel Daly was born in Harrogate while forward Beth Mead is from Whitby and midfielder Lucy Staniforth is from York. From the East Midlands are Chesterfield-born Millie Bright, Jade Moore from Worksop and Mary Earps from Nottingham. The only southern-born players are Leah Williamson from Milton Keynes, top-scorer Ellen White from Aylesbury and Fran Kirby from Reading. Completing the squad - and its longest-serving player - is Karen Carney from Solihull, the only West Midlander in the team. One reason why the north is so prominent in the squad is there are more football talent centres per head of population in the north than in the south. Dr Julia West from the School of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Worcester, said: "There is a higher population density in the south of the country so you might think there should be more elite players from the south. "However, there are fewer higher tier regional talent clubs so there may be fewer elite pathway spaces proportionately." Jen O'Neill, a former Sunderland player and editor of the women's football website SheKicks.net, said there would be various reasons why so many players come from the north. "If you are sporty in the north, then you'll probably play football," she said. "It's in the culture, it's all around and it's the most accessible sport. There's a toughness about northern girls, although it sounds like a stereotype." Referring to Sunderland, where seven of the World Cup squad have played at some point in their careers, she said: "It's not that the north is better geared up [for women's football] but there are a few clubs that have done a really good job." She also praised Everton, where Duggan, Parris and Greenwood have all played, as well as clubs such as Leeds and Sheffield. Tina Hamilton, the chairwoman of Formby Community FC, presented the Women's FA Cup at Wembley in 2018 because of her work in grassroots football in Liverpool. She said: "We're hardy in the north and we're used to dreadful weather and kids are getting out there in all conditions. "The north has a real passion for football that runs through families. Football is becoming football, not 'girls' football' and 'boys' football'." England take on the USA in the semi-final of the 2019 Women's World Cup at 20:00 BST on Tuesday. Full coverage is on BBC1, the BBC Sport website and BBC Sport App. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-48801235 | 2019-07-02 08:43:47+00:00 | 1,562,071,427 | 1,567,537,255 | sport | sport event |
157,976 | eveningstandard--2019-01-07--Asian Cup 2019 fixtures When does Son Heung-min join South Korea squad Can I watch it on TV | 2019-01-07T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Asian Cup 2019 fixtures: When does Son Heung-min join South Korea squad? Can I watch it on TV? | Tottenham will now lose star man Heung-min Son for another period with the South Korean heading for the Asian Cup. The forward, who is in fine form after finding his feet having had to miss out on domestic football due to the Asian Games last year, has missed the start of the tournament as part of a deal struck between club and county. Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has insisted they won’t be hurt by Son’s absence. “I’ve accepted we’re going to lose him, so I’ve tried to make sure the squad is strong enough to push forward and to perform in the way which we expect,” he said. “I’m so happy with my squad. “You want all your best players, but we’re not going to suffer because we knew at the start of the season this was going to happen.” The United Arab Emirates is playing host to the 2019 tournament across four cities and eight stadiums. The final is set to be played at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The final will take place on Friday, February 1. Tottenham play Newcastle at home on February 2, and host Leicester on February 10. Son has left to join up with his national side following Tottenham's 1-0 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday, January 13. The Asian Cup is not being shown on TV in the United Kingdom or United States. | Standard sport | https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham/asian-cup-2019-fixtures-son-heung-min-south-korea-tv-channel-a4032671.html | 2019-01-07 17:09:00+00:00 | 1,546,898,940 | 1,567,553,571 | sport | sport event |
158,094 | eveningstandard--2019-01-07--Man City vs Burton Prediction team news live stream TV betting tickets EFL Cup 2018-19 previ | 2019-01-07T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Man City vs Burton: Prediction, team news, live stream, TV, betting, tickets – EFL Cup 2018-19 preview | Burton Albion face English champions Manchester City in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final clash at the Etihad on Wednesday night. The Brewers have enjoyed an impressive cup run to reach the last four of the competition, knocking out Aston Villa, Burnley, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough en route to a huge clash against Pep Guardiola's City. Burton head to the Etihad full of confidence after a 4-0 win at Rochdale on Saturday, but Nigel Clough's League One side will need something truly special if they are going to knock out the Premier League champions across two games. David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Fabian Delph are on the comeback trail after training on Monday, though it remains to be seen what sort of line-up Guardiola will opt for. Benjamin Mendy (knee) and Claudio Bravo (Achilles) are the only absentees for City. The likelihood is that with key fixtures coming thick and fast in January, Guardiola may name a strong starting XI to try and effectively wrap up the tie on the night and allow some of his stars a rest in the second leg on 22 January. If City get the ball rolling early on, then Burton could be in for a long night. With the champions firmly back in the title race after beating Liverpool, Guardiola will not want to see slip-ups in any competition in case it disrupts momentum. Expect City to attack from the first whistle, though Burton will no doubt look to trouble the hosts on the counter - something of a weakness for City in recent months. Click here to find the latest match odds and place a bet. Click here to check the availability of Man City vs Burton tickets. The match will be shown live on Sky Sports' Football and Main Event channels, and is available via NOW TV with a day pass on offer for £7.99. Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via SkyGo and the SkyGo app. | Tom Doyle | https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/man-city-vs-burton-efl-cup-2018-prediction-team-news-betting-live-stream-tv-preview-a4032741.html | 2019-01-07 17:48:00+00:00 | 1,546,901,280 | 1,567,553,572 | sport | sport event |
160,518 | eveningstandard--2019-01-21--Chelsea vs Tottenham EFL Cup score prediction line-ups team news odds live stream TV tickets | 2019-01-21T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Chelsea vs Tottenham: EFL Cup score prediction, line-ups, team news, odds, live stream, TV, tickets, h2h | Chelsea answered Maurizio Sarri's criticism to advance to the Carabao Cup final with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Tottenham after a frenetic clash at Stamford Bridge. Spurs, who had been seeking a first trophy since the 2008 League Cup, saw their slender first-leg advantage wiped out by a N'Golo Kante strike which went through the legs of Moussa Sissoko and Paulo Gazzaniga. And Eden Hazard - labelled an "individual player" and "not a leader" by Sarri on Wednesday - netted following a flowing move to give Chelsea a 2-1 aggregate lead. Fernando Llorente's header levelled the tie and penalties followed as neither side could find a winner inside 90 minutes, leaving them locked at 2-2 after two legs. Eric Dier sent Spurs' third penalty soaring into the Matthew Harding Stand and, after Jorginho put Chelsea in front, Lucas Moura's weak spot kick was saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga. David Luiz kept his composure to drill low into the net as Chelsea reached the February 24 final with Manchester City, giving Sarri a chance to claim his first managerial silverware. The wait goes on for Mauricio Pochettino. We will have all the latest news and analysis from our team, with James Olley, Simon Johnson, Dan Kilpatrick, Vaishali Bhardwaj and Jack Rosser at the Bridge tonight. Can't see the blog? Click here for the desktop version. The match will be shown live on Sky Sports' Football and Main Event channels, and is available via Now TV with a day pass on offer for £7.99. Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via SkyGo and the SkyGo app. You can follow all the action with Standard Sport's LIVE blog. The London rivals have met 162 times, with Chelsea winning 68 games to Tottenham's 54, with 40 draws along the way. Their last meeting came on January 8, with Harry Kane's penalty sealing a 1-0 first-leg win for Spurs at Wembley. Martin Atkinson will officiate tonight's Stamford Bridge clash - with a little help from the video assistant referee of course. Atkinson has refereed 18 Premier League games this season - only Anthony Taylor (20) and Michael Oliver (19) have overseen more - and has shown just one red card, with 56 yellow cards. He also oversaw the team's League meeting back in November, which Spurs won 3-1 at Wembley. That should ensure a level head if things get feisty between the London rivals - in comparison, Mike Dean has shown nine red cards in 17 games. | Tom Doyle | https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/chelsea-vs-tottenham-efl-cup-score-prediction-lineups-odds-live-stream-tv-tickets-preview-a4044916.html | 2019-01-21 16:35:00+00:00 | 1,548,106,500 | 1,567,551,483 | sport | sport event |
164,295 | eveningstandard--2019-02-12--Man Utd vs PSG Where the match will be won and lost | 2019-02-12T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Man Utd vs PSG: Where the match will be won and lost | Paris Saint-Germain will have fancied their chances of swatting aside a lifeless Manchester United side when the two were paired in the Champions League last 16 draw last December. Thomas Tuchel didn’t even have time to study his side’s opponents however before Jose Mourinho was given his marching orders with club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer installed as interim manager. United have been reborn under the Norwegian, winning 10 of their 11 games under his rule with the vibrant football so often absent under Mourinho lighting up Old Trafford again. The timing isn’t great for PSG. Not only are they coming up against Europe’s most in-form side, they are going into battle without two key figures in Edinson Cavani and Neymar – both unavailable through injury. Kylian Mbappe, Julian Draxler and United’s one-time record signing Angel di Maria are out to burst the Solskjaer bubble, however. Standard Sport considers where Tuesday’s Old Trafford match will be won and lost. Barring their late heroics in Turin, watching United in the group stages of the Champions League this season was a bit of a chore. They definitely weren’t games you would have to rush home from work for anyway, with Mourinho’s side failing to score a single goal in the opening half hour in all six group games. But with Solskjaer releasing the shackles, that has predictably changed. In his 11 matches in charge, United have scored nine times before the 30-minute mark- including in their last two matches against Leicester and Fulham. Solskjaer is still working on United’s shortcomings at the back but has found more solidarity than his predecessor at least. Under their interim manager, United have not conceded a single goal in the opening half hour – having shipped 12 under Mourinho. PSG are quite good at this goal-scoring business, mind. Even without Cavani and Neymar, United have not come up against many more dangerous going forward than the French champions, who have scored 94 goals in all competitions this season. 17 of those came in the Champions League group stages where they were particularly lethal in the 15 minutes before the half-time whistle. Only at home to Napoli did they fail to score in this period of the match, hitting the back of the net home and away against Liverpool, Red Star Belgrade and at the San Paolo Stadium. PSG in fact scored 10 more goals than United mustered in the group phase – putting four past Liverpool who have the best defensive record in the Premier League this season. PSG will be without Neymar for both legs of their last 16 clash having lost the Brazil international to a foot injury. The former Barcelona star was just two goals off matching United’s entire group stage haul on his own with five to his name – including what turned out to be the winner against Liverpool in the French capital. United won’t want to retain too many features of Mourinho’s game but they did have the knack for scoring late on in Europe under the Portuguese. Four of the seven goals they scored in Group H came in the final 15 minutes – including two in that extraordinary come back against Juventus in November. Mind you, Solskjaer knows a thing about late goals in Europe himself. | Tony Mogan | https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/manchesterunited/man-utd-vs-paris-saintgermain-where-the-match-will-be-won-and-lost-a4063941.html | 2019-02-12 07:31:00+00:00 | 1,549,974,660 | 1,567,548,764 | sport | sport event |
167,945 | eveningstandard--2019-03-15--Swansea City vs Man City FA Cup 2018-19 prediction lineups odds live stream TV channel tickets | 2019-03-15T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Swansea City vs Man City: FA Cup 2018-19 prediction, lineups, odds, live stream, TV channel, tickets, h2h | Manchester City remain on course for an unprecedented quadruple as they take on Swansea City in the FA Cup quarter-finals this weekend. Having already won the EFL Cup, Man City are still in contention to win the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in what would be a first in English football. While City's focus may have temporarily switched to their Champions League draw against Tottenham, Pep Guardiola will be sure to keep his players' minds on avoiding a potential upset in south Wales on Saturday. City will be without John Stones, Vincent Kompany, Kevin de Bruyne and Benjamin Mendy on Saturday. With Swansea losing four of their last five Championship games, it is hard to look past anything other than a comprehensive win for Man City this weekend. However, Graham Potter's Swans have already seen off Premier League competition in the cup this season after dispatching Wolves, and anything can happen in a cup game. For ticket information, click here to head to the Swansea website. Man City tickets are currently sold out. Click here to find the latest match odds and place a bet. The match will be televised live on BT Sport 2 and BT Sport 4K UHD. BT Sport subscribers will be able to stream the match online via the video player and the BT Sport app. You can follow all the action with Standard Sport's LIVE blog. Man City dominate their head-to-head record against Swansea, winning 24 times, losing seven, and drawing four. Guardiola's side have scored nine goals without reply in their last two Premier League meetings - a 4-0 away win followed by a 5-0 home thrashing in the 2017-18 season. | Tom Doyle | https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/manchestercity/swansea-vs-man-city-fa-cup-2019-score-prediction-odds-live-stream-tv-channel-tickets-preview-a4093161.html | 2019-03-15 15:13:00+00:00 | 1,552,677,180 | 1,567,546,091 | sport | sport event |
168,810 | eveningstandard--2019-03-21--Euro 2020 qualifiers on TV tonight How to watch every international game - live stream and UK chann | 2019-03-21T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Euro 2020 qualifiers on TV tonight: How to watch every international game - live stream and UK channel info | International football returns this week as the Euro 2020 qualifying process gets underway for next summer's finals. England fans will be dreaming of a first major triumph since 1966 after last summer's near miss at the World Cup, and the Three Lions kick off their qualifying campaign with a double-header against Czech Republic and Montenegro. The rest of the Home Nations are all in action too, with Wales - who reached the Euro 2016 semi-finals - Scotland and Northern Ireland all hoping to mark a strong start on a potential road to glory. England's qualifiers will be shown live on free-to-air television on ITV and online via the ITV Hub. Sky Sports subscribers can watch every other match on TV and stream the games online via SkyGo and the SkyGo app. Select matches will be shown available via Now TV with a day pass on offer for £8.99. If you buy a weekly pass for £14.99 on Wednesday, 20 March, that will cover the full international break with unlimited access to 10 Sky Sports channels as well. | Tom Doyle | https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/euro-2020-qualifier-tonight-uk-tv-channel-live-stream-how-to-watch-international-football-a4097216.html | 2019-03-21 06:53:00+00:00 | 1,553,165,580 | 1,567,545,336 | sport | sport event |
172,929 | eveningstandard--2019-04-23--Tottenham vs Brighton Premier League 2019 prediction lineups odds live stream TV channel ticke | 2019-04-23T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Tottenham vs Brighton: Premier League 2019 prediction, lineups, odds, live stream, TV channel, tickets, h2h | Tottenham took a significant step forward in the battle for the Premier League’s top four thanks to an 88th-minute winner against a dogged, defensive and determined Brighton. After their top-four rivals had all faltered over the Easter weekend, Mauricio Pochettino’s side had the chance to move clear of those in the chasing pack against a team without a win in six matches who had not scored a goal in 570 minutes of top-flight football. Having ended a five-matching losing run at Wolves over the weekend, Brighton put on another unrelenting defensive performance before Christian Eriksen finally sent Spurs clear in the race for the top four with his late strike from range. The south coast side, with just three points keeping them from the final relegation spot, sat deep and invited Spurs to break them down, Fernando Llorente left to battle Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk in the middle with both Heung-min Son and Lucas Moura stretching from either flank. Back-to-back Brighton corners aside, after Victor Wanyama lashed the ball over, Tottenham were well in control, but had to wait until the 20th minute for a first clear-cut chance as Dunk threw himself in front of Jan Vertonghen’s close-range effort in the scramble after Eriksen’s low free-kick was hooked clear. Chris Hughton’s side were sinking deeper with every minute that passed and Spurs were struggling to find clear passage, Vertonghen often found floating on the edge of the Brighton area. They finally began to create some openings after Lucas made his way over to the left flank, the Brazilian causing relentless problems for Martin Montoya and fizzing an effort under Mat Ryan which Dunk was forced to clear just yards from goal, though it was perhaps destined to sneak just past the far post. Danny Rose and Dele Alli too found spaces beyond the Brighton right-back and an opener seemed inevitable. It almost came at the other end, however. Florin Andone, leading the line for Brighton and just booked for a challenge on Rose midway inside the visitors' half, found the space to break and charged towards Hugo Lloris, only to see roles reversed as Rose flew in to win the ball and earn raucous applause from the home support. Andone was arguably lucky not to receive a second yellow card moments later following a trip on Son back in his own half. He stayed put, however, and continued to sit at the front of Brighton’s green bus, again defiant when Kieran Trippier’s looping ball was majestically brought under control by Alli before Ryan got a hand to his poked effort allowing time for Duffy to clear on the line. Tottenham had not played out a goalless draw in 67 previous games, and Pochettino’s side ramped things up a little after the restart. Passes were shorter and quicker but still Brighton held on, Eriksen restricted to sending an effort over the bar and into the looming 17,500-seat South Stand. Rose had found himself in space down the left on a couple of occasions but could not bring the ball under control. At the third attempt, the England full-back cut inside and whipped a wicked right-footed effort towards Ryan who reacted sharply to beat the strike clear. Spurs inched closer and closer, all 11 Brighton shirts crammed into their own defensive third before Toby Alderweireld thought he had found the breakthrough. The Belgian swivelled and sent a low effort onto the foot of the right-hand post only to watch as it agonisingly rebounded across the face of the goal and past the other upright. Still no way through. Hughton sent on Glenn Murray and Solly March, offering little more than an illusion that Brighton were going to look for a goal, though Pochettino had limited options on the bench. Vincent Janssen’s half-hearted warm-ups suggested that perhaps even the Dutchman doubted that he would get a chance, but as the only attacking option at his manager’s disposal, on he went, a first Tottenham appearance since August 2017, their maiden Premier League game at Wembley. It was almost a dream return. Eriksen cracked a low effort through the Brighton defence, Ryan parried to the feet of Janssen before it was clipped away at the last second. Tottenham could still find no way through and were restricted to further efforts from range. The hosts had racked up 20 shots from outside the box, their most in just over four years, before, finally, the 21st shattered the nerves and frustration inside Spurs’ new home. Eriksen found himself again in the spot which had almost offered Janssen a chance, and again with no other option but to shoot through a gaggle of Brighton bodies. He whipped another strike low and to Ryan’s left, but this time the Australian could not get down to it and the Dane wheeled away, Tottenham a step closer to a fourth consecutive season in Europe’s premier club competition. They will now relish a London derby with West Ham to keep their 100 per cent record at the new stadium intact. Relive all the action with Standard Sport! Can't see the blog? Click here for the desktop version. | ALEX YOUNG | https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham/tottenham-vs-brighton-premier-league-2019-score-prediction-odds-live-stream-tv-channel-tickets-a4123396.html | 2019-04-23 06:09:00+00:00 | 1,556,014,140 | 1,567,542,002 | sport | sport event |
