Players who deliberately cough at other players or match officials can be red-carded, say football’s rule-makers and the Football Association.

Players can be red-carded if a referee deems they deliberately coughed at an opponent

he International Football Association Board (Ifab) said such an offence fell within “using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures”.

It added: “As with all offences, the referee has to make a judgement about the true nature of the offence.”

The guidance comes amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

“If it were clearly accidental, then the referee would not take action nor if the ‘cough’ took place with a large distance between the players,” added Ifab.

“However, where it is close enough to be clearly offensive, then the referee can take action.”

The FA also issued guidance for grassroots football which will come into force immediately.

In a document, it wrote: “If the incident was not severe enough to merit a sending-off, a caution could be issued for ‘unsporting behaviour’.”

It added referees must not look to punish “routine” coughing and “action can only be supported where it is evident it was a clear act against someone else”.

In terms of the Premier League and English Football League, there is no written guidance and it would be down to the referee’s discretion as to the punishment.

Source – BBC News

Fifa deputy secretary general Alasdair Bell says controversy around the head of world football is as an “Alice in Wonderland situation” and a “step backwards” in repairing Fifa’s name.

Gianni Infantino was re-elected for a second term as Fifa president in June 2019

Last week, prosecutors in Switzerland launched legal proceedings against Fifa president Gianni Infantino in relation to an alleged secret meeting with Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber.

Both men have denied any wrongdoing.

Infantino has opted not to step down until the matter is dealt with.

“Most people would recognise if you go to meet the attorney general, you would be in pretty safe hands,” Bell told BBC Sport. “You wouldn’t think you are going to be accused of criminal wrongdoing for having met the attorney general.

“Yet this is the kind of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ situation we are in today.”

Bell said neither Infantino nor Fifa were aware of the source of the complaint that led to the charges being levelled.

However, he did accept it might have come from someone with an axe to grind against the 50-year-old Swiss, who took office in 2016, vowing to clean up an organisation badly tarnished by the allegations levelled against his predecessor Sepp Blatter, who is currently serving an eight-year ban from football.

“Yes, there might be some people who might be interested in that [bringing the Fifa president down],” said Bell. “We don’t know who made the complaints. Maybe those people would like to see Gianni Infantino fall.”

Lauber offered his resignation last week after a court said he covered up the meetings and lied to supervisors during an investigation by his office into corruption surrounding Fifa.

Special prosecutor Stefan Keller was appointed in June to review criminal complaints against the two men and others.

He found indications of criminal conduct related to their meetings, the authority overseeing the Office of the Attorney General said.

While Bell said he is “100% certain” no criminal charges will arise in this matter, he accepts the reputational damage to Fifa will be significant.

“Of course, this is bad for our reputation as an institution and the personal reputation of the president,” said Bell.

Bell believes ridding Fifa of the stigma of corruption “is not something that is going to happen overnight”, adding: “To turn the ship around and to establish trust and credibility takes time.

“We are definitely going in the right direction but it is a work in progress. Events like this, the announcement of a criminal investigation, even if it is without any merit whatsoever, is a step backwards.”

Source – BBC News

The French frontman does not appear to be slowing down despite his advancing years and could even move on to another discipline after football.

Photo by Getty Images

Real Madrid star Karim Benzema had a simple answer when asked if he fancies a crack at mixed martial arts after his football career comes to an end: “No problem for me, I’m up for it!”

Benzema, 32, enjoyed a brilliant campaign for Madrid, scoring 21 goals and providing eight assists as Los Blancos beat Barcelona to the Liga title.

Such form suggests Benzema still has plenty of legs left in football yet, even though he may be approaching the twilight years of his career.

But there are other challenges that appeal to the French striker, including it seems having a go at the fight game.

Benzema took questions from several friends for a YouTube video, one of which came from French kickboxer Fouad Ezbiri, who he has trained with in the past.

Ezbiri asked if Benzema – a fan of fight sports – ever had plans to step in the ring at least once.

“Well, Fouad, my broski, in any case I hope you’re doing good, and it’s true that I love fighting sports,” Benzema said.

