LONDON — Manchester City threatened to destroy UEFA with legal action when European soccer’s governing body pursued punishment against the Abu Dhabi-owned club for overspending on players and hiding costs, according to documents cited by a group of media outlets on Friday. City did not dispute the authenticity of the European Investigative Collaborations documents, primarily […]
The post Man City’s threats to UEFA revealed in leaked documents appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
BOURNEMOUTH, England — A last-gasp goal by Manchester United substitute Marcus Rashford put the finishing touch on a come-from-behind 2-1 victory against Bournemouth in the English Premier League on Saturday.
United went behind in the 11th minute when the unmarked Callum Wilson converted Junior Stanislas’ cross from close range.
Bournemouth continued to control the game and Anthony Martial’s equalizer in the 35th came completely against the run of play.
Ashley Young slipped the ball to Alexis Sanchez on the right side of the penalty area and he pulled it back to the in-form Martial, who smashed home his fifth goal in five games.
United was a transformed team in the second half and several times went close to scoring.
Bournemouth had a remarkable double escape in the 65th when Nathan Ake threw his body in the way of a shot from England striker Rashford after Young had hit the woodwork. David Brooks then hacked Paul Pogba’s rebound off the line.
It proved a temporary reprieve, however, as Pogba dashed down the left two minutes into stoppage time before sending over an inviting centre that Rashford chested down before beating Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
What a pair of wingers Rayo Vallecano have got… If they were playing Football Manager 2011.
Gael Kakuta and Bebe were tipped for the top seven years ago.
Things didn’t quite turn out that way.
SIGN UP – WIN £5k BY PLAYING DREAM TEAM WEEKENDER THIS WEEKEND
Kakuta during his Chelsea daysGraham Hughes - The Times
Between the two of them, they have sofa-hopped their way through 17 clubs since 2011.
As fate would have their careers have intertwined once again at Rayo Vallecano in Spain.
Spot the odd one outPA:Press Association
Bebe had been preferred to a teenage Eden Hazard when Man United signed him in 2010.
He arrived at Old Trafford fresh off his appearance at the Homeless World Cup, with a single season as a professional footballer to his name.
It quickly became clear Bebe was no Hazard – he managed just seven games in total with a single goal to his name.
He is widely considered one of Sir Alex’s worst signings.
Bebe eventually ended up with Rayo Vallecano, a long way down the footballing pyramid from Fergie’s United.
Bebe made just two premier league appearancesDave Pinegar - The Sun
Kakuta has had a similarly chaotic early career.
Chelsea snapped up the French sensation aged 16 but it nearly cost them a three-year transfer ban.
Once described by Chelsea scout Guy Hillion as ‘the talent of his generation’ things never really got started for the then France U21 international in London.
He was loaned out six times over six years, including a season at Rayo Vallecano in 2015, before signing for Sevilla.
Like with Bebe, Rayo Vallecano clearly rated the Frenchman highly enough to buy him permanently this summer.
Kakuta praying for his Chelsea careerNews Group Newspapers Ltd
Vallecano gambled on the one-time Premier League wonderboys and it’s fair to say the house won this one.
But who would have thought it could have turned out any differently?
The Spanish club are without a win in seven.
Kakuta has one goal in nine games, while Bebe has been reduced to a bit-part player and can’t buy a goal for love nor money.
If they were good enough, one of the countless clubs they have played for would have kept a hold of them.
Luis Suarez when he sees who he is up againstAlamy Live News
Vallecano are currently 19th in the league and have a daunting trip to Barcelona on Saturday.
The Camp Nou is the last place they will want to visit.
Both Bebe and Kakuta have finally found a home, and the La Liga minnows will be praying they can soon live up to their once predicted potential.
READ MORE FROM THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL WORLD OF DREAM TEAM
Dejan Lovren’s obsession with Sergio Ramos is evidence of a wicked inferiority complex The amount of quality centre-backs France can call upon right now is ludicrous Why you should stop getting annoyed about corner-takers hitting the first defender
It’s the final everyone in Buenos Aires wanted.