176,071 | eveningstandard--2019-05-31--Champions League Final 2019 - LIVE Tottenham vs Liverpool latest team news and predicted lineups in | 2019-05-31T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Champions League Final 2019 - LIVE! Tottenham vs Liverpool latest team news and predicted lineups in Madrid | Tottenham and Liverpool have a date with destiny as the English rivals prepare for Saturday's Champions League Final in Madrid. Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp guided their teams through two extraordinary semi-final ties, and are both one win from sporting immortality. The Champions League trophy will definitely be heading back to England this year, with the biggest prize in European club football set to reside at either Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or Anfield next season. Liverpool are seeking their sixth European Cup success, and the nature of their semi-final victory over Barcelona - a thrilling 4-0 win on Merseyside wiping out a 3-0 loss at Camp Nou - coupled with their status as Premier League runners-up marks them out as favourites in the Spanish capital. However, Spurs have shown time and again this term that they are not to be written off, with Pochettino's team seeing off the likes of Manchester City and Ajax in dramatic circumstances to reach the Wanda Metropolitano showpiece clash. Standard Sport will be bringing you the latest team news, build-up and predictions from Madrid, with expert analysis from David Lynch, James Olley and Dan Kilpatrick on the night. Follow all the latest news from Madrid with Standard Sport! Can't see the Champions League Final 2019 - LIVE blog? Click here for the desktop version. | Standard sport | https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/champions-league-final-2019-live-tottenham-vs-liverpool-fc-latest-team-news-predicted-lineups-madrid-a4155646.html | 2019-05-31 05:45:00+00:00 | 1,559,295,900 | 1,567,539,536 | sport | sport event |
181,865 | eveningstandard--2019-08-08--Chelsea transfer ban has given Frank Lampard chance to change club culture says Joe Cole | 2019-08-08T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Chelsea transfer ban has given Frank Lampard chance to change club culture, says Joe Cole | Joe Cole believes Chelsea’s transfer ban has given them “a moment in time to change the culture of the club” and says there is nobody better to lead the transformation than Frank Lampard. The Blues cannot register new players until the summer of 2020 after Fifa found them guilty of breaching regulations over the signing of underage players. That has left new boss Lampard’s hands tied in his first transfer window, with Christian Pulisic the only new arrival after his move from Borussia Dortmund was agreed in January, although Mateo Kovacic has also joined on a permanent basis after a season on loan from Real Madrid. For so long big spenders, Lampard’s Chelsea look set to place greater trust in home-grown talent, not something they have been renowned for doing. And Cole, 37, who works as a coach with the Blues’ academy, says circumstance and the change of manager have galvanised the club. “It’s an opportunity,” Cole told Standard Sport. “No one would have chosen to have a transfer ban, but what this has done is give us a moment in time and an opportunity to change the culture and the energy and how the club is perceived. The young players are excited — there’s an excitement in the club that I’ve not sensed before. “The club has been exceptional over the past 20 years, particularly since Roman Abramovich [bought the Blues in 2003], it’s been the most successful club in the country in terms of winning trophies. I think we need to recognise that, but if you’re going to catch Manchester City, you need more. More cohesion, [to be] more settled, everything around the club — and I think Frank’s the man to bring that.” Cole’s role sees him working part-time with youngsters at the club where he won three League titles in the early days of the Abramovich era, as he looks to gradually build up his coaching experience. By contrast, Lampard has just one season in management, in the Championship with Derby, where he can look back on a promising first season. He guided Derby into the play-offs and masterminded the highlight of their season, a 4-2 victory at Elland Road in the second leg of the semi-final against Leeds, which booked a place at Wembley against Aston Villa. That match turned out to be Lampard’s last at Derby: the Rams were beaten 2-1, denying them a return to the top flight, and Lampard returned to Stamford Bridge to replace Maurizio Sarri, who was hired by Juventus after a single season in English football. Lampard had a stellar playing career at Chelsea, scoring a club-record 211 goals during his 13 seasons there. Because of his lack of management experience, there was some surprise when he was appointed, but Cole has no fear that the job may have come too soon for his former team-mate. “He knows the time is right,” Cole said. “People say you can’t turn it down. You can turn it down, there’s always an option. He could have said no. He feels he’s ready and, having known Frank for many years, if he’s ready, he’s ready. It’ll be a success. In everything he’s done he’s been successful. I can’t see there being anyone better qualified to manage Chelsea at this time.” Among the young English players to have impressed in pre-season under Lampard are attacking midfielders Ross Barkley and Mason Mount. Barkley has yet to find his best form consistently for Chelsea, even though he showed flashes of it under Sarri after being frozen out by his predecessor, Antonio Conte. Much is expected of Mount, who joined Lampard at Derby last season on a year’s loan. He did well enough there to earn a new five-year deal at Stamford Bridge and he will be pushing for regular action this term. Cole was considered a rare technically-gifted talent during his England days, but believes the Chelsea duo are part of a whole crop of players battling to start Euro 2020 as the creative driving force in England manager Gareth Southgate’s midfield. “You’ve got [Phil] Foden, [James] Maddison, Barkley, [Jack] Grealish — Mason Mount I’d throw into that,” he said. “We’ve never had so many players, number 10s, who can handle the ball. If I’m one of that group, I’m thinking, ‘Right, I want to be the premier young attacking midfielder in this country’, to ensure I’m on that plane to the Euros. I love watching them play, I think they’re exceptional. It’ll be interesting to see which one gets the nod in the England squad.” Away from his coaching role, Cole has been working with broadcaster BT Sport as they attempt to predict the new season with their big data project ‘The Script’. While Cole agrees with the algorithms that have forecast another top four finish for Chelsea, he is at odds with the project’s claim that no English side will reach the last four of the Champions League, after two made the final last season. “I can see the top four the same as last year,” Cole said. “It's gonna be very close, I'm sure you don't need a database or a script to know that the Premier League's very close. It's the most exciting thrilling league in the world. “But you go and tell the Chelsea fans, the Liverpool fans, the Man City fans, the Tottenham fans, that they're not going to get nowhere [in Europe], they'll tell you you're mad. “That's how competitive our league is. Every one of those teams genuinely believe they can win the Champions League, and rightly so.” Joe Cole was speaking on behalf of BT Sport. With 52 Premier League games, action from the Emirates FA Cup and FA Women’s Super League and with every UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League game, BT Sport is gearing up for its biggest season yet. | Malik Ouzia | https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/chelsea/chelsea-transfer-ban-has-given-frank-lampard-chance-to-change-club-culture-says-joe-cole-a4208681.html | 2019-08-08 10:00:00+00:00 | 1,565,272,800 | 1,567,534,574 | sport | transfer |
182,043 | eveningstandard--2019-08-09--Transfer news LIVE Man Utd ruined Tottenham Dybala deal Chelsea want 80m Zaha Luiz to Arsenal re | 2019-08-09T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Transfer news LIVE: Man Utd ruined Tottenham Dybala deal, Chelsea want £80m Zaha, Luiz to Arsenal reaction | Eriksen's route from Tottenham to Spain looks blocked Christian Eriksen's hopes of moving from Tottenham to Madrid look diminished as both Real Madrid and Atletico have other priorities in the last three weeks of the Spanish transfer window, writes Ben Hayward. The midfielder, who rejected a transfer to Manchester United this week as he holds out for a move to Spain, still looks likely to leave as the European window remains open until the end of August. Eriksen has one year left on his contract and Spurs are not prepared to let the Dane leave for free next summer, while the player favours a lifestyle choice and is keen on a move to Spain. But Real Madrid are in the market for a more mobile midfielder after their troubles in pre-season, which has featured three defeats and 16 goals conceded. Manchester United’s Paul Pogba remains their top target, but Ajax’s Donny van de Beek has overtaken Eriksen in the club’s list of priorities this summer, with the Dane all but ruled out at this stage. Atletico, meanwhile, are still hoping to sign playmaker James Rodriguez from Madrid for a fee of around €50million. Real do not want to sell James to Atletico, but Los Blancos need to raise funds from somewhere in order to make another signing this summer and the player is keen to stay in Madrid. Personal terms have been agreed and the move only needs the green light from Madrid president Florentino Perez, who initially blocked the deal after the 7-3 loss to Atleti in New Jersey last month and in light of Marco Asensio's long-term injury. Atletico sporting director Andrea Berta is an admirer of Eriksen and the Dane has emerged as a possible alternative to James, but the Rojiblancos’ interest in the latter is not limited solely to football. Rodriguez, an €80m signing for Real Madrid from Monaco in 2014, is the world’s fourth-most marketable footballer – after Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar – and Atletico are keen to tap into his huge following in South America. Standard Sport understands Atletico’s interest is more about merchandising, shirt sales and brand value than what the Colombian can bring on the pitch and it is difficult to see how he could fit into Diego Simeone’s system, where €120m summer signing Joao Felix is expected to be a fixture behind strikers Diego Costa and Alvaro Morata. That would explain why Atleti are focused on James alone. “Our team is competitive for La Liga, the Champions League and all the competitions we will take part in,” president Enrique Cerezo told radio station Kiss Kiss Napoli this week. “Our squad is closed, but you never know.” Eriksen’s brand value is nowhere near James’ reach. The Dane has 1.5m followers on Instagram, compared to the Colombian’s 42.7m. Rodriguez is a huge star in his homeland, a football-mad nation with a population of almost 50 million, and across South America. If Atleti’s move for James is frustrated, the Rojiblancos are expected to stick with what they have this summer. Meanwhile, Real are looking at other targets, Barcelona are not interested in signing Eriksen due to a surplus of midfielders at Camp Nou already and no either side from LaLiga could afford to bring in the Dane. Priorities may change and there are still three weeks left, but as things stand, a route to Spain currently looks to be blocked for the Tottenham playmaker. | Standard sport | https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news-live-man-utd-ruined-tottenham-dybala-deal-chelsea-want-80m-zaha-luiz-to-arsenal-a4209341.html | 2019-08-09 06:52:00+00:00 | 1,565,347,920 | 1,567,534,504 | sport | transfer |
182,271 | eveningstandard--2019-08-13--Man City avoid transfer ban Fifa fines club 314650 for breaching rules on transfer of minors | 2019-08-13T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Man City avoid transfer ban: Fifa fines club £314,650 for breaching rules on transfer of minors | Manchester City have avoided the threat of a Fifa transfer ban for breaching rules regarding the transfer of minors, with world football's governing body instead imposing a fine of over £314,000 on the club. City have been fined 370,000 Swiss francs (£314,650) for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18. Fifa's decision comes as a huge boost to City, who will now be able to plan ahead in the transfer market without the prospect of a potential ban on signing players. A Fifa statement read: "The Fifa Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned English club Manchester City FC for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18. "Manchester City FC was found to have breached, amongst others, article 19 of the Fifa Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. "The Disciplinary Committee took into account the fact that Manchester City FC accepted its responsibility and sanctioned the club with a fine of CHF 370,000. "The protection of minors is a key element in Fifa’s overall regulatory framework relating to the transfer of players, and the effective enforcement of these rules is paramount, as has also been confirmed on various occasions by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. "The decision issued by the Disciplinary Committee was notified today." Man City duly released a statement which read: "Manchester City FC can confirm that it has today received a reprimand and a CHF 370,000 fine following the decision of the Fifa Disciplinary Committee concerning the international transfer of players under the age of 18, particularly in relation to their trial periods and participation in friendly games. "The Club accepts responsibility for the breaches which arose as a result of misinterpretation of the regulations in question. All of the breaches occurred before December 2016 when guidance on the interpretation of the provisions was issued, since which date Manchester City has been fully compliant. "The Club regards highly and shares Fifa's determination to ensure the protection of minors in football and has cooperated fully with the investigation which has been transparent and evidenced based at all times." City are not the first club to have been found in breach of article 19 in recent years. Barcelona were hit with a transfer ban in 2014 after being found to have violated Fifa's rules, while Chelsea are currently serving a two-window ban on registerting players until 2020 as a result of breaking rules on signing foreign under-18 players. Fifa has been investigating City's international transfers for several years, although the club were cleared of breaking the rules when they signed Benjamin Garre from Velez Sarsfield in 2016 just after the Argentinian midfielder's 16th birthday. Last year, two players from Ghana's Right to Dream football academy, Sierra Leone's George Davies and Ghanaian Dominic Oduro, told Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten that they signed for City and played in youth matches before they turned 18. Both have since left City but Fifa has been investigating their time with the English club. In regards to international transfers of players aged under 18, they are only allowed in three circumstances: the players' parents have moved to the new country for non-footballing reasons, they and the club are based close to the relevant national border or the transfer takes place within the European Economic Area and the player is at least 16. As well as Chelsea, Spanish trio Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid have all been punished for signing underage players from abroad in the past. Real were able to get their ban reduced on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport - an avenue Chelsea have explored. | Tom Doyle | https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/manchestercity/man-city-avoid-transfer-ban-fifa-fines-club-314000-pounds-breaching-rules-minors-a4212491.html | 2019-08-13 15:11:00+00:00 | 1,565,723,460 | 1,567,534,263 | sport | transfer |
182,429 | eveningstandard--2019-08-19--Barcelona bought Coutinho to succeed Neymar and Andres Iniesta but he suffered same fate as Zlatan | 2019-08-19T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Barcelona bought Coutinho to succeed Neymar and Andres Iniesta, but he suffered same fate as Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Philippe Coutinho has left Barcelona on loan to join Bayern Munich, just 18 months after becoming the most expensive signing in the history of the Catalan club. Needless to say, things have not gone as hoped for the player at Camp Nou. Coutinho was signed from Liverpool for €120 million plus a possible €40m in add-ons. He was seen by Barca as an heir to both Neymar and Andres Iniesta, but turned out to be neither. The first six months had been promising. Coutinho was unable to play in the Champions League because he had participated in the competition with Liverpool, but he scored 11 goals in the second half of the season. Those included a hat-trick in the 5-4 loss against Levante, Barcelona's only defeat in La Liga in 2017-18, which had come as Lionel Messi was rested. It may be his best performance for the club. Coutinho was used in a number of different positions at Barca, but never made any of them his own. His finest football came when Messi was not there: he wanted to occupy the central playmaking position; he wanted to be a no. 10. Instead, his inclusion often made it look like the Catalans were playing with 10. But when your no. 10 is the world's best player, perhaps history's finest footballer, that is never going to work. Barca boss Ernesto Valverde tried Coutinho in midfield, but did not trust the Brazilian to play in that position as he shirked his defensive duties. And further forward, he just seemed to slow the team down. In that respect, he was reminiscent of another illustrious Barca signing: Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Coutinho, like the Sweden striker before him, had memorable moments at Barca. Highlights included an assist for Luis Suarez in the Copa del Rey final win against Sevilla in 2018 and a penalty to round off the 5-0 win, plus that brilliant curler against Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-final second leg at Camp Nou last season. But as with Ibrahimovic, Barca often seemed static and predictable when he was on the pitch. Ultimately, his sale strengthened Liverpool and weakened Barcelona. In a way, it was key to the Reds' Champions League win last term. As so often, Coutinho was a passive figure that evening and Barca were overrun in midfield. Afterwards, even Valverde admitted he had only started because Ousmane Dembele was out injured. Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp had used the funds from the Brazilian's sale to bring in both Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, those two absolutely key to last season's success in Europe and also that historic victory at Anfield. Ineffective again as Barca lost the Copa del Rey final to Valencia, Coutinho's career at Camp Nou was over. Barcelona have since spent the summer offering their record signing around Europe to anyone who would listen and attempting to use him as a pawn in a deal to bring back Neymar, the player he was supposed to replace. The fact he has opted to join Bayern Munich may complicate a move for Neymar, but Barca are just relieved to remove the 27-year-old's €12m-per-season salary from their huge wage bill at this point. And as he has not made 100 appearances for the Catalan club, Standard Sport understands they will not be liable to pay €20m of the variables agreed with Liverpool as part of his transfer last January. Bayern have agreed a season-long loan and although the Bundesliga giants have an option to make the transfer permanent next summer, they are not obliged to buy Coutinho. But as with James Rodriguez and his two-year spell at the Allianz Arena from Real Madrid, this could help to increase interest in a sale in 2020. Whatever happens, it is all a little disappointing for a player brought in as an heir to Iniesta and Neymar, but who turned out to be neither, and never really adapted to playing alongside Messi at Barcelona. A better coach than Valverde might have been able to make it work and if he returns and the 55-year-old leaves next summer, that may yet happen. But the signs are that Coutinho was probably not really right for Barca in the first place and ultimately that says little for the scattergun approach to transfers at the Catalan club in recent seasons. | Ben Hayward | https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/barcelona/barcelona-bought-coutinho-to-succeed-neymar-and-andres-iniesta-but-he-suffered-same-fate-as-zlatan-a4216541.html | 2019-08-19 11:48:16+00:00 | 1,566,229,696 | 1,567,534,011 | sport | transfer |
20,580 | bbc--2019-01-09--Bayern Munich to sign Benjamin Pavard from Stuttgart | 2019-01-09T00:00:00 | bbc | Bayern Munich to sign Benjamin Pavard from Stuttgart | Bayern Munich will sign defender Benjamin Pavard from fellow German club Stuttgart in July. The 22-year-old France international will sign a five-year deal with the Bundesliga champions. "We're delighted and proud to be able to secure the services of a player like him," said Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic. Pavard helped his country win the 2018 World Cup in Russia and scored goal of the tournament, against Argentina. Bayern are in Doha at a winter training camp during a winter break and return to action on 18 January at Hoffenheim. They are second in the Bundesliga, six points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund, and face Liverpool in the last 16 of the Champions League. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46807191 | 2019-01-09 10:07:33+00:00 | 1,547,046,453 | 1,567,553,271 | sport | transfer |
