The Red Devils believe their trademark has been infringed by the popular video game.

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Manchester United are suing Sega Publishing and Sports Interactive (SI) over the use of the club’s name in their popular Football Manager game.

The Red Devils, who announced on Thursday that their net debt had increased to £429.1 million ($515m) – a rise of £127.4m – over the space of a year after making a pre-tax loss of close to £29m in the first three months of 2020, have argued that their trademark has been infringed by the use of their name in the title.

Furthermore, the Old Trafford side argue that by not using their logo in conjunction with their name, they are depriving “the registered proprietor of its right to have the club crest licensed.”

Countering this, Sega and SI have said the use of the club name is “a legitimate reference to the Manchester United football team in a football context,” adding that United have not previously complained over their name being used in the best-selling series since 1992, when the game was known as Championship Manager.

They go on to argue that United are attempting to “prevent legitimate competition in the video games field by preventing parties not licensed by the claimant from using the name of the Manchester United football team within such games.”

Representing the defendants, Roger Wyand said in a written defence: “The claimant has acquiesced in the use by the defendants of the name of the Manchester United football team in the Football Manager game and cannot now complain of such use.

“Copies of the game have also been sent by SI to a number of officials and players at the [club] for a number of years and there have been a number of positive press comments and tweets about the game by them.

“Further, the claimant’s staff working in the data analytics and scouting teams have contacted SI on various occasions asking for access to the Football Manager database for scouting and research purposes.”

Conversely, United have argued that Sega and SI have “encouraged” the use of patches, which in turn circumvent the need to buy a licence for the club’s logo.

Mr Justice Morgan, presiding over the case, reserved his judgement to a later date.

Source – Goal.com

The famous San Siro in Milan is set to be replaced by a new stadium after Italy’s heritage authority raised no objections to its demolition.

The present day San Siro has a capacity of around 80,000

AC Milan and Inter Milan share the venue, which was built in 1926.

Last year the clubs filed a request to jointly build a new 60,000-seater stadium next to the existing ground.

Although approval from heritage authorities is not the final decision, it is an important step towards implementing the plan.

According to an opinion from the authority to the Milan municipality which owns the site, the arena does not have any architectural significance that would prevent its demolition.

The San Siro has undergone several redevelopments and only a small remnant of the oldest part of the stadium remains.

City representatives, including Milan’s mayor Giuseppe Sala, had repeatedly questioned plans to completely demolish the San Siro and the clubs have modified initial projects which would have seen the entire stadium destroyed.

Plans under discussion include replacing most of the old arena but retaining part of it as a landmark around which the clubs would build new sport facilities available to the public.

The stadium has had several redevelopments in its 94-year history

The San Siro is situated in the west of Milan, around three miles from the city centre

Source – BBC News

The LAFC star says he was inspired while watching the 10-part series on the Chicago Bulls.

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Like virtually every sports fan across America and the world, Carlos Vela developed a Sunday routine over the last five weeks.

For the first time since Game of Thrones went off the air in summer 2019, the U.S. was united by a true television phenomenon: The Last Dance. The documentary, a 10-part event broadcast over five weeks, followed Michael Jordan’s rise to his place as the most revered basketball player of all time while focusing on his final season with the Chicago Bulls in 1997-98.

With American sports suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, The Last Dance became a phenomenon. The series of episodes offered deep dives into one of the greatest athletes and one of the greatest teams of all time, filling everyone’s Sunday with larger-than-life stories about Jordan and his six NBA titles.

Vela, a massive basketball fan, was instantly hooked.

“Of course. Every Sunday I was there,” Vela told Goal. “My wife wasn’t happy. But I said, ‘these two hours, these are for me’.”

The Los Angeles FC star has long been a fan of the NBA. In the past, Vela has stated that he actually prefers basketball to soccer and, in his free time, he chooses to spend his moments away from his own sport by following the NBA.

Vela recently uploaded a video of him, in full Los Angeles Lakers gear, dunking on his own hoop while the Mexican international also expressed excitement at starring alongside James Harden in a new ad for sports drink BODYARMOR.

Over the last five weeks, Vela, like the rest of the country, was offered an insight into Jordan’s mindset as a leader, for better or worse. The series detailed the famous grudges and perceived slights that fueled his career. It discussed Jordan’s gambling, or as he calls it “competition”, problems.

Most poignantly, the series revealed Jordan’s leadership style, which often pushed teammates to their limit physically and mentally. At the end of the seventh episode, an emotional Jordan reflected on criticisms of how far he pushed those that played alongside him before tearfully calling for a break in the interview.

“When people see this they are going say, ‘Well he wasn’t really a nice guy. He may have been a tyrant.’ Well, that’s you. Because you never won anything,” Jordan said.

“I wanted to win, but I wanted them to win to be a part of that as well. Look, I don’t have to do this. I am only doing it because it is who I am. That’s how I played the game. That was my mentality. If you don’t want to play that way, don’t play that way.”

Throughout his career, Vela has played with a number of big players. And, having watched Jordan’s leadership style and his ability to push teammates further than they thought they could be pushed, the Mexican star says he was reminded of former Arsenal star Thierry Henry.

Henry and Vela never took the field together at Arsenal, as Vela was loaned out throughout his early years with the club due to a work permit issue. But the Mexican star says Henry’s leadership still stood out, giving him a Jordan-like presence.