Apart from the chief of police, of course.
For the first time in history, River Plate will meet fierce-rivals Boca Juniors in the final of the Copa Libertadores.
SIGN UP – WIN £5k BY PLAYING DREAM TEAM WEEKENDER THIS WEEKEND
Scenes when Boca reached the finalEPA
The ‘Super Classico’ is largely overlooked in conversations about the biggest derbies in world football.
Bad news for La Liga fans and Glaswegians, it’s easily the biggest.
For the first time in history, this unique derby is going to be played on the biggest stage.
La Bombonera is a sight to behold on derby dayGetty Images - Getty
The Copa Libertadores is essentially the South American Champions League. Boca have won the trophy six times and River Plate three.
The final is played out over two-legs and this year’s will surely be remembered as the biggest Super Classico of all time.
Whenever the pair meet, rock music, fireworks, chants and violence closely follow.
We still don’t understand why they do thatReuters
This neighbourly-hatred can be tracked some way back.
Both clubs had been based by the docks in Buenos Aires, until 1920 when River Plate moved north to the more ‘up-market’ part of town.
Their relocation left the traditionally working class Boca slumming it out behind.
River Plate were branded ‘Los Millionarios’, The Millionaires, a name which they embraced and still use today.
The riot squad are never far awayAP:Associated Press
While you can’t help but admire the occasion and the colours on display, there is often a dark under-belly of violence to his derby.
During one encounter between the pair, Boca fans even showered the players of their rival club with pepper spray, leaving some in tears and forcing the tie to be postponed.
And back here in Blighty, we’re getting hung up about a cabbage being thrown at Steve Bruce. Perspective.
Carlos Tevez plays for Boca JuniorsCopyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the referees aren’t exempt from the fun-and-games of the day when either of these clubs are involved.
In River Plate’s semi-final win against Gremio, the man-in-the-middle actually had to be escorted off the pitch by police after a dodgy VAR decision
Tough crowd.
Who ever said VAR would protect referees?Reuters
These games, both taking place in November, will go down in history as Argentina’s biggest occasions of club football.
The clashes will sadly not be readily available to viewers on these shores. Not through legal means anyway.
Fear not however as we will probably be able to hear it from here…
READ MORE FROM THE WORLD OF DREAM TEAM:
Could Pietro Pellegri’s injury woes explain Monaco’s disastrous campaign? Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona were a match made in heaven – so what’s gone wrong? Introducing the Italian side languishing on negative points after 10 games WATCH: The second part of our exclusive documentary
Riddle me this.
A Chelsea player… scoring for Chelsea… despite playing against them?
Actually, it’s all fairly simple once you realise the Carabao Cup have a fairly lax approach to the loan system.
SIGN UP – WIN £5k BY PLAYING DREAM TEAM WEEKENDER THIS WEEKEND
Getty Images - Getty A legend is honoured[/caption]
Usually players who are away on a temporary deal are banned from playing against their parent club.
But the Micky Mouse Cup sees things differently, apparently.
Derby manager Frank Lampard’s return to Stamford Bridge wasn’t the only link between the two sides, with Chelsea loanees Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount both starting tonight.
And it wasn’t exactly a dream a start for the former.
Proper face palm
Not one to remember, lad
With a fairly tame low cross coming towards him, Tomori inexplicably missed the ball with his swinging foot, connecting instead with his standing foot.
We’ve all done it… just perhaps not with such catastrophic consequences.
The ball, almost inevitably, rebounded the other way and trickled over his own goal line to give the Blues the lead.
His first goal for Chelsea… just probably not the way he envisaged it.
READ MORE:
The cold weather is terrible news for Jean Michael Seri and all Fulham fans John Terry is the greatest centre-back in Premier League history — hard to admit, isn’t it? Adam Lallana has mastered the art of being beautifully counterproductive WATCH: The second part of our exclusive documentaryDream Team FC Victor Lindelof playing on through injury is the most heroic thing you’ll see this weekend It’s been a fairly bleak s...