20,653 | bbc--2019-01-10--Aaron Ramsey Juventus leading race to sign Arsenal and Wales midfielder | 2019-01-10T00:00:00 | bbc | Aaron Ramsey: Juventus leading race to sign Arsenal and Wales midfielder | Juventus are leading the race to sign Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey when his contract expires at the end of the season. The 28-year-old's current preference is to join the Italian champions but, contrary to some reports, he has yet to make a final decision and will continue to consider offers from a number of Europe's leading clubs. The likelihood is Ramsey's next club, with no transfer fee to pay, will make him the best-paid British player of all time. It is understood his boyhood dream was to play for Barcelona but despite preliminary talks that option will not be pursued. An offer from Paris St-Germain is thought to carry great appeal, while there is also interest from Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. Madrid forward Gareth Bale is understood to have encouraged his Wales team-mate to link up with him in Spain. There have been enquiries from English sides and if Ramsey was to remain in the Premier League he would favour a move to Liverpool. However, although there is still a possibility the situation might change, it is almost certain the former Cardiff player will go abroad. Once Ramsey's choice is made, he is expected to sign a pre-contract agreement and undergo a medical this month. He will complete the campaign with Arsenal prior to leaving as a free agent in the summer. He will not be signing a new deal with Arsenal after the Gunners withdrew a fresh four-year offer in September for football and financial reasons. The two parties were close to finalising an agreement but no physical contract was on the table when the club decided to pull out. Ramsey was said to be keen to stay yet grew frustrated with the protracted process and, by the end, there were doubts over whether he would have put pen to paper. Ultimately Arsenal were not prepared to meet his salary demands, with some among the hierarchy regretting the new deal given to Mesut Ozil a year ago, worth £350,000 per week, and determined to avoid a repeat. Meanwhile, head coach Unai Emery had reservations about Ramsey's role in his squad. Soon after Emery was appointed last summer, it was reported he wanted to build the team around Arsenal's longest-serving player, who was named as one of five captains for this season. But it became clear that Ramsey's desire to play as a number eight, running on to the ball from an advanced central midfield position, clashed with Emery's vision. Emery does not usually deploy a number eight, meaning the Welshman has mainly been used in a strict deeper role without license to roam or in the number 10 position with his back to goal. That partly explains why Ramsey's game time has been limited and is among the factors attracting him to Juventus, where manager Massimiliano Allegri tends to operate with a three-man midfield. Arsenal boss Emery praised the midfielder's attitude on Thursday, saying: "Every day he's here with us, he's working very well. "In the last match I was very happy with him. I asked in the last match at Blackpool if he is OK to help us play and he said, 'Yeah, coach, I want to play' and he played with a very big behaviour and commitment to us. "After, his future belongs to him, his family and agent. "I want his behaviour and his focus to be on West Ham on Saturday." | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46829986 | 2019-01-10 16:16:06+00:00 | 1,547,154,966 | 1,567,553,095 | sport | transfer |
20,739 | bbc--2019-01-11--51-year-old footballer gets new deal | 2019-01-11T00:00:00 | bbc | 51-year-old footballer gets new deal | He may have started his career way back in 1986 but there's no sign of Kazuyoshi Miura slowing down yet - the 51-year-old has signed a new contract with Japanese side Yokohama FC. The striker, who won the last of his 89 Japan caps some 19 years ago, will now play in the Japanese second division until at least the age of 52 - an age he reaches next month. "I will not waste it for one minute, one second," he said. "I think that I want to go face to face with football and go to daily training with maximum power." Miura was born in the same month as Italy legend Roberto Baggio, who retired in 2004, and broke Stanley Matthews' record as the oldest professional to score a goal in 2017. He failed to score in nine appearances in the 2018 season, which saw Yokohama lose in the play-offs. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46839490 | 2019-01-11 16:16:00+00:00 | 1,547,241,360 | 1,567,552,925 | sport | transfer |
21,280 | bbc--2019-01-19--England defender Alexander-Arnold signs new Liverpool deal | 2019-01-19T00:00:00 | bbc | England defender Alexander-Arnold signs new Liverpool deal | Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has signed a new five-year deal until 2024 with the club. It reflects the 20-year-old full-back's remarkable progress since his last contract in 2017. He has established himself as the Anfield club's first-choice right-back, broken into the England team and played at the World Cup. "When it comes to playing football, there is only one club for me," said Alexander-Arnold. "I'm ecstatic and really proud. I feel privileged to have the support and the trust the club has in me to offer me a new deal," he told the club's website. "There was no doubt in my mind to sign and extend the years I have with the club. Hopefully we can achieve a lot of success in those years." Academy graduate Alexander-Arnold has made 67 appearances and scored four goals since his Liverpool debut in October 2016 and has since established himself as the Reds' first-choice right-back. "As soon as they offered the contract, there was no hesitation whatsoever," added Alexander-Arnold. "The thing that made it easiest for me was having the people around me to make sure I was able to focus on football as much as possible and get the deal done as soon as possible. "That is down to my brother especially, my manager, who took that role and allowed me to focus on football and not get distracted, which is the main thing. "The last 18 months especially have been very special. Hopefully the next 18 months and even further on than that will be even more special." Manager Jurgen Klopp said: "Trent is one of the most relentless professionals I have met when it comes to focusing on getting better each and every day," manager Jurgen Klopp said. "This is not to compare with any legend past or present, because he will make his own story. "As a player for LFC he is the embodiment of the sentiment 'We're never gonna stop.'" The deal follows left-back Andrew Robertson signing a new five-year deal with the Premier League leaders. Alexander-Arnold is expected to be sidelined for at least a fortnight with a knee problem after being injured in the warm-up before Saturday's 1-0 league win at Brighton. He does not need surgery but is set to miss home games against Crystal Palace and Leicester City. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46930825 | 2019-01-19 11:11:14+00:00 | 1,547,914,274 | 1,567,551,735 | sport | transfer |
23,972 | bbc--2019-03-13--Englands Tuilagi rejects Racing 92 to stay at Leicester | 2019-03-13T00:00:00 | bbc | England's Tuilagi rejects Racing 92 to stay at Leicester | England centre Manu Tuilagi has rejected a lucrative offer from French club Racing 92 and signed a new deal with Leicester Tigers. Tuilagi's contract ran out in the summer and he had been to France to discuss terms with Racing. But the 27-year-old told the Tigers website: "This is a massive club and it means a lot to me and my family. "I love the club and I want to repay the loyalty they have shown me in my time here." The length of his new deal with the Premiership side has not been revealed. Tuilagi has spent all his career with Tigers. He made his debut in 2010, with the first of his 31 England appearances coming the following year. "I'm very passionate about playing my part in bringing back the success we all expect at such a massive club," he added. "This was a big decision for me to make but I am very happy to be able to stay here, I have a lot of friends here." A move to France could have seen his international career halted, with the Rugby Football Union only selecting players who play domestic rugby in England. Tuilagi returned to the England side in November after a lengthy absence through injury and made his first Six Nations start in six years in the victory over Ireland in Dublin. Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy said: "Manu is a world-class player with a real X-factor about his game and anyone would want him in their team. He's been here a long time, his heart is here and we're all delighted that he wants to stay. "He is at his physical peak as a player at 27, he is a leader within the squad and we look forward to seeing many more big performances from him in a Tigers shirt." | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47524728 | 2019-03-13 12:30:13+00:00 | 1,552,494,613 | 1,567,546,419 | sport | transfer |
22,042 | bbc--2019-01-31--Anthony Martial Man Utd forward signs new contract until 2024 | 2019-01-31T00:00:00 | bbc | Anthony Martial: Man Utd forward signs new contract until 2024 | Forward Anthony Martial has signed a new contract at Manchester United until June 2024, with the option to extend for a further year. The 23-year-old, who joined United from Monaco in September 2015 for £36m, has scored eight Premier League goals this season, has been in talks for a while. United's interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: For a young man, he has a good footballing brain, which, when coupled with his exceptional talent, makes for a player with an exciting future ahead of him." In June, Martial's agent said his player wanted to leave Old Trafford and it was known former boss Jose Mourinho was happy to sanction his departure. But United's hierarchy instead opened fresh negotiations and Martial said on Thursday: "I would like to thank Ole and his coaching staff for their belief in me and for helping me to take my game to the next level. "I am loving my time at this club. "From the day I joined I have been made to feel part of the United family and I have been incredibly humbled and overwhelmed by the warmth and love of our fans, who continue to amaze me with their support." Martial has started five times under Mourinho's successor Solskjaer, and scored after coming on as a substitute in the FA Cup win at Arsenal on Friday. He missed Tuesday night's home draw with Burnley after picking up "a slight injury" in training but has managed 10 goals in 25 matches in all competitions this season. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47075263 | 2019-01-31 13:51:51+00:00 | 1,548,960,711 | 1,567,550,111 | sport | transfer |
53,091 | birminghammail--2019-01-02--Why Tammy Abraham to Wolves makes perfect sense for everyone - except Aston Villa | 2019-01-02T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Why Tammy Abraham to Wolves makes perfect sense for everyone - except Aston Villa | It would be a little unfair on Aston Villa to lose loan striker Tammy Abraham at this stage of the season. The Chelsea loan striker has been phenomenal for Villa so far this season and with 16 goals under his belt, it's fair to say Villa would miss him massively if he was to move on. The view from Dean Smith is that Abraham is going nowhere, the newspaper headlines paint a different story. Premier League clubs are circling the lofty England striker as the January window approaches and much will depend on the player himself as to where his future lies. Smith commented recently on the situation and appeared very confident it would continue. He stated: "We’re very happy with the way he’s playing, he is, too. “You can see the connection he has with the supporters and the staff here. “Chelsea seem happy too because he’s developing as a player and scoring in this league. “For all three parties it is a win-win. I’d be amazed if anything happens to stop that.” There could still be hope for Wolves fans who would like to see him at Molineux. Despite his devastating form for Villa, would Abraham pass up the opportunity to play for a blossoming and progressive Wolves side boasting the likes of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho? His England credentials would be massively enhanced if he could score as regularly in the Premier League as he is in the Championship. That ambition may be enough to persuade him to take on a premature new challenge he perhaps hadn't expected. Only he knows the answer to that one. Would he fit into the Wolves set-up? Undoubtedly. He has pace, mobility, a good footballing brain, and that all important commodity - goals. Can he adapt fully to the Wolves way of playing? It would be interesting to see. He hasn't really featured out wide for example for Villa, but he has the ability to drop deep and hold the ball up to bring others into play. Villa would feel very hard done to if he did leave, they have invested real time into making him a better player. He's worked extremely hard on his heading with John Terry at Villa, for example. He has had a lot of success with headed goals in recent weeks and that would suit the Wolves style of play with the wing-backs. Wolves have at times this season shot themselves in the foot with missed opportunities in front of goal. Raul Jimenez has been a revelation up-front for Wolves and has contributed significantly to the goal tally, but at times there has been a distinct lack of a traditional number nine. It's unlikely any striker coming into the Wolves squad will walk straight into the team, Jimenez is a player that Nuno Espirito Santo likes and trusts. Jimenez is a versatile player and a very intelligent one who fully understands the Wolves ethos and is a big part of the 'shape', that Nuno talks of so fondly. For many Wolves fans he has been the player of the season. If Abraham was to go to Wolves, he would likely edge out Leo Bonatini as the more traditional striker called upon to come off the bench. He has to be happy with that though, he has to be willing to be patient. He could be the ultimate weapon for Wolves though in their quest to be more clinical and push things to a different level. In fact, used correctly, this could be a game changer. What has he done this season? Can Wolves afford him? Of course. Would Chelsea sell him? It appears so. Wolves have money and Abraham would command a fee of around £18m, that's a lot of money fr a player who isn't even playing for you, but might one day. A loan deal is of course a likely scenario, Wolves like their loans with a view to permanent deals. It would be a huge deal for Wolves and one that makes a lot of sense. It would be good business for all concerned. Abraham would surely benefit from working under Nuno and being surrounded by the wave of optimism at Molineux. The squad at Wolves is going to get better and the ambitions are going to get higher. Players like Abraham will have seen how they handled Spurs and will quite rightly fancy a piece of the action, any footballer would. That's no slight on his time at Villa, he has enjoyed it, the fans have enjoyed it, and it has been a good loan spell for Villa. The reality is that if a sizeable bid comes in from Wolves, Aston Villa won't even come into the equation. Reports have suggested, however, that the Molineux side’s swoop for Abraham could be threatened by a Fifa ruling over the number of sides a player can turn out for during one season. Abraham’s scoring streak has fired him up for a return to the Premier League, this pundit believes. Dean Ashton watched the 21-year-old score a deadly double in Aston Villa ’s 2-2 draw with QPR this weekend and believes he now needs to show what he’s made of in the top-flight. Yesterday BirminghamLive reported that Wolves were keen on signing the striker in January - if he engineers a move back to Chelsea. The Blues have no interest in recalling him for their own benefit - but may activate the clause in order to allow him to leave for another club willing to pay the money or offer him Premier League football. Ashton, who left the second tier for the top-flight when he was in fine form, said: “He might really enjoy being at Aston Villa like I did at Crewe. “But if you want to be at the top level and you’ve got ambition, then I’m afraid he will want to do well at Aston Villa and then move to test himself in the Premier League again. “He will feel like he didn’t do himself justice at Swansea (last season).” Abraham scored just eight goals last term but has already doubled that tally in half a season this time around. And Ashton believes boss Dean Smith has got Villa playing to his strengths. “Dean Smith has got Villa playing to his strengths. “He’s now dropping off defenders, getting across defenders but sadly (for Villa), Premier League clubs will be looking at him.” Abraham is more likely to be playing for Wolves next month than he is Aston Villa. That’s according to bookmakers SkyBet who have savaged their odds on the Chelsea striker joining Wolves permanently. Wolves are now odds on to sign the 21-year-old with SkyBet offering a measly 1/4. By comparison he is odds against staying at Villa Park - 11/4, despite starting the season with a bang and 16 goals in the Championship. However, Abraham is claimed to want to return to the Premier League which is why Burnley, at 16/1 - and Huddersfield at 20/1 are also quoted. | Steve Wollaston | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/chelsea-wolves-tammy-abraham-transfer-15619281 | 2019-01-02 21:28:00+00:00 | 1,546,482,480 | 1,567,554,193 | sport | transfer |
54,035 | birminghammail--2019-01-12--Dean Smith provides Aston Villa transfer update as striker leaves the club | 2019-01-12T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Dean Smith provides Aston Villa transfer update as striker leaves the club | Dean Smith has reiterated the importance of having Aston Villa having the option of making loan deals permanent, following the capture of Kortney Hause. The defender arrived on loan this week from nearby Wolverhampton Wanderers and will remain at Villa Park for the remainder of the season. Should all things run smoothly, and all parties be in agreement, then the claret and blues will have first refusal on the signature of Hause in the summer. It was a clause Smith insisted on, having arrived at the club in October and key squad members Axel Tuanzebe, Yannick Bolasie, Tammy Abraham and Anwar El Ghazi all on loan deals. Marco Silva has cooled speculation that Everton midfielder James McCarthy might leave the club on loan this month. Irishman McCarthy had been tipped to leave Goodison Park for the remainder of the season, with the potential of building up his match fitness after a significant period of time on the sidelines. The midfielder played only six matches last season before being ruled out the remainder of the campaign when an unfortunate collision with West Brom forward Salomon Rondon resulted in a double leg break, in a match where the Toffees and the Baggies shared the points in January. Paul Cook has lauded Aston Villa as he prepares to go toe to toe with Dean Smith at the DW Stadium this weekend. Wigan Athletic welcome the claret and blues on Saturday in rather wretched form; the last three months have seen them produce a single win - that’s 14 matches. Worryingly for Cook, they’ve lost ten of those and fired blanks in eight. A good time for Villa to face the Latics, then? Smith was particularly cautious when asked on Thursday at his press conference and won’t be taking the fixture lightly. Cook, though, was happy to praise this weekend’s opponents and outlined Villa as one of the sides his promoted Wigan were looking forward to facing before the season began. Aston Villa midfielder Aaron Tshibola has been linked with a surprise move to Serie A before the month is out. The claret and blue midfielder has spent the first half of this season back north of the border with Kilmarnock, whom under former Villa coach Steve Clarke are thriving. Tshibola, still only 24, has made only ten appearances to date and none at all since the 1-0 defeat at Wolves in January 2017. Since, he’s had two separate spells with Killie in Scotland, and also stints with MK Dons and Nottingham Forest. Jesus Garcia Pitarch is being kept busy as Aston Villa hunt for more recruits this month. The sporting director, unveiled at the same time as manager Dean Smith and his back-room staff in October, has already overseen deals with Gent and Wolves for Lovre Kalinic and Kortney Hause respectively and Smith has confirmed that Pitarch’s foot remains on the gas as the claret and blues look to bring more players into the club. Smith, Pitarch and chief executive Christian Purslow are in constant contact on the transfer front and it seems likely that, having already captured two new signings, Villa are far from done. “There’s things going on at the moment,” Smith said. “Our sporting director is busy at work trying to bring people into the football club. “We’ve got targets out there and that’ll continue until the end of the window.” James Collins has revealed he ‘terminated’ his Aston Villa contract a matter of hours after signing it. It’s understood Villa agreed to re-sign Collins on a short-term contract in December after the former Wales international impressed Dean Smith in training. However, after signing his contract in the morning, Collins went out onto Bodymoor Heath’s training pitches and suffered an injury. He said: “I went up to Villa, my old club and I know the people up there. I trained, and did well, and got offered a short-term deal but unfortunately, the morning I signed it, I picked up a little injury so I terminated that contract myself straight away. “I got fit and luckily got the call from Paul Lambert.” Rushian Hepburn-Murphy has joined League Two side Cambridge United on loan until the end of the season. The striker, 20, has linked up with former Aston Villa assistant manager Colin Calderwood, who is now boss of the U's. Hepburn-Murphy was heavily involved with the first team in the opening weeks of the season under Steve Bruce but has dropped back down to the under-23s since Dean Smith took charge in October. Hepburn-Murphy shot to prominence as a 16-year-old in making his Premier League debut against Sunderland in 2015. Aston Villa might have signed Kortney Hause on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers - but Dean Smith could yet dip into the market for another defender. Hause joined Wolves earlier this week, initially on loan but with a view to a permanent transfer, to become Smith’s second signing of the January window following the acquisition of Croatia goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic. Smith has previously admitted his concern with Villa’s defensive options and recalled Tommy Elphick from Hull City at the beginning of the month. Villa now have James Chester, Elphick, Hause and Axel Tuanzebe to choose from although the latter is currently unavailable due to a foot injury. Ritchie De Laet left Aston Villa in the summer after being told he’d be fourth choice right-back - a message he clearly took to heart. The Belgian defender has since reinvented himself in Australia and started Melbourne City’s 1-0 win over Brisbane Roar in attack earlier today. Lucas Radbourne of FTBL writes: “De Laet played as a false nine for Melbourne and managed to bag the winning goal. “He didn't look convincing playing as a sort of false nine, roaming number 10, night watchman, whatever it was, in the first half. He's not a striker, not a playmaker. He naturally pushed out wide from semi-dangerous central positions to put in crosses. “But he is a very good-quality footballer, he exploited Brisbane's lackadaisical defending, created space for himself and easily latched onto a cross to give City the lead.” Harold Moukoudi is the one that got away from Aston Villa. The claret and blues agreed a £7million deal with Ligue 2 club Le Havre to sign Moukoudi in August but the player rejected the move. Moukoudi was flown into Birmingham and given a tour of the club’s facilities before discussing personal terms. Despite Moukoudi being impressed by Villa Park and the club’s Bodymoor Heath training complex, not to mention the increased financial reward on offer, he chose to stay in France. The 21-year-old defender wasn’t ready to leave France and his family behind. | Joseph Chapman | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/dean-smith-provides-aston-villa-15667747 | 2019-01-12 04:00:00+00:00 | 1,547,283,600 | 1,567,552,749 | sport | transfer |