“I love training, as you say we already trained, after the soccer why not train with you for six months and if you think I can be ready for a fight, no problem for me, I’m up for it!”

Benzema also responded to a separate question about how much longer he feels he has left in football.

“I’m working a lot. I pay attention to everything I do, I take care of myself and I’m trying to get the best out of me as possible,” Benzema added.

“I know this is not the beginning of my career but in any case, for me, age does not mean anything and we’re going to do everything.”

Benzema also revealed three major sporting influences of his, saying: “It depends. there are many people who have inspired me but we’ll take soccer for example. It’s Ronaldo, the Brazilian, so he’s the one who made me love football, simply. It’s thanks to what he did but everyone knows it.

“Then athletic, although I’m not a big fan of basketball, but I would say Michael Jordan for what he did, what he has been with the Chicago Bulls. And then another athlete I would say Mike Tyson, there you go, Mike Tyson, because it’s the power.”

Real Madrid team-mate James Rodriguez pondered whether Benzema prefers scoring or assisting a team-mate.

“I’ll answer you sincerely. Making assists or scoring goals are two different things but not that different and I like to do both,” he said.

“To choose, I choose to score. On the other hand if my partner is good and sure to score I’ll pass him the ball and offer him the goal. So, I choose both, my brother.”

Source – Goal.com

The Italian side are hoping to agree a permanent deal for the on-loan forward which would allow for him to play in the European knockout rounds.

Photo by Getty composite

Inter Milan have named Alexis Sanchez in their Europa League squad for the final knockout round games as they continue discussions with Manchester United over signing the Chilean on a permanent deal.

Sanchez has spent the entire campaign on loan at the Serie A team after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made it clear the 31-year-old did not fit into his structure at Old Trafford.

The suspension of football due to the outbreak of Covid-19 saw Sanchez’s current loan deal extended to allow the attacker to complete the league campaign. However, that deal is set to expire later this week.

An option of another short-term loan to allow Sanchez to compete in the Europa League knockout tournament in Germany has been mooted and the two clubs are discussing a permanent deal with the Chile international not part of Solskjaer’s long-term plans.

Inter have named Sanchez in their Europa League squad which means he will be able to play in the fixture against Getafe on Wednesday, a one-legged clash after the initial game was postponed due to the pandemic.

However he will only be able to compete in the subsequent games, should Inter progress, if an agreement is reached between the two sides.

Sanchez signed from Arsenal in January 2018 but has failed to impress at Old Trafford and his huge wages have proved to be a sticking point when negotiating deals to try and get him off their books.

He has impressed for Inter since the restart, scoring three goals and grabbing seven assists in the league, and they will be hoping he can help them progress in the Europa League.

Should Inter and United both progress through to the quarters and then the semis, they would are set to face each other in the final in Cologne on August 21.

Chris Smalling finds himself in a similar position at Roma, in that unless an agreement is reached between United and the Italian side for either a permanent deal or a long-term loan agreement, he will not be able to feature in the final Europa League games, should they progress, as his current deal is set to expire at the end of the week.

Source – Goal.com

Paris St-Germain beat Lyon on penalties in the French League Cup final to seal a fourth domestic treble in six years.

Neymar scored PSG’s fifth penalty to take it to sudden death

It was the final French League Cup final, with the decision made last September to cancel the tournament after this season, and ended 0-0.

After the first 10 penalties were scored, PSG keeper Keylor Navas saved from Bertrand Traore before Pablo Sarabia scored the winning kick.

The game was watched by about 5,000 fans at the Stade de France.

It was only the second domestic game in France since Ligue 1 was curtailed in April – with PSG beating Saint-Etienne 1-0 last Friday in the French Cup final.

The game had little in the way of real drama, except Lyon defender Rafael being sent off in the final minute of extra time for fouling Angel di Maria on the edge of the box.

Lyon are now facing a first season without European football since 1996-97, unless they win this season’s Champions League.

They visit Juventus next Friday in the last-16 second leg, holding a 1-0 first-leg win.

PSG, who have won 25 of France’s last 36 domestic trophies, play Atalanta in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, 12 August as they look for a quadruple.

