Tottenham striker Harry Kane will not face any punishment following an incident with Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta on Wednesday.

Referee Andre Marriner spoke to Harry Kane (far right) after the incident

England captain Kane, 25, appeared to move his head towards the Spaniard in an incident during Chelsea’s 2-0 Premier League win at Stamford Bridge.

Kane was not punished at the time and, as the incident was seen by officials, no further action will be taken.

Tottenham host Arsenal in the north London derby on Saturday.

The incident took place after Chelsea kicked the ball out of play to allow Spurs’ Kieran Trippier to receive treatment.

Kane pressurised Chelsea defender David Luiz when Tottenham returned the ball. Luiz complained to Kane and captain Azpilicueta confronted him before the pair were separated by Luiz.

Source – BBC News

No action will be taken against Chelsea for alleged racist chanting by their fans in the Europa League game with MOL Vidi last December.

Chelsea launched a campaign in January to raise awareness and educate about anti-Semitism in football

A journalist at the game had told the BBC some Blues fans chanted offensive songs about Tottenham supporters early in the 2-2 draw in Hungary.

But Uefa’s disciplinary body has “decided to close the proceedings”.

No official reason was given for Uefa’s decision but BBC Sport understands it was made due to a lack of evidence.

Following the allegations, Chelsea released a statement condemning “any kind of racial or religious hatred”.

A Chelsea fan group was also set up in January in a bid to “oppose all forms of discrimination in and around the club”, following a number of incidences of alleged racist abuse and chanting at games.

The alleged anti-Semitic chanting in Hungary on 13 December came five days after the alleged racist abuse of Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling by some Chelsea supporters during a Premier League game at Stamford Bridge. Four fans were suspended by the club.

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck greeted Chelsea supporters at the turnstiles before a Premier League game on 16 December and wrote an open letter condemning the actions of “a few mindless individuals”.

In October, Buck told the Sun newspaper Chelsea may require fans found guilty of anti-Semitic abuse to visit the site of Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz rather than ban them.

Source – BBC News

The Spain international defender will now miss the first leg of Real Madrid’s quarter-final should they make it past Ajax on Tuesday.

Photo by: Getty

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has been handed an extra one-match Champions League ban by UEFA for deliberately picking up a booking against Ajax earlier this month.

Ramos was shown a yellow card in the closing stages of Real’s 2-1 victory in Amsterdam, which means he is suspended for the last-16 second leg at Santiago Bernabeu on March 5.

The Spain international then suggested in an interview after the match that he had been booked intentionally so as to avoid the risk of a suspension in the quarter-finals, although he later backtracked on those comments.

However, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) have now adjudged that Ramos had deliberately got himself booked and have issued an additional ban, meaning he will miss the first leg of the quarter-final should Real progress.

“The CEDB has decided to suspend the Real Madrid CF player Sergio Ramos for two UEFA competition matches for which he would be otherwise eligible for clearly receiving a yellow card on purpose,” read a UEFA statement. “The two-match suspension includes the automatic one-match suspension for the repeated cautions.”

Ramos was shown a yellow card for a foul on Ajax striker Kasper Dolberg shortly after Marco Asensio had given Real Madrid an 87th-minute 2-1 lead.

That ruled the 32-year-old out of the second leg but would have ensured he was available for the quarter-final.

Speaking after the game, the Real Madrid captain admitted to reporters than he had got himself booked on purpose.

“Looking at the result, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t force [the booking],”  he said.

“It is not to underestimate the opponent nor to think that the series is over, but in football you have to make tough decisions.”

Ramos later backtracked from his comments with a post on social media.

“I want to make it clear that it hurts more than anyone, I have not forced the card, as I did not against Roma in my previous Champions League match,” the defender wrote on Twitter.

“I will support from the stands as one more fan with the illusion of being in the quarters.”

Despite those comments UEFA opened an investigation into the incident the following day and have now decided to take disciplinary action.

News of the additional ban is perhaps not a surprise for Ramos after Valencia midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia was given a two-match ban by UEFA for being booked deliberately in a Europa League meeting with Celtic.

The midfielder was given a yellow card in the 82nd minute of his side’s 2-0 win in Glasgow for delaying a free kick.

Kondogbia will now miss both legs of his side’s last-16 tie against FC Krasnodar next month.

Source – Goal.com

The reigning Premier League champions, who are currently working in partnership with Nike, will be welcoming in a new dawn from the summer of 2019.

Photo by: Getty Images

Manchester City have signed the biggest kit deal in their history and the second-highest in the Premier League, with a 10-year agreement with Puma worth a reported £650 million ($863m).

The deal sits only behind Manchester United’s with Adidas when it comes to the most lucrative in the English top-flight.

City, who currently work in partnership with Nike, will see a new sponsorship contract kick in from the summer of 2019.

The club’s chief executive, Ferran Soriano, has said: “It’s a historic day for us because what we are doing has not been done before, an unprecedented partnership covering five clubs over four continents.”

Puma’s deal includes not only Manchester City but also sister clubs Melbourne City, Girona, Club Atletico Torque and Sichuan Jiuniu and involves the male, female and youth sides.

Bjorn Gulden, the CEO of Puma, told City’s official website: “PUMA’s partnership with City Football Group is the largest deal that we have ever done – both in scope and ambition.

“We are very excited to partner with City Football Group, whose success, ambition and drive for innovation has seen them setting new standards, on and off the field.

“We look forward to building the most innovative partnership in football by redefining the sports partnership model both on and off the pitch.