53,777 | birminghammail--2019-01-10--Aston Villa have aimed this cheeky response at a Wolves fan on Twitter | 2019-01-10T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Aston Villa have aimed this cheeky response at a Wolves fan on Twitter | Aston Villa have introduced a ‘kids for a quid’ offer for the visit of Sheffield United next month - and aimed a cheeky retort to a Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter in the process! Villa unveiled their deal, ahead of the meeting with the Blades in early February, on social media on Wednesday evening. Kids will be able to attend the match for a mere £1 with a full paying adult as the claret and blues look to encourage home fans to turn out in their numbers - something they’ve done regularly since the arrival of Dean Smith in October. It was well received news by supporters of the club - though one Wolves fans jibed that it still wouldn’t be enough to fill B6. Watch: What the Wolves fans were saying after Tammy's decision And so Villa’s Twitter account responded, dealing in the law of averages, by simply tweeting: “Average home attendances this season... #AVFC - 34,692 #WWFC - 30,989.” Wolves, back in the Premier League and settling well in the top half of the table, have taken points from many of the bigger sides in the top flight already this term. The old gold’s highest single attendance this term was when Liverpool visited before Christmas - 31,358 turned out that evening. Villa’s highest attendance, meanwhile, was actually Dean Smith’s only home defeat to date - to Leeds United, also before Christmas. There were 41,411 there that day. | Joseph Chapman | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-aimed-cheeky-response-15656756 | 2019-01-10 09:43:13+00:00 | 1,547,131,393 | 1,567,553,032 | sport | transfer |
59,777 | birminghammail--2019-04-03--Manchester United have a huge transfer window planned as Liverpool snap up prolific striker and slap | 2019-04-03T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Manchester United have a huge transfer window planned as Liverpool snap up prolific striker and slap £200m tag on key man - rumour round-up | We take a look at all the big Premier League news, rumours and talking points as the season draws to a close and the speculation steps up ahead of the January transfer window. Paul Pogba rejected a contract offer from Manchester United as his heart is set on a move to Real Madrid. The Frenchman has seen his United career revitalised after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer arrived in late December. Since the Norweigan’s appointment, which was made permanent last Thursday, Pogba has been the centrepiece of a new-look attack with the World Cup winner playing in a much more advanced position. The result has been staggering, with the midfielder scoring nine and setting up a further seven goals for his team-mates. But there have been transfer rumours surrounding his future ongoing all season and the £89m man does not appear to be happy at Old Trafford - despite the change in manager. Over the international break, the 26-year-old admitted that it would be a dream to work under Zinedine Zidane - who recently returned to Real Madrid just 10 months after resigning. He said: “Real Madrid is a dream for any kid or footballer and especially with Zidane.” And Marca have now reported that Pogba rejected a new contract offer from the Red Devils in January as he looks to make his Bernabeu dream come true. His current deal expires in 2022 and the club are desperate to see him extend that, especially amid the Real rumours. Tottenham are weighing up a £50million summer move for Everton and England defender Michael Keane. Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is in the market for a young centre-back this summer and has identified Keane as his first-choice target. Scouts from Tottenham were at Everton's 2-0 win at West Ham on Saturday to watch Keane, while north London rivals Arsenal are also understood to have had representatives there looking at the ball-playing centre-back. With Tottenham facing the prospect of losing Toby Alderweireld - who has a year left on his current deal - this summer and Jan Vertonghen turning 32 later this month, Pochettino needs to bolster his central defensive options. Liverpool have settled on an asking price for Real Madrid target Sadio Mane, it has been claimed. Zinedine Zidane has identified the Senegal international as a transfer target ahead of the summer window. Mane has emerged on Real Madrid ’s radar after an incredible run of form for Liverpool. He has scored 11 goals in his last 11 appearances to take his total to 20 in 39 games this term. According to OK Diario director Eduardo Inda, Liverpool have reacted to his stunning form by slapping a £198m (€230m) price tag on his head. Manchester United are prepared to break their transfer record TWICE this summer to land Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s appointment as manager on a permanent basis means the club are pressing on with their summer plans. The Red Devils are set to spend big in a bid to give Solskjaer the greatest chance of leading a title charge next term. A winger and a centre-half are priorities for the club heading towards the window at the end of the season. But to secure deals for their dream targets, it is expected Manchester United will have to fork out more than the £89m they paid Juventus for Paul Pogba in 2016. United are yet to break the £100m-mark for a single player in the market. Borussia Dortmund, though, are playing hardball over teenage sensation Sancho, now an England international. Varane, meanwhile, has been rumoured to be looking for a new challenge away from the Bernabeu, although Real won’t sell the World Cup winning defender on the cheap. Manchester United and Liverpool target Matthijs De Ligt looks certain to move this summer, according to the latest reports from the Netherlands. But the Ajax defender is not set for a move to the Premier League, despite having been linked with United, Liverpool and Arsenal , among other top clubs including Juventus . Instead, it is Barcelona who are close to signing the £75m teenager - because of a special deal between the boardrooms at the Nou Camp and the Johan Cruyff Arena. The head of sports at Dutch publication De Telegraaf, Valentijn Driessen, says there is no doubt where the cultured centre-back is headed, saying "It's clear that De Ligt will leave Ajax for Barca," in quotes reported by Sport . Driessen said at the start of last week the two clubs came close to an agreement over the player, who has impressed in the Champions League this season. Manchester United are keen to sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace this summer, according to reports. The Daily Mail report that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is desperate to land the 21-year-old after being appointed manager on a full-tame basis. They add that he has given Old Trafford chiefs the “green light” to pursue a deal and the right-back could become United’s first summer arrival. Wan-Bissaka, who has made 28 Premier League appearances this season, is considered to have huge potential by United. Liverpool under-18s captain Paul Glatzel has signed his first professional contract with the club. The highly-rated young forward has scored 23 goals in all competitions this season, and scored on his first appearance for the under-23s team against West Ham on Monday evening. Having formed a prolific partnership with Bobby Duncan - Steven Gerrard's cousin - at under-18 level, Glatzel is being tipped to eventually challenge for a first-team birth at Anfield having been invited at train with the senior stars at Melwood on a regular basis. Born in Liverpool to two German parents, Glatzel - who turned 18 on Wednesday - has played for Germany at under-15 and under-16 levels, as well as for England at youth levels too. Liverpool have agreed a fee with Blackburn Rovers for young goalkeeper Ben Winterbottom. The stopper has been the subject of a bid from Liverpool and according to Football Insider the two clubs have now agreed a compensation package for the player. The news site reports that the Reds have agreed a £350,000 figure with the Championship club. New Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has told reporters that he is keen to bring Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba to the club. Zidane is back at the Bernebau after leaving last summer and is already planning his first transfer window back at the club. While he was on international duty with France, the United talisman revealed Real were a 'dream club'. Speaking before his side's game with Huesca, Zidane returned the compliment to his compatriot. "I like Pogba a lot, it's nothing new. "I know him personally. He's a different kind of player, he brings so much and there are few players who bring as much as he does. "He's a midfielder who knows how to defend and how to attack. He knows how to do everything on the pitch. "He [Pogba] is not part of my squad, he plays at United and what he's said about Real Madrid and his desire to come here, if one day he gets the chance when he wants to leave United....if, when he finishes his experience at United, he wants to come here, why shouldn't he come to Real Madrid?" Chelsea have joined the race for former Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho, according to reports. Man United have been linked with the 26-year-old who has struggled to adapt to life at the Nou Camp since his big money move from Anfield. According to The Express, the Brazilian has become resigned that he will need to leave the La Liga giants for the good of his career. “I am thinking about leaving Barcelona, I know that it is a difficult decision, but it can be the best thing for my career," he told Sport. Chelsea know that Eden Hazard will be in demand this summer and are akready drafting up plans to replace their star man. | Steve Wollaston | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/manchester-united-transfer-news-liverpool-16062346 | 2019-04-03 07:15:15+00:00 | 1,554,290,115 | 1,567,544,119 | sport | transfer |
63,997 | birminghammail--2019-06-30--Moussa Marega transfer latest as two other possible Wolves deals emerge | 2019-06-30T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Moussa Marega transfer latest as two other possible Wolves deals emerge | Talk of Moussa Marega joining Wolverhampton Wanderers has been rife this summer. Mali international striker Marega has been linked with a host of clubs, including Wolves. The 28-year-old has made no secret of his desire to move to the Premier League and he’s keen to quit Porto this summer after two seasons of goalscoring brilliance. Speaking last year, Marega told SFR: “I like this championship for a long time. At the same time, who does not like the Premier League? “It's a very big league, with very big players. It's flattering when clubs are interested in you, but I have always dreamed of playing there. “I want to be happy, with my family, in a championship that I love.” However, Wolves aren’t the only English club to be linked with the forward. Aston Villa and West Ham United have also shown interest and, according to A Bola, the latter has jumped to the front of the queue. A Bola reports: “According to information already received by the footballer himself, the next stage of his career will be played in English territory and particularly at West Ham.” Walter Kannemann has emerged as the latest Wolves target, according to reports. The 28-year-old centre-back plays for Gremio in Brazil and was linked with a move to Arsenal and then Atletico Madrid earlier this year. The Daily Mail report that his current club would sell the Argentina international, nicknamed The Viking, for around £10m. Wolves are looking for defensive reinforcements this summer as they prepare for the Europa League. Reports in Belgium claim that Wolves are still in the running to sign Inter Milan defender Zinho Vanheusden , the 19-year-old who spent last season on loan at Standard Liege. But Kannemann is the latest name linked with a move. He started his career at San Lorenzo, before joining Atlas in 2015 prior to sealing a switch to Gremio a year later, and has made five appearances for Argentina. Helder Costa is reportedly on the verge of a move to Leeds United - and the Elland Road faithful are loving it. Portuguese winger Costa is surplus to requirements at Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer and, according to the Telegraph, said his goodbyes to his teammates at Compton Park on Friday. The 25-year-old, who scored on his international debut for Portugal against Scotland last year, is set to move to Leeds on a season-long loan deal and team up with revered coach Marcelo Bielsa. | [email protected] (Alex Dicken) | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/moussa-marega-transfer-latest-two-16508573 | 2019-06-30 03:00:00+00:00 | 1,561,878,000 | 1,567,537,446 | sport | transfer |
64,256 | birminghammail--2019-07-03--Birmingham City target reveals English dream as starlet signs new contract | 2019-07-03T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Birmingham City target reveals English dream as starlet signs new contract | The future of Romania striker George Puscas is up in the air with speculation he could return to Inter. The 23-year-old caught the eye in the European Under 21 Championships with four goals in four games. However, administrative and financial issues at his current club Palermo could see him return to the Serie A giants who sold him to the Sicilians last summer. It is expected Puscas will move somewhere in the summer with Sheffield United and FCSB - formerly Steaua București said to be interested. Birmingham City are also hopeful of mounting what would be an ambitious swoop for a striker who has played eight times for his national senior squad. And Puscas, who has also played on loan in Serie B for Bari, Benevento and Novara has said he sees his future in England. “I am delighted that they are interested in teams from Romania,” he told Romanian website Fanatik . “I left home for a while and I feel good in Italy for the time being. Let’s see if I change the championship, if I stay in Italy, I can not tell you anything yet. “My dream is to get to England and play in the Premier league, but it’s still there.” Here's everything you need to know about Puscas A 23-year-old centre forward, born on April 8, 1996 in the small Romanian market town of Marghita, not far from the border with Hungary. He started his football journey with the now defunct Liberty Oradea. He also had a brief training spell with Arsenal. He recalled: “When I was 16 I got a call from an Arsenal inviting me to do a trial with them, and it went brilliantly – I even had a training session with Wenger. “But up until that age in England you either live with your parents or you have to go with another family, whereas I was on my own. “Arsenal told me they were going to wait a year before signing me and in the meantime Inter called, offering me a place at the club without any trials. “I told Arsenal I didn’t want to wait and so I went to Milan.” A source close to Spanish coach Xavi Calm says he will ‘bring many good things’ to Birmingham City's youth set-up, writes Alex Dicken. Calm is expected to be formally announced as part of Blues’ restructure at development level and is poised to take up a role with the under-23s. The 37-year-old joins from Spanish sister club UE Cornella, where he has been head coach for the last 12 months. Calm only took the top job at Cornella last summer after two years working as a coach for the Segunda B club. Before arriving at Cornella in 2016 Calm enjoyed one-year stints at CE L'Hospitalet, UE Sant Andreu, UE Rubi and CE Sabadell in order to build up his portfolio of coaching experience. Prior to that he was employed by UE Jabac Terrasa and UE Castellar. Between 2003 and 2006 Calm studied at the University of Barcelona, during which time he was coaching at Castellar. Birmingham City have confirmed their latest intake of scholars - including rising star Jude Bellingham. Just two days after his 16th birthday the England youngster was one of 14 players to sign scholarship deals, their first as full-time footballers. The group included goalkeepers Aaron Clayton and Elias Rouse, defenders Kade Craig, Marcel Oakley, Charlie Noakes, Dan Djurovi and Josh Dugmore. There were also scholarships for Aidan Finnegan, Joshua Williams, Alfie Chang, Remi Walker and forwards Yoane Zohore and Amari Miller. French youngster Zohore arrives from Castelnau le Crès under-17s whom he joined last summer from reputable football academy Athletic Club Boulogne-Billancourt. But the retention of Bellingham is a much-needed boost to Blues after months of speculation he could be going elsewhere. Bellingham has attracted the attention of clubs across Europe including Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and the biggest teams in England, notably Spurs and Manchester City. He has been involved in first team training during pre-season having been given a taste of the match-day experience towards the end of last term. He also had success with the Under 23s - as a 15-year-old. He expressed his pleasure at clarifying his future on his Instagram account. “Delighted to have signed my scholarship at Birmingham City. A big thanks to my family, team mates and members of staff that have done so much to get me this far. The hard work continues.” The decision to part company with Michael Morrison has left Birmingham City looking for another captain. Morrison held the armband for virtually all of his four-and-a-half years at St Andrew’s but leaves having been unable to agree a contract with the club. Blues play their first pre-season game a week on Thursday - July 11, with just over four weeks until the Championship campaign starts. We asked Blues fans who they would like to replace Morrison - and two names kept coming back. David Olney: Harlee dean all the way!! Daniel Morris: Harlee Dean if he still wants to to stay after recent events Mark Atkinson: I would say the Juke as he took it towards the end of the season didn’t he? I’d say the Juke and Harlee Dean as Captain and Vice Captain in case the other isn’t playing. For all your latest Blues news, opinion, analysis and transfer gossip, click here | [email protected] (Brian Dick) | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/birmingham-city-target-reveals-english-16521433 | 2019-07-03 03:00:00+00:00 | 1,562,137,200 | 1,567,536,998 | sport | transfer |
65,584 | birminghammail--2019-08-12--Not at all - Aston Villa hit back at THAT transfer claim | 2019-08-12T00:00:00 | birminghammail | ‘Not at all’ - Aston Villa hit back at THAT transfer claim | Dean Smith led Villa to promotion in May and the club’s owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens have bankrolled a £127million summer spending spree to sign 12 new players. Brazilian striker Wesley Moraes has become the club’s £22million record signing, while Tyrone Mings rejoined from Bournemouth for an initial £20million. That has led to comparisons with Fulham who spent in excess of £100million on a similar number of fresh faces. Fulham were relegated after one full season in the Premier League and faced a summer of upheaval in trying to offload some of their costly purchases. “I wouldn’t comment on another club’s transfer policy and I’m not particularly briefed on the fine details of Fulham - but I am extremely close to our policy,” he told Sky Sports. “The first thing I would say is that of the 12, four players were with us last season - loans that we converted into permanent transfers. Three players had either played for our coach at Brentford or been about to sign for Brentford so this is not find a footballer, bring him to Birmingham and hope that he works well for Dean Smith. These are players intimately familiar to our coach and our coaching staff. This is your round up of all things Villa; the one-stop shop that will keep you updated on the latest goings on at Villa Park and beyond. Transfers, injuries, match-days and managers, we’ve got you covered. We’ll be bringing the very latest on the Lions throughout week and around the clock. Make sure you keep yourself updated with our handy daily catch up... “We had a scouting department put in place last October and all the players we signed were watched by our head coach, by our sporting director very frequently between October and June when we actually went in and closed those deals. “And the other thing I’d say is that most of our business was done very early in the window. Those players who hadn’t played for Dean, who weren’t known intimately, were in the building, going on our overseas training camp in America, maximising the time they had to familiarise themselves with our coach, with our systems and with our great club. “I feel very confident that it was thought through, that it was strategic, that it wasn’t last minute, trolley dash, collect a footballer. I haven’t met a single Villa fan who is worried that our great football club has 12 fantastic new players to go alongside the spine of a team that, between February and April last season, won 10 games in a row for the first time in our history.” For all your latest Villa news, opinion, analysis and transfer gossip, click here | [email protected] (Alex Dicken) | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/aston-villa-transfer-claim-fulham-16744399 | 2019-08-12 20:17:09+00:00 | 1,565,655,429 | 1,567,534,323 | sport | transfer |