The 2020-21 Ligue 1 season begins on 23 August, the same day as the Champions League final.

Source – BBC News

Aurelio De Laurentiis has admitted he is concerned about Napoli having to travel to Spain for their Champions League clash against Barcelona amid a spike in coronavirus cases in the country.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has doubts about playing their Champions League return leg at the Nou Camp

UEFA confirmed this month that the remaining Champions League and Europa League round of 16 second-leg ties that were postponed in March would be played in the stadiums of the home teams.

The Champions League, from the quarter-finals onwards, will be played as a mini-tournament in Portugal and the Europa League in Germany, but amid a spike in coronavirus cases in Europe, De Laurentiis is worried.
“I hear a lot of perplexity and fear coming from Spain and they’re acting like nothing is wrong. What does it take to say, ‘Don’t go to Barcelona but rather go to Portugal, Germany or Geneva?'” Napoli president De Laurentiis was quoted in The Guardian.

Napoli and Barcelona drew 1-1 in February’s first leg in Naples

Napoli’s last-16 tie with Barcelona is nicely poised at 1-1 ahead of the return leg at the Nou Camp on August 8.

There has been a surge in positive coronavirus tests in Spain taking the country’s total number to over 303,000 cases.

It comes as players from Sevilla, Real Madrid and Almeria have tested positive for the virus this week.

Meanwhile, La Liga Segunda division side Fuenlabrada returned 12 more positive tests, eight of which were from players and staff.

Source – Sky Sports

The 20-year-old winger is close to joining Pep Guardiola’s side this summer, but it is the former Manchester United star who inspires him most.

Photo by Getty/Goal

Ferran Torres says he wants to follow in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo as he nears a move to the Premier League.

As revealed by Goal, The Valencia winger is on the brink of completing a  £21m ($27m) transfer to Manchester City this summer.

The 20-year-old has already reached an agreement over a five-year contract with Pep Guardiola’s side and is expected to replace Leroy Sane, who departed for Bayern Munich.

While Torres has been inspired by City legend David Silva and former Barcelona and Spain striker David Villa, it is former Manchester United star Ronaldo he hopes to emulate with his conduct on and off the field.

“From an early age I had two main references, one when I was very small and he arrived at Valencia and that was David Villa. Villa and David Silva the duo that took Valencia to such great heights,” Torres said in an interview with Guillem Balague.

“But for me, Cristiano above all is a great reference not just because of the way he plays his football but also because of the way he carries himself away from football.

“It is worthy of admiration and I would like to follow his steps.”

He added: “Maybe my best position at the moment is on the flanks but with the passing years when I get a bit older and perhaps lose a bit of speed and the power that I am known for then maybe I will finish playing inside because I have played there in the past.

“Something else they have instilled in me since I was small is that the more positions you can cover on the pitch then the more possibilities you have to play and the more you can contribute.

“As a player I consider myself to be ambitious, someone that wants to win, win, win and of course it is true that as time passes and you feel you are better prepared then you want to take on greater challenges, experience a change of environment. I think I am ready to do so.

“Inside I always think that I am the best, and that I want to be the best and I work to try to be the best. If you don’t believe yourself that you are the best then no one is ever going to believe that you are.”

Source – Goal.com

The Senegalese defender has been heavily linked with a move to Etihad Stadium in the summer transfer window.

Photo by Getty/Goal

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has opened the door to selling Kalidou Koulibaly amid rumours of interest from Manchester City.

Goal has learned that Koulibaly has been identified as a top transfer target by City ahead of the 2020-21 campaign, with Pep Guardiola desperate to bolster his defensive ranks after missing out on a third successive Premier League title.

The Blues are already closing on the £40 million ($52m) signing of Nathan Ake from Bournemouth, who will provide much-needed cover at the back, but the club are still on the lookout for a more experienced performer to slot straight into the team at centre-half.

Koulibaly certainly fits the bill after another stellar campaign at Napoli, during which he has already racked up 32 appearances in all competitions.