“We want to maximise on-field performance as well as football culture, in areas such as music, gaming and fashion to connect and inspire the fanbase of each team.”

Soriano added: “This announcement marks the start of an exciting new chapter for City Football Group.

“Our relationship with PUMA, covering five City Football Group clubs across four continents, will reset the model for sports partnerships on a truly global scale whilst being locally relevant and authentic for fans around the world.

“PUMA share our vision for challenging expectations, and we are looking forward to what we believe will be a ground-breaking partnership.”

Puma are already involved with a number of leading figures at the Etihad Stadium.

Among their list of sponsorship clients are City’s star striker Sergio Aguero.

They are also tied to club captain Vincent Kompany and star players within the women’s team including Caroline Weir, Pauline Bremer and Nikita Parris.

Source – Goal.com

DC United forward Wayne Rooney is excited for the future of “fantastic” MLS ahead of the 2019 season, which starts on Saturday.

Wayne Rooney and his son took in a Washington Wizards NBA game over the winter

Despite Miguel Almiron’s departure from Atlanta to Newcastle in January, Rooney is optimistic that the league can start to attract players in their prime.

“It’s a fantastic league,” said Rooney. “Obviously Nani came as well (to Orlando City). I think he may be 31 (32), I came at 32.

“I think you will start getting players in their mid-20s who, instead of going to big teams in Europe, hopefully we can attract them to come here.

“Because I do think it’s a fantastic league and it has got the foundations to keep growing.

“Players are seeing that and they are deciding to come here, when they have other offers on the table around Europe.”

As much as Rooney is enjoying life in the MLS, he admitted that his first Stateside winter came as a bit of a shock.

“I have realised how cold it gets,” he said. “A lot colder than back in England, so that was challenging.

“We couldn’t really take the kids out anywhere, it was too cold!

“I am sure, like a lot of people who have got kids, you take them to school, pick them up and take them somewhere to play, or sit down and do their homework with them.

“So, it is quite boring but that’s our life and we enjoy it!”

Source – Sky Sports

Ivan Rakitic‘s future at Barcelona remains uncertain with sources telling ESPN FC that no decisions regarding the makeup of next season’s squad will be taken until later in March.

Rakitic has made it clear he wants to stay at Barca if possible but reports suggest the signing of Ajax’s Frenkie de Jong could force the club to sell a big-name midfielder.

The Croatian international has been touted as the most likely to go because of the number of suitors he has around Europe. Manchester United are the most recent club to be linked with him but there’s also strong interest from Inter Milan.

Sources neither confirmed nor denied if Barca would be open to selling Rakitic this summer, reiterating that decisions of that magnitude have been parked while Ernesto Valverde’s side continue to compete on three fronts.

Rakitic, 30, had the chance to join Paris Saint-Germain last year. The French club were prepared to pay up to €90 million and offer him a huge pay rise, but Valverde managed to talk him into staying.

The Barca coach has made the midfielder a key part of his side. As he completes 100 games in charge of the Catalans against Real Madrid on Wednesday, no player has made more appearances for him than Rakitic (92).

After turning down PSG last summer, Rakitic appealed for a “gesture” from the club in the form of an improved contract. Sources told ESPN FC at the time — and president Josep Maria Bartomeu has since confirmed — that the finances aren’t in place to renew his terms at the moment.

Following the recent contract extension handed to Valverde, the club are working on tying down Jordi Alba, whose deal expires in 2020. Rakitic’s contract runs until 2021 and his release clause is €125m.

Since then, Rakitic has backtracked slightly on his contract demands. Speaking after an impressive performance in Barca’s 4-2 win over Sevilla last

Saturday, he said he finds the rumours about his future funny and stated his desire to remain at Camp Nou.

“I have three more years on my contract,” he told reporters. “I want to stay here. I’m flattered that big clubs ask about me, if they do, but I only see myself at Barca.

“I laugh a little bit in the morning with my coffee when I see [stories] about my future.”

Source – ESPN

Fifa is investigating the transfer payment for Emiliano Sala after Nantes made a claim against Cardiff City.

Emiliano Sala was presented as a Cardiff City signing three days before the crash

Premier League side Cardiff were due to pay the first of three instalments for the £15m striker on Wednesday.

Argentine Sala, the Bluebirds’ record signing, died aged 28 in a plane crash in the English Channel on 21 January.

“We can confirm we have received a claim. We are looking into the matter,” said a spokesman for world football’s governing body.

As Sala’s move was an international transfer, it had to go through Fifa’s mandatory system.

The International Transfer Certificate (ITC) was completed but there were issues with the separate matter of Premier League registration.

The ITC was registered with the Football Association of Wales and confirmed Sala as a Cardiff player, which meant the Welsh club were liable to pay Nantes the transfer fee.

A Cardiff spokesman said: “Cardiff City remains committed to ensuring fairness and accountability with respect to the agreement between Cardiff City and FC Nantes, but first and foremost the relevant authorities must be allowed to determine the facts surrounding this tragedy.

“It is inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

Cardiff were due to make the first of three instalments on 20 February, but they agreed with French Lige 1 side Nantes to extend the deadline by a week.

Nantes wrote to Cardiff on 5 February requesting the first instalment.

But Cardiff said they were withholding payment until crash investigations were complete and they were satisfied about “anomalies” around the deal.

Chairman Mehmet Dalman said Cardiff will be “honourable” with Nantes if they are contractually obliged to pay.

French side Bordeaux are due 50% of his fee because of a sell-on clause when they sold Sala to Nantes in 2015.

His body was recovered from the plane wreckage but pilot David Ibbotson remains missing.

Source – BBC News