67,260 | birminghammail--2019-10-15--West Brom contract expiries: When the deals run out for every Albion player | 2019-10-15T00:00:00 | birminghammail | West Brom contract expiries: When the deals run out for every Albion player | The contracts of professional footballers are usually a hot topic of conversation. The pendulum of power between the club and the player can often swing one way or the other, depending where the latter is in their contract. Three or more years left to run on a deal represents security for the player, but also for the club - particularly if they’re an asset. On the flip side, big contracts can mean that shifting a player who is no longer in the manager’s plans can be tricky. Anything less than that, and there is an uncertain period. Has the player justified the offering of fresh terms? Do they fancy moving on? In the case of the latter, it often means they can run their contract down and leave for nothing, or force their employers into selling up early. Things are no different at West Brom. This is the current Albion squad, when each player’s respective contract is set to expire and the players who could need signing up quickly should Slaven Bilic consider them important. Albion have some calls to make before this season is out. Goalkeepers Jonathan Bond, Ali Al-Habsi and Alex Palmer all see their respective deals run out next summer - it’d leave just first choice Sam Johnstone at the club. Chris Brunt, Albion's longest-serving player by a distance, is likely to bring the curtain down on his stay at The Hawthorns next summer. He'll have spent 13 years at the club and made well over 400 appearances. Hal Robson-Kanu has been at the club since 2016. He has never been first choice in that time, but has racked up a number of appearances from the bench. Beyond that, there are a host of academy products who need their futures resolving. The club are talking to Nathan Ferguson, while Kyle Edwards and Dara O’Shea have also found themselves in the match-day squad regularly. Kane Wilson is out on loan at Tranmere, while Jack Fitzwater is having to bide his time. Albion have already agreed personal terms with Matheus Pereira and are expected to snap him up on a permanent deal next summer, worth £9m all in. Grady Diangana will return to West Ham. The hope is that he remains at the club beyond January, during which his parent club have the option to recall him should they see fit. His form is raising fears that there’ll be a repeat of the situation that saw the Baggies lose Harvey Barnes last year. Filip Krovinovic is another player who could earn a permanent deal if his form prompts Albion to pursue one, while BirminghamLive understands that Chris Willock is a player who the club remain keen on, despite his lack of first-team opportunities. Eighteen months tends to be a bit of a cross-roads period for many players, and the above are those who are about to enter the final year and a half of those deals. Kieran Gibbs signed a four-year deal when he arrived in 2017, while Kyle Bartley agreed a three-year deal and Charlie Austin a two-year contract. Conor Townsend and Jonathan Leko are the other players who, as it stands, will see their contracts expire in the summer of 2021. The bulk of the Albion squad have a little over two-and-a-half years left. Romaine Sawyers agreed a three-year deal in the summer when he arrived from Brentford, while Rekeem Harper and Matt Phillips have both fairly recently put pen to paper on new deals. Ahmed Hegazi, returning from injury, signed a chunky contract in December 2017, while Oli Burke will have two years to save his Albion career when he returns from his season-long loan at Alaves. Captain Jake Livermore and Charlton loanee Sam Field are the other players who have a cushion. This trio have only just arrived, and were all tied down to long-term deals upon arrival. Darnell Furlong and Semi Ajayi are looking like excellent pieces of business, for a combined fee of £3m, while Kenneth Zohore is still to live up to his rather expensive price-tag. All in their early to mid twenties, they agreed four-year contracts and will be at the club until 2023 - or longer, all being well. | [email protected] (Joseph Chapman) | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/contract-expiry-west-brom-ferguson-13571096 | Tue, 15 Oct 2019 11:31:00 +0000 | 1,571,153,460 | 1,571,144,652 | sport | transfer |
621,865 | thedailymirror--2019-01-09--Transfer news and gossip Kalidou Koulibaly keen on Man Utd as Higuain Chelsea bound | 2019-01-09T00:00:00 | thedailymirror | Transfer news and gossip: Kalidou Koulibaly 'keen on Man Utd as Higuain Chelsea bound | The January transfer window is in full swing with Chelsea the first club to make significant moves. But the rest of the big clubs refuse to be left behind. The likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United all need to strengthen for different reasons. WIN £25,000 for FREE with Footie5 - click here to play Jurgen Klopp needs defenders with only Virgil van Dijk fit, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows his Red Devils' squad must be reinforced. And Arsenal want to add to the squad to make their top four dreams a reality. To follow all the done deals - from Arsenal to Yeovil - click here for our great transfer live blog. And to see every completed Premier League transfer so far, click here . Here are four key transfer stories that you may have missed so far today… And Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly is reportedly keen on a move to Old Trafford - but it won't happen until the end of the season. The towering Senegal international fits the bill of what United are looking for. He's powerful and experienced, but not too old at 27. And although Ed Woodward would ideally want to snap up him up now, Napoli won't allow it. The Metro report he's key to their Europa League chances and is staying at the Stadio San Paolo. Koulibaly is likely to cost around £90m after signing a new long-term deal at Napoli only last year. Long-term Chelsea target Gonzalo Higuain has agreed to join the Stamford Bridge side, according to reports in Spain. Marca say the deal will be completed in the next few hours, with the 31-year-old becoming the London club's second signing of the transfer window after Christain Pulisic. Higuain's arrival will signal the departure of Alvaro Morata - with Sevilla keen on the Spaniard. Higuain has been on loan at AC Milan from Juventus but has not hit form this season and Chelsea are prepared to pay his €40m transfer fee as well as his €8m a year wages. Tottenham aim to end any Real Madrid and Barcelona interest from by putting a massive £225m price tag on Christian Eriksen. The 26-year-old has a deal running until 2020 and so far has not indicated he will sign an extension. But now Spurs owner Daniel Levy says the Spanish giants would have to make him the most expensive footballer on the planet to prise him away from North London, report AS. A few days ago Real Madrid reportedly made contract over a stunning deal for the Tottenham playmaker. The Dane has another 18 months remaining on his current deal with Spurs but there is a determination to get him tied down long-term. Barcelona star Denis Suarez wants to join Arsenal in January. Mirror Sport understands the 25-year-old midfielder is making it clear he fancies the switch this month and is hoping the clubs can make it happen. Arsenal are keen on Suarez and he is their No1 target as they look to do a loan move with a view to a permanent £15m transfer this summer. Barcelona are reluctant to let Suarez leave this month even though he has a buy-out clause in his contract and there is still some way to go before a deal looks remotely likely. But it is believed that is currently the only serious deal that Arsenal are working on at the moment as Unai Emery knows there are very limited funds in this window. Mirror Sport reported on December 22 that Arsenal were not expecting a busy window because of the financial restrictions and it could just come down to one small deal and a potential loan. That position has not changed and would rule out any chance of big deals this month, although Emery will be afforded cash to make more significant signings in the summer. | Andrew Gilpin | https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/transfer-news-gossip-kalidou-koulibaly-13831759 | 2019-01-09 05:03:30+00:00 | 1,547,028,210 | 1,567,553,307 | sport | transfer |
53,269 | birminghammail--2019-01-04--Leeds United transfer blow as Aston Villa sweat on Tammy Abraham and West Brom eye Wolves star | 2019-01-04T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Leeds United transfer blow as Aston Villa sweat on Tammy Abraham and West Brom eye Wolves star | With the transfer window fast approaching, we take a look at all the latest transfer news and rumours from the championship. Blackburn Rovers have had no offers for Bradley Dack. The 25-year-old freescoring midfielder has been lined with the Premier League. But boss Tony Mowbray said no bids have been made. Aston Villa will know whether Tammy Abraham will see out the season in B6 after next weekend. Chelsea have a recall option in the loan deal which must be triggered by a set date - and by January 14 a decision will be made, report The Telegraph. Villa want the 16-goal hotshot to stay and aid the promotion charge, but Wolves are keen and ready to launch a loan bid with a view to a big-money move at the end of the season. It’s our understanding that Chelsea are still waiting to receive that offer and will then make a decision over Abraham’s future. Multiple sources have also told BirminghamLive that Wolves are confident there will be no issue with Abraham representing them this season, however there has been no confirmation from FIFA to officially stand this up. Rules state that no player can feature in matches for more than two clubs - and Abraham has turned out for Villa and Chelsea in a under-23 game and the Community Shield - but they are thought to be not classed as official games. Aston Villa are still negotiating with Wolves over a deal to sign Kortney Hause - and face fresh competition from West Brom for his signature. The 23-year-old centre-back is a target as Villa look to strengthen their backline this month. But, according to reports, Wolves want more than the £2million Villa have offered and Albion are now entering the mix. Suggestions are that Villa's negotiations have stalled. Dean Smith desperately wants to bring in reinforcements after leaking more goals than any other team in the top half of the Championship this season. And they like Hause because of his ability to play at left-back as well as centre-half, positions they are currently short of cover on. But Albion are also looking at further defensive options after landing Mason Holgate on loan from Everton and are considering Hause this month. Millwall are in talks to snap up defender Alex Pearce from Championship rivals Derby. Former Reading stopper Pearce,30, has made just one appearance this term under Rams boss Frank Lampard. That was on the opening day last August and his prospects haven’t improved despite a long-term injury to Curtis Davies. Lions boss Neil Harris now wants the defender to boost his side’s battle against the drop and Derby are ready to let Pearce go.are in talks to snap up defender Alex Pearce from Championship rivals Derby. Troubled Birmingham are considering a loan for Derby outcast Ikechi Anya. Anya, 31, has 18 months left on his contract at Pride Park but has not played this term. The Scotland international can go this month and Championship Brum are interested. Birmingham are under a transfer embargo from the EFL for breaching Financial Fair Play rules. But they are allowed to sign one player on loan as long as his wages are less than £10,000-a-week. ”When you are looking at the list we are looking at it is a difficult one. Every player on the list is of interest.” Rangers have agreed a deal to sign Jermain Defoe on an 18-month loan deal. It's a big blow to Leeds United who were hoping to tempt Defoe to the Championship. The Bournemouth striker will hook up with the Scottish Premiership side at their winter training camp in Tenerife. Defoe has been given the green light to leave the Cherries for the remainder of his three-year contract after failing to nail down a spot in Eddie Howe’s starting XI this term. The 36-year-old will be among the travelling party when the squad fly out to the Canary Islands for the warm-weather camp on Sunday. Leeds are also being linked with Hoffenheim defender Steven Zuber. Hoffenheim want to offload the Switzerland international this month and Leeds have emerged as a potential destination. The potential switch, it is said, rests on whether Zubar would be willing to play in the Championship. Wolverhampton Wanderers will allow Kourtney Hause to join Aston Villa because he ‘needs to play’. Hause, 23, has been used sparingly at Molineux this season with Ryan Bennett, Conor Coady, Willy Boly and Leander Dendoncker ahead of him in the defensive pecking order. And Nuno Espirito Santo admits Hause’s desire to play first team football is likely to see him leave Wolves this month. The head coach said: "Every time a player has a chance to go, it's because of some things like he needs to play. "If we have an asset that needs to play, if we have a chance, we will take it." Charlie Adam has sent a come-and-get-me plea to clubs amid links with former side Rangers. The Stoke City midfielder, 33, isn’t wanted at the Championship side and has made just three appearances this season. But he wants to play on - and a return to Scotland has been rumoured. “I’ve had no contact from any clubs - it’s only speculation at the moment. If clubs want to speak, then great,” Adam told BBC Scotland. West Bromwich Albion winger Matt Phillips is being lined up by Premier League duo Cardiff City and Burnley, according to reports. Phillips, who has also played centrally and at wing-back under Darren Moore, has been a key player in Albion’s promotion push in the first half of the season. The 27-year-old has scored five goals and added five assists in 22 Championship appearances in the campaign so far. The Mirror report that the top flight pair have been keeping tabs on Phillips and could make their move now the January transfer window is open. It is reported that Cardiff are in the market for a new right-sided player to strengthen their survival bid. And he is a target for the south Wales side with manager Neil Warnock fearing missing out on top target Nathaniel Clyne from Liverpool. The Bluebirds have been chasing Clyne but he has forced his way back in Jurgen Klopp’s plans at Anfield. Burnley, meanwhile, are said to have an interest in Phillips because of an injury to winger Aaron Lennon. Phillips joined Albion from QPR in 2016 and has 18 months left to run on his contract at the Hawthorns. The Scotland international came through Wycombe Wanderers’ academy and has also played for Blackpool and Sheffield United. | Steve Wollaston | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/leeds-united-transfer-blow-aston-15628131 | 2019-01-04 07:20:03+00:00 | 1,546,604,403 | 1,567,553,890 | sport | transfer |
53,623 | birminghammail--2019-01-08--Premier League transfer news Liverpool midfielder bid ruled out as Manchester United eye Anfield le | 2019-01-08T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Premier League transfer news: Liverpool midfielder bid ruled out as Manchester United eye Anfield legend and Spurs star linked with exit | A round-up of the very latest transfer news and gossip from around the Premier League, courtesy of the Mirror and the Daily Star. Arsenal have emerged as favourites to land Belgian star Yannick Carrasco. The 25-year-old left Atletico Madrid to join Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang in February last year. Carrasco is reportedly ready to return to Europe this month and Sky Sport Italia reports Arsenal have made initial contact. Carrasco has given his ‘approval’ to the move. Liverpool are not interested in signing Trabzonspor midfielder Abdulkadir Omur. According to the Sunday Express, Jurgen Klopp was hopeful of beating Manchester City to the 19-year-old after lodging a £27m bid. The Liverpool Echo, however, report that Omur is not a target for Klopp this month. Omur sparked speculation on Sunday when he said: “Liverpool are a great club, one of the greatest in the world.” Tottenham are open to selling Moussa Dembele to Beijing Guoan, according to the Daily Mail. The Chinese Super League club have tabled an £11m bid for the 31-year-old midfielder. Spurs have plenty of cover in the Belgian’s position and Mauricio Pochettino is open to selling Dembele. The former Fulham man is fit again after recently overcoming an ankle issue. Sevilla are taking their interest in signing Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata to the next level. His agent Juanma Lopez was reportedly in the Spanish city on Monday and held talks with the club’s director of football Joaquin Caparros. But the fee remains the sticking point with the Blues unwilling to take a huge hit on the £58 million they shelled out in 2017. The Guingamp goalkeeper, 18, picked up his first international U19 cap last September. Brighton and Leicester City are also both keeping tabs on the teenager, according to Foot Mercato in France. Chelsea are ready to go to war with Manchester United. Caligari’s Nicolo Barella has been targeted according to reports - as has Zenit’s Leandro Paredes. But United want the Caligari midfielder as well - with a transfer fee of around £34m discussed. Twelve months to the day after he swapped Liverpool for Barcelona, Philippe Coutinho’s future in Spain is in question. The Brazilian has been left out of the Catalans’ starting lineup recently, with Ernesto Valverde currently preferring Ousmane Dembele to the 26-year-old playmaker. And now it’s been reported that United could look to bring him back to the Premier League this month. In a report published by the Manchester Evening News, it’s claimed that United have been mooted as one of four teams interested in an unlikely switch for the £100million star. Liverpool are flying high at the top of the Premier League table after a storming first half of the season. The Reds are four points clear of champions Manchester City, who ended Jurgen Klopp’s side’s unbeaten run in last week’s crunch clash at the Etihad. Liverpool spent big in the summer on the likes of Alisson and Fabinho, but that hasn’t stopped the Anfield giants being linked with a string of winter deals. We have attempted to whittle the candidates down to five players most likely to put pen to paper with the Merseyside club this month. Manchester United have Greek defender Kostas Manolas among the defenders in their sights. The Roma centre-back, 27, has a £30.5million clause in his contract although it only becomes active in the summer. United are also interested in versatile Porto star Eder Militao, Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly and Spurs centre-back Toby Alderweireld. Speaking last July, Manolas nominated United as one of the clubs he’d be keen to play for. He said: “It’s only natural you want to play for the biggest clubs, like Barcelona, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. “I think I could make the difference anywhere I went, even at Barcelona - although I have never spoken to them.” Chelsea could look to complete a stunning deal for Karim Benzema this month. Blues boss Maurizio Sarri is eager to bring in some firepower during the transfer window with Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata both failing to nail down a regular starting spot. Morata scored twice against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup this weekend but boss Sarri has been on the lookout for a new No.9 The Blues have been linked with Benzema for some time and had been tipped to make a move for the Real Madrid striker. And Ladbrokes have now suspended the betting on Benzema being on the move to Stamford Bridge. The Porto player will cost £42 million with a buy-out clause agreed last year. United think the 20-year-old has a big future but Madrid are also keen to add a full-back. | Steve Wollaston | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-transfer-news-manchester-united-15643867 | 2019-01-08 07:13:42+00:00 | 1,546,949,622 | 1,567,553,386 | sport | transfer |