The 29-year-old has established himself as one of the top defenders in European football since moving to Stadio san Paolo from Genk in 2014, and he helped the club clinch the Coppa Italia with a final victory over Juventus last month.

The Senegal international still has three years left to run on his current contract, but he refused to move out a summer transfer when quizzed on his future last week.

“I would love to stay at Napoli for life, but I can’t make promises,” Koulibaly told Radio Kiss Kiss .

Although De Laurentiis would be reluctant to sanction a prized asset’s departure, he concedes that a deal could be arranged if an appropriate offer is forthcoming later this summer.

The Napoli chief told Sky Italia : “Kalidou is a great person, I would be terribly sad to lose him. But there is a time for everything, even to move apart.

“But the €90m is not on the table and so it takes two to make a deal.”

One man who looks certain to leave Stadio San Paolo before the start of next season is Arkadiusz Milik, who has turned down the chance to extend his stay at the club beyond 2021.

However, De Laurentiis has warned the Polish striker that he could end up spending a year on the bench if Napoli’s valuation is not met by any potential suitors.

“He is on the market as always. He has not responded for as long as we’ve offered a contract extension. So this action will lead to his departure,” the 71-year-old said of Milik’s current situation.

“Whoever has the best offer will take him, there will not be discounts handed out to anyone. Otherwise, he risks staying at Napoli and probably remaining out of the coach’s selections.”

Source – Goal.com

Mariano Diaz has tested positive for coronavirus, casting doubt on his participation in Real Madrid’s Champions League tie at Manchester City on August 7.

Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz will isolate at home, away from the rest of the squad

Real said tests were conducted on the squad on Monday and though the 26-year-old Dominican international Diaz was in “perfect health”, he would be self-isolating at home.

Real, who trail City 2-1 from the first leg of their last-16 tie before the pandemic suspended the competition in March, are set to play the Premier League side in the second leg on August 7 at the Etihad.

The Spanish club announced via a statement: “After the Covid-19 tests carried out individually on our first-team yesterday by the Real Madrid Medical Services, our player Mariano has given a positive result.

“The player is in perfect health and complying with the sanitary isolation protocol at home.”

Source – Sky Sports

The former Chelsea, Milan and Inter striker is still making his way in management but wants to return to the UK at some stage.

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Hernan Crespo says he wants to return to England as a manager, possibly following in Marcelo Bielsa’s footsteps by cutting his teeth in the Championship.

Unlike his vastly experienced former boss Bielsa, Crespo is relatively new to the coaching game. His current side, Argentine outfit Defensa y Justicia, are the fourth team he has managed, following previous spells at Banfield, Modena and the youth team at Parma.

The former Chelsea, Milan and Inter forward is enjoying coaching and dreaming of a return to British shores.

“I was very happy playing in England, going to training, very happy with the fans,” Crespo told the Daily Mail. “That is why today as a manager I would like to be able to re-live that. I admire the Premier League and even the Championship, too.

“Being a coach is beautiful. Being beside Jose [Mourinho] at Chelsea and Inter, I learned that the manager is 360 degrees.

“How to deal with journalists, doctors, players, backroom staff, the atmosphere, fans, with everything. These three [Mourinho, Bielsa and Carlo Ancelotti] opened up my mind to certain things.”

While Crespo played under his fair share of top managers, he is adamant that his coaching style will be his own – just as his playing style was.

“I admired Marco Van Basten, Romario but I couldn’t be Van Basten or Romario, I had to be Hernan Crespo,” he said.

“I will simply try to put my name on the map without imitating anyone. For me it’s about identity. I like the managers who have identity like Pep Guardiola or Diego Simeone or Jurgen Klopp.”

Away from his future in management, Crespo also spoke about his playing past, including his lowest moment. The then-forward scored twice in the first half of the 2005 Champions League final to give Milan a 3-0 lead at the break, before Liverpool executed their famous comeback in Istanbul.

“I don’t remember what you’re talking about,” he joked when asked about the game.

“The pain was so great, but that is why we love football, because it is not mathematics. Pain won over reason. Things simply happened which had to happen. It’s not something you could control.”

Source – Goal.com