53,721 | birminghammail--2019-01-09--Premier League transfer news Manchester Uniteds 90m green light Chelsea clinch Gonzalo Higuain d | 2019-01-09T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Premier League transfer news: Manchester United's £90m green light; Chelsea clinch Gonzalo Higuain deal; Liverpool signing battle | A round-up of the very latest transfer news and gossip from around the Premier League, courtesy of the Mirror and the Daily Star. They may have signed Alisson in the summer to nail down the No1 position, but Liverpool are always looking to the future. With this in mind they are being linked with a bid for rising French star Dominique Youfeigane. The EA Guingamp keeper has been earning rave reviews - and being linked with some of Europe's biggest clubs. And now Klopp is ready to battle AS Monaco and Marseille for the French under-19 star's signature. Foot Mercato report the Reds are on the brink of making an offer for the keeper. He'd join the ranks of youth keepers putting pressure on Alisson and Simon Mignloet. And Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly is reportedly keen on a move to Old Trafford - but it won’t happen until the end of the season. The towering Senegal international fits the bill of what United are looking for. He’s powerful and experienced, but not too old at 27. And although Ed Woodward would ideally want to snap up him up now, Napoli won’t allow it. The Metro report he’s key to their Europa League chances and is staying at the Stadio San Paolo. Koulibaly is likely to cost around £90m after signing a new long-term deal at Napoli only last year. Long-term Chelsea target Gonzalo Higuain has agreed to join the Stamford Bridge side, according to reports in Spain. Marca say the deal will be completed in the next few hours, with the 31-year-old becoming the London club’s second signing of the transfer window after Christain Pulisic. Higuain’s arrival will signal the departure of Alvaro Morata - with Seville keen on the Spaniard. Higuain has been on loan at AC Milan from Juventus but has not hit form this season and Chelsea are prepared to pay his €40m transfer fee as well as his €8m a year wages. Arsenal have emerged as favourites to land Belgian star Yannick Carrasco. The 25-year-old left Atletico Madrid to join Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang in February last year. Carrasco is reportedly ready to return to Europe this month and Sky Sport Italia reports Arsenal have made initial contact. Carrasco has given his ‘approval’ to the move. Liverpool are not interested in signing Trabzonspor midfielder Abdulkadir Omur. According to the Sunday Express, Jurgen Klopp was hopeful of beating Manchester City to the 19-year-old after lodging a £27m bid. The Liverpool Echo, however, report that Omur is not a target for Klopp this month. Omur sparked speculation on Sunday when he said: “Liverpool are a great club, one of the greatest in the world.” Tottenham are open to selling Moussa Dembele to Beijing Guoan, according to the Daily Mail. The Chinese Super League club have tabled an £11m bid for the 31-year-old midfielder. Spurs have plenty of cover in the Belgian’s position and Mauricio Pochettino is open to selling Dembele. The former Fulham man is fit again after recently overcoming an ankle issue. Sevilla are taking their interest in signing Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata to the next level. His agent Juanma Lopez was reportedly in the Spanish city on Monday and held talks with the club’s director of football Joaquin Caparros. But the fee remains the sticking point with the Blues unwilling to take a huge hit on the £58 million they shelled out in 2017. The Guingamp goalkeeper, 18, picked up his first international U19 cap last September. Brighton and Leicester City are also both keeping tabs on the teenager, according to Foot Mercato in France. Chelsea are ready to go to war with Manchester United. Caligari’s Nicolo Barella has been targeted according to reports - as has Zenit’s Leandro Paredes. But United want the Caligari midfielder as well - with a transfer fee of around £34m discussed. Twelve months to the day after he swapped Liverpool for Barcelona, Philippe Coutinho’s future in Spain is in question. The Brazilian has been left out of the Catalans’ starting lineup recently, with Ernesto Valverde currently preferring Ousmane Dembele to the 26-year-old playmaker. And now it’s been reported that United could look to bring him back to the Premier League this month. In a report published by the Manchester Evening News, it’s claimed that United have been mooted as one of four teams interested in an unlikely switch for the £100million star. Liverpool are flying high at the top of the Premier League table after a storming first half of the season. The Reds are four points clear of champions Manchester City, who ended Jurgen Klopp’s side’s unbeaten run in last week’s crunch clash at the Etihad. Liverpool spent big in the summer on the likes of Alisson and Fabinho, but that hasn’t stopped the Anfield giants being linked with a string of winter deals. We have attempted to whittle the candidates down to five players most likely to put pen to paper with the Merseyside club this month. Manchester United have Greek defender Kostas Manolas among the defenders in their sights. The Roma centre-back, 27, has a £30.5million clause in his contract although it only becomes active in the summer. United are also interested in versatile Porto star Eder Militao, Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly and Spurs centre-back Toby Alderweireld. Speaking last July, Manolas nominated United as one of the clubs he’d be keen to play for. He said: “It’s only natural you want to play for the biggest clubs, like Barcelona, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. “I think I could make the difference anywhere I went, even at Barcelona - although I have never spoken to them.” Chelsea could look to complete a stunning deal for Karim Benzema this month. Blues boss Maurizio Sarri is eager to bring in some firepower during the transfer window with Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata both failing to nail down a regular starting spot. Morata scored twice against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup this weekend but boss Sarri has been on the lookout for a new No.9 The Blues have been linked with Benzema for some time and had been tipped to make a move for the Real Madrid striker. And Ladbrokes have now suspended the betting on Benzema being on the move to Stamford Bridge. The Porto player will cost £42 million with a buy-out clause agreed last year. United think the 20-year-old has a big future but Madrid are also keen to add a full-back. | Steve Wollaston | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-transfer-rumours-manchester-united-15649122 | 2019-01-09 06:51:08+00:00 | 1,547,034,668 | 1,567,553,206 | sport | transfer |
53,858 | birminghammail--2019-01-10--Premier League transfer news Manchester United to sign 30m midfield target Liverpool eye defender | 2019-01-10T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Premier League transfer news: Manchester United to sign £30m midfield target, Liverpool eye defender and midfielder as club monitors striker situation | A round-up of the very latest transfer news and rumours from around the Premier League, courtesy of the Mirror and the Daily Star. Croatian midfielder Ivan Perisic could finally end his long-running transfer saga and sign for Manchester United. The 29-year-old was a long-standing target of former boss Jose Mourinho. However Woodward believed the asking price was high for a player of his age. But now Inter Milan seem keener to sell as they look to fund a bid for Real Madrid’s Luka Modric. He only penned a new deal at the San Siro last summer, but according to Tuttosport via Calciomercato, the Nerazzurri may look to sell him as they bid for his compatriot. Inter did want nearly £50m for the creative attacking midfielder. However that may will drop to around £30m as they look to cash in. James Tarkowski is reportedly wanted to solve the Reds' defensive issues. But Burnley aren't playing ball - and want £50 million for the centre-back. The Sun say Liverpool have made an ambitious loan bid for the player but will be put off by the Clarets' asking price. Liverpool are ready to enter the race for Nicolo Barella. But TransferMarketWeb claim Liverpool are one of a number of clubs who are keeping track of the situation. AC Milan, Napoli, Roma and Inter Milan are all also watching. The striker has only played a bit part at Anfield this season and has 18 months to run on his contract. The Hammers are in the market for a striker and are said to be considering an offer. Jurgen Klopp isn't keen to lose a striker - and won't bring one in this January. Liverpool winger Bobby Adekanye had looked all set to leave Anfield. The 19-year-old was negotiating a five-year deal with Serie A side Lazio after talking to the Rome club for the last month and was according to Corriere dello Sport . It seemed that he was all set to leave in the summer for Simone Inzaghi’s side. But Lazio have taken the extraordinary step of releasing a statement saying the Adekanye deal is not happening. In fact they went to far as saying they’ve never entered into negotiations with the player. They released a statement saying: “In reference to the news released by some press, according to which the SS Lazio would have found an agreement with the player Bobby Adekanye. “The Company denies this circumstance and announces that it has not signed any contract, nor has it started negotiations for membership of the aforementioned player.” Long-term Chelsea target Gonzalo Higuain has agreed to join the Stamford Bridge side, according to reports in Spain. Marca say the deal will be completed in the next few hours, with the 31-year-old becoming the London club’s second signing of the transfer window after Christain Pulisic. Higuain’s arrival will signal the departure of Alvaro Morata - with Seville keen on the Spaniard. Higuain has been on loan at AC Milan from Juventus but has not hit form this season and Chelsea are prepared to pay his €40m transfer fee as well as his €8m a year wages. Andreas Pereira could be on his way out of Manchester United as part of a deal to bring Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic to the club. Reports in Italy claim United will use Pereira as a makeweight in a deal to tempt Fiorentina to part with Milenkovic. United are long-term admirers of the Serbian, and are prepared to let Pereira go in order to land their target. Milenkovic , 21, has 10 caps for Serbia on top of his 79 senior appearances at club level for Partizan Belgrade and Fiorentina. And La Nazione (via Calciomercato), say Pereira could be used to lure Milenkovic to Old Trafford as United continue their search for a centre-back. Liverpool winger Rafael Camacho is heading back to Sporting Lisbon on loan – less than 24 hours after being given his debut by Jurgen Klopp, writes Simon Mullock. Sources in Portugal, claim that Camacho has been allowed to move to Sporting on an 18-month loan deal after making his bow in the FA Cup defeat at Wolves last night. The highly-rated teenager played impressed as a right-back at Molineux despite the 2-1 third-round loss. But Klopp has decided that a move back to Sporting will help his development. Camacho will be out of contract in the summer of 2020, when his spell in Portugal also comes to an end. The Portuguese Under-18 international, began his career with the Lisbon club at the age of eight. He moved to Manchester City’s academy when he was 13, before joining Liverpool two years ago. Camacho was an unused substitute when Liverpool played Everton in the Mersey derby last April. | Steve Wollaston | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-transfer-manchester-united-news-15654396 | 2019-01-10 07:10:25+00:00 | 1,547,122,225 | 1,567,553,032 | sport | transfer |
53,955 | birminghammail--2019-01-11--Liverpools January transfer blow as wingers future is unclear and Manchester United suffer signing | 2019-01-11T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Liverpool's January transfer blow as winger's future is unclear and Manchester United suffer signing setback | We scour the latest headlines to bring you a round-up of the big transfer news and rumours from the top-flight of English football. Burnley manager Sean Dyche says his central defender will not be leaving for Anfield. “The only country that asks a question like this is England. Everything is sorted with buying players,” he said. “We have four centre-halves. Three, maybe, two-and-a-half are injured so we’ll have to try and come through in the moment. “We need them back but you cannot buy a fifth centre-half and say so you play two weeks and after that the others come in. There are a lot of rumours out there, and not much fact.” Dyche has laughed off the likelihood of Tarkowski leaving Turf Moor. “There are a lot of rumours out there, and not much fact,” Dyche said on talkSPORT. “The most amazing one is the Tarky one. That is just bizarre. “It’s that time of the season, and everyone is looking for a snippet, but there is a lot of phantom stuff out there.” Aaron Ramsey is still considering his options despite being reportedly on the verge of joining Juventus. Reports suggested the Welshman was heading to the Serie A champions on a free transfer this summer. But he is yet to make a final decision with Barcelona also interested. Manchester United have reportedly been told by Fiorentina that Nikola Milenkovic will not be sold this month. The centre-back was near the top of their wanted list. But according to sources in Italy, Fiorentina won’t play ball. They are said to be digging their heels in as they try and keep the players at the club. The Spanish giants are keen on the Blues midfielder, and have put together a deal worth £50 million for the Brazilian. And the Mail report that Barca are prepared to offload £38 million summer signing Malcom as a makeweight in the deal. Former Bordeaux star Malcom was signed by the Nou Camp club after they failed three times in their pursuit of Willian. Since his move the 21-year-old has failed to live up to expectations, with Barca now keen to cut their losses. Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has told Tammy Abraham : Score another 10 goals for me this season and you’ll never have to play in the Championship again. Smith has fronted up the on-loan Chelsea striker Abraham and asked if he wanted to move away, following the chance of a recall so he could be farmed out to Midlands neighbours Wolves in the top-flight. He talked face-to-face with the 21-year-old England international to find out if he was still keen on a temporary switch to Molineux. As far is Smith is concerned, Abraham should stay put – and score the goals to fire Villa back into the top-flight. “Monday was an agreed day off for Tammy,” said Smith. “He came back in on Tuesday. I spoke to him then about his attitude, and it’s been spot-on since then. “He’s been happy here. I asked if he was looking to go elsewhere and he reiterated he was happy to be at Villa , was enjoying playing here and enjoying scoring goals — and nothing more was really said to him. I’ve said right from the outset I couldn’t see him going anywhere, and I’d have been amazed if he had.” | Steve Wollaston | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-transfer-news-manchester-united-15661929 | 2019-01-11 08:13:00+00:00 | 1,547,212,380 | 1,567,552,866 | sport | transfer |
54,437 | birminghammail--2019-01-16--Its as simple as that - Dean Smith issued frank Aston Villa transfer advice | 2019-01-16T00:00:00 | birminghammail | ‘It’s as simple as that’ - Dean Smith issued frank Aston Villa transfer advice | Aston Villa have already added Kortney Hause to their ranks this month – but they must sign another defender before the transfer window closes. That’s the view of former striker-turned-pundit Dean Ashton who has urged Dean Smith and the Villa hierarchy to swoop for another centre-back. Villa plucked Hause from Wolverhampton Wanderers on a loan deal lasting until the end of the season and he made his debut in the 3-0 defeat at the hands of Wigan Athletic on Saturday. Tommy Elphick, who was recalled early from his temporary stint at Hull City by Smith to provide a new option next to James Chester, also played as the Latics took advantage of lax defending to pile misery on the claret and blues. But Smith must dip back into the market if Villa intend on mounting a promotion challenge, according to Ashton. “They need centre-backs. It’s as simple as that,” he told Football League World. “Everything else I have seen from Aston Villa shows me they are a team who will be promoted if they can sort the back line out. “You can’t concede as many goals as they have done and expect to get promoted. “With John Terry leaving and sending Tommy Elphick on loan to Hull they left themselves very exposed in that centre-back area. If they could get two in, I think they’ll get promoted. It’s that important.” From injuries to what the opposition think of Aston Villa. From player ratings to the full thoughts of the manager. The links below show you all the latest Aston Villa stories you need to be reading. * Discover how we rated the players during the last game with our player ratings * We will keep you updated with the latest injury developments and news * Find out what other managers have said after facing Villa - What the rival bosses have said * We like to reflect your feelings on all things claret and blue with Your latest views * Transfer rumours, news and gossip are a big part of the game here - The latest transfer news * Keep an eye on The fixtures, for the next run of games coming up. Only bottom-side Ipswich Town have conceded more goals than Villa this season and after the defeat to Wigan, Smith said: “ "I’m bitterly disappointed. I didn’t see that second half performance coming, especially after the first. There was nothing between the two sides in the first half, apart from the goal. “I felt, second half, we just got frustrated and started playing a little bit individually rather than as a team. "The amount of times the ball went out of play and it took (a long time) to come back into play, the amount of times the forward went down just killed any chance of us getting any fluidity in the game. We got frustrated and gave away stupid goals from there." | Shane Ireland | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/its-simple-that-dean-smith-15684818 | 2019-01-16 10:45:00+00:00 | 1,547,653,500 | 1,567,552,145 | sport | transfer |
54,729 | birminghammail--2019-01-19--Heres where Aston Villa stand on the latest transfer target linked with a move | 2019-01-19T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Here's where Aston Villa stand on the latest transfer target linked with a move | Aston Villa are yet to make any contact with Mansfield over reported target CJ Hamilton - and are unlikely to do so this month. The winger had been watched in recent weeks after scoring seven goals this season but boss Dean Smith hasn’t shown any serious interest. Villa are looking at various options this month in the hope of strengthening their squad ahead of the push to make the play-offs in the months ahead. But with strong attacking options already available to Smith - plus the recent return of Andre Green - a move for Hamilton looks unlikely. Championship rivals West Brom and Preston have both been linked with the 23-year-old who began his career at Sheffield United and had spells with Gateshead and Halifax before moving to Mansfield in the summer of 2016. Villa have moved to bring in Lovre Kalinic and Kortney Hause already this month and are still looking for a left-back as well as midfield options. Sporting director Jesus Pitarch has been busy using his network on the continent to source potential targets and Villa have plenty of players under consideration at this stage. From injuries to what the opposition think of Aston Villa. From player ratings to the full thoughts of the manager. The links below show you all the latest Aston Villa stories you need to be reading. * Discover how we rated the players during the last game with our player ratings * We will keep you updated with the latest injury developments and news * Find out what other managers have said after facing Villa - What the rival bosses have said * We like to reflect your feelings on all things claret and blue with Your latest views * Transfer rumours, news and gossip are a big part of the game here - The latest transfer news * Keep an eye on The fixtures, for the next run of games coming up. Aston Villa have made an offer for French right-back Frédéric Guilbert, sources close to the player have claimed. Head coach Dean Smith is keen to strengthen his defence this month and Villa have already signed goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic from Gent and centre-back Kortney Hause from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The club are also interested in adding full-backs, although left-back is believed to be a bigger concern for Smith than right-back. Guilbert has made 18 appearances for Caen in Ligue 1 this season and helped his team to four clean sheets in addition to grabbing two assists. A source close to the player told French news outlet Trendance Ouest: "This is an offer of a few million euros, with bonuses depending on his playing time and a possible rise in the Premier League.” Caen, however, have denied any offers have been submitted for Guilbert, who won their player of the year award last season. The club’s president, Gilles Sergent, says there have been ‘no open discussions’. Alan Hutton could leave Aston Villa this month if a bumper contract is on offer elsewhere. The defender is into the final six months of his contract at Villa Park and has interest in the Championship and up in Scotland. After penning a one-year contract extension on reduced terms in the summer Hutton has once again been a regular under both Steve Bruce and Dean Smith this season. But Villa are looking to lower the average age of their squad and 34-year-old right-back Hutton is one of several experienced heads out of contract in June. Hutton was signed by Alex McLeish in 2011 and is into the eighth season of what has been a topsy turvy claret and blue career. After being inducted into the ‘Bomb Squad’ by Paul Lambert Hutton has fought his way back and sensationally earned a new deal at the end of last season after being told by Bruce that he’d be released. The Scottish Cafu has become a firm favourite in these parts in recent seasons due to his wholehearted and committed displays at full-back, and fans reacted to our story on his possible January exit with mixed emotions. | Gregg Evans | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/aston-villa-winger-cj-hamilton-15701500 | 2019-01-19 08:00:28+00:00 | 1,547,902,828 | 1,567,551,700 | sport | transfer |
54,867 | birminghammail--2019-01-21--Chelseas Gary Cahill makes surprise transfer decision amid Aston Villa links - reports | 2019-01-21T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Chelsea’s Gary Cahill makes surprise transfer decision amid Aston Villa links - reports | Former Aston Villa defender Gary Cahill is unlikely to join Fulham from Chelsea after an impasse in contract talks, according to reports. Fulham want to sign the 33-year-old centre-back to boost their Premier League survival chances under Claudio Ranieri. The Whites have agreed a deal to buy out the remainder of Cahill’s deal at Chelsea which lasts for another six months – and have offered him terms lasting until the end of the season. But Cahill is set to turn his back on the offer because he wants a longer-term contract on the table in order to leave Stamford Bridge, Sky Sports are reporting. Ranieri on Friday revealed he had doubts over Cahill's willingness to join their relegation fight. Ahead of the weekend defeat to Tottenham, Ranieri said: "He is a very important player and, for us, it would be fantastic. But I don't know if he wants to come and fight with us." Cahill, a Bodymoor Heath academy graduate, left Villa for Bolton Wanderers in 2008 and joined Chelsea four years later. He fell out of favour under Antonio Conte and his opportunities have been even more limited under current boss Maurizio Sarri. Villa examined the possibility of a loan move for Cahill this month, but ruled themselves out because it was not financially viable. Instead they recalled Tommy Elphick from Hull City and brought in Kortney Hause on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers. For the ins, outs, rumours, doubts and all your Aston Villa transfer news this month, click here | Shane Ireland | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/aston-villa-transfer-news-fulham-15712157 | 2019-01-21 20:25:33+00:00 | 1,548,120,333 | 1,567,551,458 | sport | transfer |
55,360 | birminghammail--2019-01-26--Liverpool and Arsenal target joins Barcelona as Manchester United suffer transfer blow and Wolves ey | 2019-01-26T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Liverpool and Arsenal target joins Barcelona as Manchester United suffer transfer blow and Wolves eye striker | Just five days left now until the January transfer window slams closes. The phones of Premier League bosses, club directors, agents and players are all going into meltdown. We take a look at the very latest transfer news and gossip from the division. In-demand Brazilian right-back Emerson is set for a move to La Liga which would give Barcelonafuture rights to his services. The Atletico Mineiro starlet, 20, has been a rumoured target of Liverpool and Arsenal this transfer window as he looks for a move to Europe. But according to Marca , he is set to finalise a move to join Real Betis as soon as he returns from representing Brazil in the 2019 South American Under 20 Championship. The move is reportedly a joint transfer involving Barcelona, in which the Catalan club will pay part of the transfer fee, reserve a percentage of his rights and have first option of securing his services in the future. The 22-year-old Colombian joined for £4.75m from Deportivo La Coruna in 2016 but has not played a first-team game for City. Manchester United have had a “great offer” rejected by Fiorentina for Nikola Milenkovic. The Serbian defender has emerged as a target for United as they look to add defensive reinforcements. Any new signings are likely to wait until the summer but Ed Woodward has drawn up a shortlist of potential transfer targets. Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly is United’s No.1 target but Fiorentina chief Pantaleo Corvino claims they launched a bid for Milenkovic, which was ultimately turned down. Corvino also suggested there had been offers for several other Fiorentina stars. Tottenham are reportedly looking to land a cut-price move for Adrien Rabiot before the January transfer window ends. The out-of-favour PSG midfielder will leave for free in the summer - and Spurs want to take advantage with a £20m move in January. The Sun say the north London club are extremely keen on Rabiot and could tempt PSG to cash-in whilst they can. The 16-year-old spent time on trial with the Reds last year. He had come through the ranks at Lyon before joining second-division side US Orleans. Liverpool are one of several Premier League clubs reportedly interested in James Rodriguez with Real Madrid offering the midfielder to a host of sides. James Rodriguez has made plenty of headlines this month with the player struggling for game time on loan at Bayern Munich. The Colombian’s two-year loan spell from Real Madrid expires with the Bundesliga giants at the end of the season and it remains unclear of his next move. Rodriguez has started just nine games this season that suggests Bayern are unlikely to take up the option of signing him permanently at the end of the campaign. According to their sources, Los Blancos have offered the 27-year-old’s services to the Premier League’s top six. Arsenal and Tottenham have both been linked with the player this month but it appears Madrid are willing to sell to the biggest bidder with Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City all being offered the same opportunity. Paris Saint-Germain are set to reintegrate Adrien Rabiot into their first-team plans - but not out of choice. The French midfielder was banished to the reserves and isolated from Thomas Tuchel’s first team last week after refusing to renew his contract. Arsenal and Liverpool are rumoured to be amongst the clubs chasing a deal for the 23-year-old as he looks set for the exit. According to Sport , PSG have now been ordered to bring Rabiot back into their first team squad within the next 48 hours after previously forcing him to train alone. Liverpool are interested in Brescia starlet Sandro Tonali, according to the club's owner Massimo Cellino. Tonali has been earmarked as a potential world-class star for the future and has attracted a wealth of interest from across Europe this season. The 18-year-old received his first Italy call-up last year and will likely command a big fee when he leaves Serie B side Brescia. But Tonali's exit could come sooner rather than later if Cellino's comment are anything to go by. Callum Hudson-Odoi has hit heart set on a move to Bayern Munich - despite Liverpool showing late interest in the Chelsea youngster. Hudson-Odoi has decided once and for all he wants to move to the Allianz Arena - and developments at Stamford Bridge in the last 24 hours could speed up the transfer. Gonzalo Higuain has been added as another forward option for Maurizio Sarri and Hudson-Odoi now hopes to seal his switch to Germany early next week, report The Sun. Reports in Germany suggested Liverpool were keen on taking the flier to Anfield and met with the youngster and his agent brother. Cardiff City have had a £9million bid for Nice star Adrien Tameze rejected, according to L’Equipe. The French newspaper say the Bluebirds have been knocked back in their bid to land the 24-year-old. But Nice could go against the wishes of boss Patrick Viera and let the defensive midfielder go if another offer comes in. Two new clubs have emerged as late entrants in the race to sign Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian. The Italian has been heavily linked with a move to Inter Milan or Juventus with reports earlier this week stating a move would be completed imminently. But Gazzetta Dello Sport now say Fiorentina and Valencia are keen to hijack the bid and give him another escape route from Old Trafford. Manchester City could have the chance to land Isco in the summer - if Santiago Solari stays on as Real Madrid manager. The midfielder has fallen out of favour under Solari and has reportedly demanded to leave if he is kept on as boss after this season. The 26-year-old has played just 491 minutes of first-team action since the Argentinian took over from Julen Lopetegui in October and had to settle for a fringe role. It has sparked fierce speculation over his future - and although he’s keen to stay at the Bernabeu, AS report that he’s decided to ask for a transfer unless Solari leaves. Manchester United risk losing Juan Mata - with Arsenal among the clubs interested in signing him. Arsenal , Juventus , Paris Saint Germain and Barcelona are all watching developments closely with Mata out of contract at the end of the season. Mata, who turns 31 in April, can talk to foreign clubs and sign a pre-contract as United have allowed his contract to run down despite having discussions about a new deal. Mata played under Arsenal boss Unai Emery when the pair were together at Valencia and Arsenal’s current lack of finances means a free transfer could appeal. | Steve Wollaston | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-transfer-rumours-manchester-united-15735588 | 2019-01-26 06:52:00+00:00 | 1,548,503,520 | 1,567,550,717 | sport | transfer |
58,127 | birminghammail--2019-03-14--Premier League transfers Ex Liverpool man wants 50m Manchester United move as Real Madrid look at | 2019-03-14T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Premier League transfers: Ex Liverpool man wants £50m Manchester United move as Real Madrid look at Sadio Mane | A round-up of the latest Premier League transfer news and talking points. Manchester United, Liverpool and especially Chelsea are vulnerable to a summer raid from Real Madrid following the return of Zinedine Zidane, according to the Daily Star. The French icon returned to the Bernabeu on Monday night as he was reappointed as manager. Zidane surprisingly stepped down as boss at the end of the season. And the La Liga giants have imploded ever since off the back of winning three successive Champions League titles. Part of convincing Zidane to sign on again in Madrid was promising him a summer splurge in the transfer market to overhaul the team. Ageing players and the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo still need to be properly addressed and targets are in the pipeline already, with the news coming amid: With the Premier League’s elite on Real’s radar, according to the Daily Mail, United midfielder Paul Pogba has already been linked. But his agent Mino Raiola is a barrier in terms of any potential negotiations. The World Cup winner and Zidane’s compatriot has shown his best form and true influence at Old Trafford since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival. And the former Juventus superstar could be pursued for a move to Spain, while Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen is a back-up option. Phillipe Coutinho has issued a “come and get me” plea to Manchester United. Barcelona’s Coutinho, 26, has confided in a number of United’s Spanish players that he would love a move to Old Trafford. It is understood the former Liverpool man has grown increasingly unsettled in Spain since his switch there 14 months ago for a whopping £142million. The attacking midfielder has only scored four La Liga goals in the current campaign, is in and out of the team and is not a favourite of the Nou Camp fans. United are ready to splash big in the summer and know that Coutinho could be theirs for a knockdown £86m. Gareth Bale might end up joining Manchester United after all as he gets frozen out at Real Madrid. Bale got himself a new manager yesterday when Zinedine Zidane returned to the club he won three successive Champions League trophies with. The 46-year-old left the Bernabeu last May but is now back in charge having signed a contract until 2022. And while Real Madrid fans rejoiced at Zizou’s return, Bale may not have been so happy. It is rumoured that the Welshman did not get on very well with Zidane, who is looking to bring in the likes of Eden Hazard and Christian Eriksen this summer. Zidane will be heavily backed in the transfer window by club president Florentino Perez and could make Bale one of his first big-name sacrifices. Bale will actually be training at Manchester United’s Carrington HQ next week as he prepares for international action with Wales. He has been included in Ryan Giggs' 31-man squad for the upcoming fixtures against Trinidad & Tobago and Slovakia later this month. But a sensational summer switch to United cannot be ruled out, especially given bookies have made the Red Devils favourites to land Bale should he leave Real. Bale is priced as short at 9/4 with both Betfair and Paddy Power to be at Manchester United after the summer transfer window. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may end up having the final say on whether the long-term target does end up at United. Alexis Sanchez is expected to hold talks over his future with Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward between now and the end of the season. Sanchez has struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford since the big swap deal with Arsenal that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan go the other way. The Chile international joined United in January 2018 amid much fanfare, after putting pen to paper on a contract worth an eye-watering £500,000-a-week, including bonuses and image rights. But his time with the Red Devils has proved a disaster on the pitch - with injury, a dramatic loss of form and the club’s struggles under Jose Mourinho contributing to his personal decline. According to the Daily Star , Sanchez is so desperate to leave United he is willing to take a wage cut just to get out. He has apparently told his representatives that he wants to join a new club this summer, but knows there are few places he could earn the same money. China might provide such an option and United boss Solskjaer is willing to let the struggling forward go. Liverpool will miss out on signing highly-rated defender Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax, according to reports in Italy. The Ajax centre-back has had a breakthrough campaign in Eredivisie and is among the most sought-after young players Europe. Team-mate Frenkie de Jong is seeing out the season in Holland after signing with Barcelona in a £65million deal in January. De Ligt is the next hottest prospect in Erik ten Hag's team and the club are resigned to losing him before the end of his contract, which expires in June 2021. The 19-year-old has been flirting with a move away and hinted at an Anfield switch last week, which would see him team up with compatriot Virgil van Dijk. Zinedine Zidane has reportedly added two more Premier League players to his Real Madrid wishlist. Zidane returned to the Bernabeu on Monday just months after quitting following Champions League victory. Eden Hazard and Kylian Mbappe have already been linked with summer moves to Real with Zidane having reportedly been promised funds to strengthen his squad. Reports in Spain suggest there are another two names on Zidane's radar - Sadio Mane and Paul Pogba. El Chiringuito TV claim the Liverpool and Manchester United stars are highly-rated by Zidane and he could follow up his interest. Pogba was expected to leave United earlier this season after a bust-up with former boss Jose Mourinho. Barcelona were interested in taking the midfielder to Spain but he has been revitalised under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford. There have even been suggestions he will sign a new deal at United but Real will hope his desire to play under Zidane would lure him to the Bernabeu. Fabian Schar has put himself back on the radars of Arsenal and Tottenham . Defender Schar, 27, has played a key role in Newcastle ’s recent upturn, catching the eye of the north London duo. The Swiss stopper has made 21 appearances, and scored three goals, for Rafa Benitez’s side since his bargain £3million move from Deportivo last summer. The Gunners and Spurs had monitored Schar when he was at first club Basel and the way he has adjusted to English football has impressed them again. Schar was awarded the goal of the month award for February for his wonder strike during the Magpies' 2-0 victory over Burnley . | Steve Wollaston | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-manchester-united-transfer-ews-15965210 | 2019-03-14 07:05:06+00:00 | 1,552,561,506 | 1,567,546,209 | sport | transfer |
58,128 | birminghammail--2019-03-14--Premier League transfers Phillipe Coutinho wants Manchester United move and Liverpool could lose | 2019-03-14T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Premier League transfers: Phillipe Coutinho 'wants' Manchester United move and Liverpool could lose Sadio Mane | A round-up of the latest Premier League transfer news and talking points. Manchester United, Liverpool and especially Chelsea are vulnerable to a summer raid from Real Madrid following the return of Zinedine Zidane, according to the Daily Star. The French icon returned to the Bernabeu on Monday night as he was reappointed as manager. Zidane surprisingly stepped down as boss at the end of the season. And the La Liga giants have imploded ever since off the back of winning three successive Champions League titles. Part of convincing Zidane to sign on again in Madrid was promising him a summer splurge in the transfer market to overhaul the team. Ageing players and the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo still need to be properly addressed and targets are in the pipeline already, with the news coming amid: With the Premier League’s elite on Real’s radar, according to the Daily Mail, United midfielder Paul Pogba has already been linked. But his agent Mino Raiola is a barrier in terms of any potential negotiations. The World Cup winner and Zidane’s compatriot has shown his best form and true influence at Old Trafford since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival. And the former Juventus superstar could be pursued for a move to Spain, while Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen is a back-up option. Phillipe Coutinho has issued a “come and get me” plea to Manchester United. Barcelona’s Coutinho, 26, has confided in a number of United’s Spanish players that he would love a move to Old Trafford. It is understood the former Liverpool man has grown increasingly unsettled in Spain since his switch there 14 months ago for a whopping £142million. The attacking midfielder has only scored four La Liga goals in the current campaign, is in and out of the team and is not a favourite of the Nou Camp fans. United are ready to splash big in the summer and know that Coutinho could be theirs for a knockdown £86m. Gareth Bale might end up joining Manchester United after all as he gets frozen out at Real Madrid. Bale got himself a new manager yesterday when Zinedine Zidane returned to the club he won three successive Champions League trophies with. The 46-year-old left the Bernabeu last May but is now back in charge having signed a contract until 2022. And while Real Madrid fans rejoiced at Zizou’s return, Bale may not have been so happy. It is rumoured that the Welshman did not get on very well with Zidane, who is looking to bring in the likes of Eden Hazard and Christian Eriksen this summer. Zidane will be heavily backed in the transfer window by club president Florentino Perez and could make Bale one of his first big-name sacrifices. Bale will actually be training at Manchester United’s Carrington HQ next week as he prepares for international action with Wales. He has been included in Ryan Giggs' 31-man squad for the upcoming fixtures against Trinidad & Tobago and Slovakia later this month. But a sensational summer switch to United cannot be ruled out, especially given bookies have made the Red Devils favourites to land Bale should he leave Real. Bale is priced as short at 9/4 with both Betfair and Paddy Power to be at Manchester United after the summer transfer window. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may end up having the final say on whether the long-term target does end up at United. Alexis Sanchez is expected to hold talks over his future with Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward between now and the end of the season. Sanchez has struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford since the big swap deal with Arsenal that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan go the other way. The Chile international joined United in January 2018 amid much fanfare, after putting pen to paper on a contract worth an eye-watering £500,000-a-week, including bonuses and image rights. But his time with the Red Devils has proved a disaster on the pitch - with injury, a dramatic loss of form and the club’s struggles under Jose Mourinho contributing to his personal decline. According to the Daily Star , Sanchez is so desperate to leave United he is willing to take a wage cut just to get out. He has apparently told his representatives that he wants to join a new club this summer, but knows there are few places he could earn the same money. China might provide such an option and United boss Solskjaer is willing to let the struggling forward go. Liverpool will miss out on signing highly-rated defender Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax, according to reports in Italy. The Ajax centre-back has had a breakthrough campaign in Eredivisie and is among the most sought-after young players Europe. Team-mate Frenkie de Jong is seeing out the season in Holland after signing with Barcelona in a £65million deal in January. De Ligt is the next hottest prospect in Erik ten Hag's team and the club are resigned to losing him before the end of his contract, which expires in June 2021. The 19-year-old has been flirting with a move away and hinted at an Anfield switch last week, which would see him team up with compatriot Virgil van Dijk. Zinedine Zidane has reportedly added two more Premier League players to his Real Madrid wishlist. Zidane returned to the Bernabeu on Monday just months after quitting following Champions League victory. Eden Hazard and Kylian Mbappe have already been linked with summer moves to Real with Zidane having reportedly been promised funds to strengthen his squad. Reports in Spain suggest there are another two names on Zidane's radar - Sadio Mane and Paul Pogba. El Chiringuito TV claim the Liverpool and Manchester United stars are highly-rated by Zidane and he could follow up his interest. Pogba was expected to leave United earlier this season after a bust-up with former boss Jose Mourinho. Barcelona were interested in taking the midfielder to Spain but he has been revitalised under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford. There have even been suggestions he will sign a new deal at United but Real will hope his desire to play under Zidane would lure him to the Bernabeu. Fabian Schar has put himself back on the radars of Arsenal and Tottenham . Defender Schar, 27, has played a key role in Newcastle ’s recent upturn, catching the eye of the north London duo. The Swiss stopper has made 21 appearances, and scored three goals, for Rafa Benitez’s side since his bargain £3million move from Deportivo last summer. The Gunners and Spurs had monitored Schar when he was at first club Basel and the way he has adjusted to English football has impressed them again. Schar was awarded the goal of the month award for February for his wonder strike during the Magpies' 2-0 victory over Burnley . | Steve Wollaston | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-manchester-united-transfer-news-15965210 | 2019-03-14 12:37:13+00:00 | 1,552,581,433 | 1,567,546,209 | sport | transfer |
64,127 | birminghammail--2019-07-02--70m Wolves transfer twist as Liverpool and Manchester United chase massive signings - Premier Leagu | 2019-07-02T00:00:00 | birminghammail | £70m Wolves transfer twist as Liverpool and Manchester United chase massive signings - Premier League rumours | We take a look at all the latest Wolves transfer news and gossip and round-up what else is going on in the Premier League... Edson Alvarez is being lined up as a direct replacement for Matthijs de Ligt at Ajax, according to reports in the Dutch press. Wolverhampton Wanderers have been extensively linked with the versatile Mexican international, who is currently competing in the Gold Cup. Reports from Mexico had suggested that Wolves would be his destination when he makes his widely anticipated move to Europe from Club America in Mexico. Despite that, De Telegraaf are now reporting that Champions League semi finalists Ajax see Alvarez as a replacement for their in-demand skipper. De Ligt is expected to complete a mega money move later this week. Despite intense interest from Manchester United, it is expected the Netherlands international will opt for Turin and Juventus for nearly £70m and the Amsterdam giants are already scouting his replacement. Eredivisie rivals PSV are also believed to have an interest in the 21-year-old but are failing to hit the €9m that America are chasing. Alvarez has hinted in recent days that it is his dream to complete a move to Europe and that it is moving ever closer. “The possibilities are there. I am very happy to be closer and closer to that dream that I long for with all my heart and I hope it is the best for me," he told Univision. Alvarez and his compatriot Raul Jimenez are preparing for their Gold Cup semi final clash with Haiti in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Wolves are yet to make their first addition to the senior squad, with development players Hong Wan and Raphael Nya currently the only arrivals. Marseille offered Wolverhampton Wanderers transfer target Morgan Sanson to ‘half of England’ according to reports in the French press. The Ligue 1 side were desperate to make sales ahead of the end of June in order to make their 2018/19 accounts look more presentable. That deadline was missed, with Marseille failing to offload some of their most prized assets. Yacine Brahimi - the attacker once mooted as a transfer target for Wolverhampton Wanderers - is on the verge of agreeing a deal with Premier League rivals Arsenal, it’s being claimed. Brahimi, currently representing his native Algeria at the African Cup of Nations, is a free agent after leaving Portuguese giants Porto at the end of his contract last month. A number of clubs have been linked with a move for the 29-year-old, including Wolves and Everton, but A Bola report that the Gunners - who are also trying to drive down the asking price for Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha - will offer Brahimi a £3.5m signing on fee to agree a move to the Emirates Stadium. Brahimi scored 13 goals in 49 appearances for Porto this past season and had been with the Portuguese champions since the summer of 2014 - now he’s looking for pastures new, with North London the likeliest destination at this point. Wolves, besides adding Raphael Nya from PSG for their academy and the permanent signing of Leander Dendoncker, are yet to conduct any significant incoming business as far as their first team goes. Manchester United, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas were all interested in Brahimi, too, according to reports in Portugal. Leeds United are closing in on Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Helder Costa in a loan deal. The 25-year-old is among the beaten Championship play-off semi finalist's leading transfer targets this summer as Marcelo Bielsa plots another assault on the top six. Costa has seen his Wolves playing time become more restricted and amid plans to strengthen the squad at Molinuex, Leeds have made their move. Contributing 12 goals and 11 assists in his debut campaign after signing from Benfica, Costa remained a valuable member of the side after Nuno Espirito Santo was appointed as head coach, scoring five and assisting six as Wolves raced to the Championship title. Talk of Moussa Marega joining Wolverhampton Wanderers has been rife this summer. Mali international striker Marega has been linked with a host of clubs, including Wolves. The 28-year-old has made no secret of his desire to move to the Premier League and he’s keen to quit Porto this summer after two seasons of goalscoring brilliance. Speaking last year, Marega told SFR: “I like this championship for a long time. At the same time, who does not like the Premier League? “It's a very big league, with very big players. It's flattering when clubs are interested in you, but I have always dreamed of playing there. “I want to be happy, with my family, in a championship that I love.” Nicolas Pepe would like to move to Liverpool this summer, according to reports. The Lille whizz kid has been attracting interest from a host of top European clubs this summer and is expected to leave Ligue 1. Liverpool are among those who have been linked to his signature, although the Reds have moved to distance themselves from reports that they would like to sign him. Pepe is delaying his decision this summer while his representatives wait to see if free-spending Paris Saint-Germain will make a money-spinning move. But it is claimed in the French press that PSG are not Pepe’s preferred destination. Manchester United have reportedly agreed terms with Bruno Fernandes ahead of a summer transfer. Fernandes is the next name on United’s wish list after confirming deals for Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka last month. Sean Longstaff is also a wanted man, but Fernandes is seen as especially key in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans for the club. And the Norwegian manager might not have long to wait to secure the services of the Sporting Lisbon midfielder. Reports in Italy claim that United held talks with Fernandes’ representatives on Monday and personal terms were agreed. Frank Lampard is expected to get a cushy bonus from Chelsea if he keeps them in the top four. Lampard will be announced as Chelsea’s next manager shortly, replacing Maurizio Sarri who has departed the club for Juventus after just one year at the helm.Frank Lampard is expected to get a cushy bonus from Chelsea if he keeps them in the top four. Lampard will be announced as Chelsea’s next manager shortly, replacing Maurizio Sarri who has departed the club for Juventus after just one year at the helm. Lampard is set to earn £4million-a-year to lead Chelsea - a significant amount less than a lot of other Premier League managers in the Champions League mix. But there are bonuses on offer to the former midfielder, with the Daily Mail claiming that Lampard will take home an extra £1million just for keeping the club in the top four. Jarrod Bowen is to be on Arsenal’s summer wish list, according to The Sun. The Hull striker is a wanted man after an impressive season in the Championship, as he plundered 22 goals for the Tigers. However, reports claim that Arsenal have been watching Bowen since January and are now ready to swoop. Representatives of Dejan Lovren have reportedly held a meeting over a move away from Liverpool this summer. Predrag Mijatovic is said to have met with AC Milan officials over a summer switch for Lovren. Members of the Croatian defender’s team have been been spotted at the club’s training ground over recent days. For all your latest Wolves news, opinion, analysis and transfer gossip, click here | [email protected] (Steve Wollaston) | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/wolves-transfer-news-premier-league-16516423 | 2019-07-02 06:37:11+00:00 | 1,562,063,831 | 1,567,537,158 | sport | transfer |
64,433 | birminghammail--2019-07-04--Wolves sign wonderkid and eye megastar latest on Romelu Lukaku as Manchester United and Liverpool c | 2019-07-04T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Wolves sign wonderkid and eye megastar, latest on Romelu Lukaku as Manchester United and Liverpool chase Real Madrid transfer - Premier league rumours | You get the feeling that something big is around the corner with Wolves. Below, we take a look at the latest Wolves transfer news and take a look at what else is happening in the Premier League. Wolves and Marseille appear to be fishing in the same talent pool for strikers this summer. They have both been credited with interest in West Bromwich Albion’s Salomon Rondon - with the Baggies star available for a £16.5million. However, the Venezuelan isn’t now the only striker in whom the clubs have common links - after reports credited the Ligue 1 outfit with an interest in Andre Silva. That’s according to Canal+, via Sky Sports News (15:30), who say Marseille have identified the AC Milan striker as an option to replace Mario Balotelli. The report comes a day after Gazzetta journalist Nicolo Schira has suggested that both Wolves and Southampton are interested in bringing Silva to the Premier League. Silva spent last season on-loan with Sevilla and despite a promising start endured a difficult year in the Spanish top flight. Milan paid €38m for the 23-year-old in 2017 but have accepted that they will not be able to recoup those fees and are willing to cut ties, should a side reach their €25m valuation. The former coach of Lee Harkin says he’s ‘never seen’ a player of such talent before. Immensely talented 16-year-old Harkin has joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on a three-year contract after impressing during a prolonged trial period. Harkins has also enjoyed trials at Manchester United and Celtic during his fledgling football career. The Red Devils even invited Harkin and his family to their Premier League match against Tottenham at Old Trafford last season to whet his appetite. But it's Wolves who have prised him away from Londonderry. Liverpool have reportedly entered the race to sign Real Madrid starlet Dani Ceballos. Ceballos has caught the eye at the Under-21s European Championships this summer but he has no future under Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu. Arsenal and Tottenham are both believed to be keeping tabs on the 22-year-old with Milan also in the mix, with Real not ruling out a loan move. But reports in Spain suggest Liverpool are also keen on Ceballos. MARCA claims Liverpool have been keeping an eye on the midfielder with there interest growing in recent weeks. Manchester United will go up against Bundesliga team Werder Bremen as they attempt to sign 18-year-old Stoke defender Nathan Collins. Collins has only made three senior appearances for Stoke but is highly regarded, with ex-United player Darren Fletcher recommending the player to his former club. Werder are interested in pursuing a loan deal, but United may bid for Collins on a permanent move in order to try to attract him to Old Trafford. Collins fits the mould of the young, British talent that United are trying to sign in this transfer window, and he is thought to be the type of player manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking for. Newcastle will hand their new manager a transfer kitty topping £100m following the shock sale of Ayoze Perez to Leicester, writes Ian Murtagh. Toon sources insist the cash raised from Perez’s move to the Foxes will be added to the £60m already promised to Rafa Benitez before his own departure earlier this week. And with wantaway Isaac Hayden keen to quit St James’ Park for personal reasons and unlikely to leave for less than £15m, Benitez’s replacement will have a budget for the season running into nine figures. That sum will be greeted with plenty of scepticism by a fanbase still reeling from Benitez’s departure, upset at owner Mike Ashley’s running of the club and divided over Perez’ move to a Premier League rival. But insiders are adamant that managing director Lee Charnley will honour his April pledge that £60m plus every penny raised through sales is to be invested in the team. The new man will be provided with the sort of funds his predecessor could only dream about. Philippe Coutinho is set to stay at Barcelona this summer, according to the Brazilian’s agent. The player’s representative Kia Joorabchian insisted that Barcelona’s general manager, Pep Segura, wants to keep the player. He told RMC on Wednesday: “I spoke in the past few days with Pep Segura in Barcelona. “He told me that the club did not want to sell Coutinho this summer - whatever the price. “And we have had no contact with PSG for Coutinho.” Romelu Lukaku’s agent has described his potential move to Inter Milan as a ‘difficult dream’ and has urged the Italians to step up their interest in the wantaway striker. Lukaku has been heavily linked with a move to Inter Milan this summer and recent reports suggest the Serie A club are ready to do all they can to fund a bid. New manager Antonio Conte has identified the Belgian as one of his main targets and is said to be willing to sell two players to allow him to try and match the £80million fee placed on his head by United. Lukaku has struggled for consistency since his big-money Old Trafford move from Everton but they still want to recoup the fee they paid if they let him go. For all your latest Wolves news, opinion, analysis and transfer gossip, click here Chelsea will finally announce Frank Lampard as the club’s new manager today. Lampard, 41, was at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday putting the finishing touches on his deal. However, the announcement was delayed. Here’s why. | [email protected] (Steve Wollaston) | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/wolves-man-united-liverpool-transfers-16528475 | 2019-07-04 18:00:00+00:00 | 1,562,277,600 | 1,567,536,855 | sport | transfer |
65,175 | birminghammail--2019-07-29--Championship transfer rumours Leeds United 13m offer Birmingham City talks Forest bid | 2019-07-29T00:00:00 | birminghammail | Championship transfer rumours: Leeds United £13m offer, Birmingham City talks, Forest bid | This is the time of the year when the transfer rumour mill goes into overdrive and the latest gossip round-up is a prime example of that. Here is the latest from the Championship in terms of transfer news and rumours. Reports in Italy suggest that Leeds United have made a €15m (£13m) bid for Andrea Petagna. The 24-year-old striker is currently with SPAL in Serie A, having spent 2018/19 on loan from Atalanta. But Leeds Live are reporting that the reports of a transfer offer are 'wide of the mark' at this stage. Staying with Leeds momentarily and the Whites have confirmed a first professional contract for Connor Leak-Blunt. The midfielder is highly rated at Elland Road, with the club confirming a three-year deal for the 17-year-old on Monday afternoon. Nottingham Forest are on the verge of offering another bid for Scott McKenna, according to reports. The Aberdeen star took his game to another level last season in Scotland and is courting interest from around the UK. The Daily Record claim that Forest are preparing a new bid for the centre-back, while Hull City are also interested in the 22-year-old. Birmingham City goalkeeper Connal Trueman is reportedly in talks to sign a new deal, according to Football Insider . Trueman is in the final year of his current contract but it's said that Blues want to extend his stay at the club. Aston Villa will not secure the signing of Stoke City keeper Jack Butland after they refused to meet the club's £20m valuation. That's according to The Sun , who state that the 26-year-old is likely to stay at the Championship club. | [email protected] (Paul Clarke) | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/championship-transfer-rumours-leeds-united-16666177 | 2019-07-29 19:41:40+00:00 | 1,564,443,700 | 1,567,535,411 | sport | transfer |
157,382 | eveningstandard--2019-01-02--Transfer news rumours LIVE Mesut Ozil staying at Arsenal Chelsea sign Pulisic Liverpool Man Utd | 2019-01-02T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Transfer news, rumours LIVE: Mesut Ozil staying at Arsenal, Chelsea sign Pulisic, Liverpool, Man Utd, Tottenham gossip | Welcome to the Evening Standard’s LIVE blog dedicated to the latest transfer news and rumours. Real Madrid are reportedly ready to rival Barcelona for Tottenham star Christian Eriksen. The Independent report that Real regard Eriksen as a more easily obtainable option than Eden Hazard, the Belgian remains on their shortlist. The Sun report that West Ham could scupper Arsenal’s loan move for Denis Suarez with the Hammers offering £20m to sign the player on a permanent deal from Barcelona. Elsewhere, Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele is said to be close to joining Chinese side Beijing Guoan, according to the Daily Mail. Finally, Fulham have reportedly joined the race for former Tottenham winger Clinton N’Jie. The Cameroonian, who struggled during his time at Spurs, is also said to be wanted by Burnley, Cardiff and Newcastle, according to the Daily Mail. We’ll bring you today's football gossip and the latest from Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, West Ham, Man City and more over the course of the window… Can't see the transfer news, rumours LIVE blog? Click here to access our desktop page. Barcelona are reluctant to let Arsenal target Denis Suarez leave on loan this month ahead of a proposed permanent move in the summer, according to the Mirror. Lazio have had a £13million bid for Chelsea full-back Davide Zappacosta accepted, according to The Sun. Chelsea want £10million for Cesc Fabregas as the midfielder flies south for talks following his farewell performance at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, report the Mirror. Manchester United face a battle with Liverpool and Real Madrid for Porto right-back Eder Militao, according to The Sun. Meanwhile, The Sun reports Fulham goalkeeper Fabri is set to return to Besiktas just six months after leaving the club to move to west London. And Frank Lampard has given up hope of signing Chelsea teenager Ethan Ampadu on loan. Chelsea will make a £50m bid to try and sign PSG striker Edinson Cavani to solve their woes up front. The Sunday Express report Maurizio Sarri wants the Uruguay international to lead his attack with Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud failing to fulfil that role under the Italian. Arsenal meanwhile have opened talks with Barcelona over a move for Spanish midfielder Denis Suarez. The Guardian claim the Spaniard is available for around £20m with Unai Emery keen to bring in a player he has previously worked with at Sevilla. Fulham will offer £15m for Liverpool forward Divock Origi to help their Premier League survival bid, according to the Mirror. But after offloading Dominic Solanke to Bournemouth, Jurgen Klopp may be wary of letting another backup forward leave the club ahead of their title run in. Chelsea are said to be close to sealing a complicated loan agreement which will bring Gonzalo Higuain to Stamford Bridge. Sky Sports say Tottenham and Man City are on alert after young Sunderland striker Josh Maja rejected a new contract with the Black Cats. Meanwhile, West Ham’s Reece Oxford is said to be holding out for a move to Arsenal and will reject an offer to return to Borussia Monchengladbach this month, according to the Mirror. Arsenal are today linked with a Serie A star, with manager Unai Emery wanting to sign Torino defender Nicolas N’Koulou, according to reports in Italy. Chelsea have until January 14 to recall Tammy Abraham from his loan spell at Aston Villa, according to the Guardian. The terms of the deal mean the Blues can cut short his season-long stint at Villa Park if they trigger a recall option in the first two weeks of the window. Tottenham have activated an extension clause in Toby Alderweireld's contract which will keep him at the club till 2020, but also includes that infamous £25million transfer clause. Chelsea have decided against a January move for Gonzalo Higuain, who is on loan at AC Milan from Juventus, according to Goal. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace midfielder Jason Puncheon is today on the verge of joining Huddersfield while Jonny Williams have completed a move to Charlton Athletic. Manchester United will only spend big in January if the opportunity to sign a leading centre-back arises, reports The Independent. Thierry Henry's Monaco have identified Crystal Palace defender Mamadou Sakho as a priority target but the Eagles have not intention of letting him leave, according to The Mail. Chelsea are adamant the signing of Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund is not related to Eden Hazard's contract situation. The Blues are still determined to agree a new deal with the Belgium international, according to The Sun. Meanwhile, The Sun reports Huddersfield are set to complete a loan deal for Crystal Palace midfielder Jason Puncheon until the end of the season. Sport in Spain say Arsenal have made a £14m offer to sign Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who hinted at his imminent departure on social media on Wednesday. Chelsea have completed their first signing of the window: the £57.5million signing of Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund. The US international, who becomes the club's third most expensive signing, has signed a five-and-a-half-year deal but will return to Dortmund on loan for the remainder of the season. Staying with Chelsea, we understand that Fulham are closing in on a deal for Gary Cahill, who has played just 21 minutes in the Premier League this term., while Wolves are interested in signing Tammy Abraham – currently on loan at Aston Villa. Meanwhile, Christian Eriksen is stalling on signing a new contract with Tottenham following a fresh offer from the club last month. Elsewhere, Mesut Ozil's agent has described speculation linking the Arsenal star with a January transfer window exit as "unfortunate", and insists that the German playmaker will remain in north London. | Richard Parry, JOE KRISHNAN, Tom Doyle, ALEX YOUNG | https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/transfer-news-rumours-live-man-utd-arsenal-chelsea-liverpool-barcelona-real-madrid-tottenham-gossip-a4027906.html | 2019-01-02 16:46:00+00:00 | 1,546,465,560 | 1,567,554,218 | sport | transfer |
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