“Thierry Henry was a really hard guy,” he said. “He tried every day to be the best and he pushed the young guys to work more, to be professional, to try to bring everything to every training.

“He would say, ‘if you train hard, you can play hard’. Thierry Henry was an inspiration to me and you can see the career he had. I’m proud to have said I can play with him. He’s a good leader.”

Vela’s personality, meanwhile, is a bit more laid back, but he’s still found plenty of success since making the move to MLS ahead of LAFC’s expansion season.

The winger smashed MLS records last season by scoring 34 goals in 31 matches, helping guide LAFC to a Supporters’ Shield and an MLS record for points in a season.

But, as he looks to add an MLS Cup to his resume, Vela says he learned a lot from watching Jordan’s rise to NBA immortality.

“I wasn’t surprised. You are not there to see it day by day, but when you see what Michael Jordan did, you feel something special, something different than the rest,” he said.

“I feel like I have a lot of things to learn from Michael Jordan to try and be the best. I take it as motivation. Maybe I have to be more hard, do more things to help my teammates to be better so we can win more championships.”

Source – Goal.com

The rising Norwegian star has been backed to shine in Spain when the time is right.

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Rivaldo believes Erling Haaland is destined for a big transfer and can prosper in La Liga as Real Madrid eye the Borussia Dortmund sensation.

Haaland only joined Dortmund from Salzburg in January but the 19-year-old has already been linked to La Liga giants Madrid.

The Norwegian forward has scored 10 Bundesliga goals in just nine appearances, and 13 across all competitions for Dortmund.

Former Barcelona star Rivaldo has backed Haaland to light up La Liga in the future and believes he does have the qualities to potentially reach the level of Brazilian legend Ronaldo.

“He is already a great player, but at 19 he could be even better in the future and become one of the best attackers in the world,” Rivaldo wrote for Betfair.

“He has a lot of personality, plays without fear and looks very calm on the pitch, so he is a world-class player that still has a lot to learn and it’s normal that so many clubs are chasing him.

“Some people are already comparing Haaland’s style to Ronaldo Nazario and there might be some similarities as Haaland, as he’s quick, fearless and scores a lot, but it’s too early to start thinking he will be Ronaldo’s successor.

“Ronaldo won two World Cups and participated in four. He also dazzled the world with his runs and goals, so we need time to see if Haaland can reach Ronaldo’s level. But Haaland does seem to have the qualities to at least get close to my brilliant team-mate.

“Real Madrid seems to be Haaland’s preferred destination in the summer and he is showing enough quality to prosper in Spanish football. His ruthlessness in front of goal is putting him in a privileged situation and Barcelona could be a good alternative option for him. He will be a great signing for the club that manages to complete his transfer.

“It will also be outstanding business for Dortmund who signed him for €20 million in January and now may receive almost four times that at the end of season. Perhaps Barcelona and Real Madrid were distracted in January, but no one would have guessed that Haaland would make such an immediate impact at Dortmund.

“I do not think it was a mistake for Barca not to sign him in January. We never know how a player will adapt by moving from the Austrian league into a top European league.

“If he had signed for Real Madrid he could be just a substitute, and now he will arrive as a star player who has to be a starter.”

Source – Goal.com

Italy’s football federation (FIGC) has set 20 August as the deadline for finishing the season, with the new campaign starting on 1 September.

Juventus lead the Serie A table by a point

The current season has been on pause since mid-March because of coronavirus but the FIGC still intends to finish the top three divisions.

There are still 12 rounds of matches remaining in Serie A, while four other games are also outstanding.

Juventus, chasing a ninth successive title, lead the table by a point.

The federation also announced that if any of the top three divisions should restart and then stop again, a shorter alternative of a play-off would have to be devised.

However, if it was not possible to complete the season even with play-offs, it would implement a coefficient system.

Serie C presents the biggest challenge as it features 60 clubs, divided into three regional groups, with many in difficult financial situations.

Source – BBC News

The iconic left-back had already met with Roman Abramovich and Peter Kenyon and was all set to move to Stamford Bridge on a free transfer.

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Brazil legend Roberto Carlos has revealed that he was “very close” to joining Chelsea in 2007, only for the transfer to collapse at the last minute.

The former defender was a free agent at the time, having parted company with Real Madrid after 11 trophy-laden years at Santiago Bernabeu.

“I had two proposals, Fenerbahce and Chelsea,” Carlos told Goal after the Challenge Heineken Legends. “Chelsea didn’t work out so I signed for Fenerbahce.

“But, with Chelsea, it got very close. It was literally agreed and I just had to go there and sign the contract.

“It was just a week before I signed for Fenerbahce and I had been to Paris to meet both Roman Abramovich and (former chief executive) Peter Kenyon.

“Unfortunately, in the final moments something didn’t work out just before finalising, which happens a lot in football. There was an issue with the lawyer.

“It was all agreed, though, and I am 100 per cent sure I would have done well in the Premier League and it would have suited my characteristics.”

Carlos also revealed that he could even have ended up in England as a 22-year-old.

“I was still playing in Brazil with Palmeiras when Aston Villa came in for me in 1995 but they couldn’t afford the deal,” he explained. “After that, I went to Inter.”

Carlos, of course, endured a difficult season in Italy but then went on to establish himself as one of the finest left-backs of all time, after joining Madrid in 1997.

He won three Champions Leagues and four Liga titles with the Blancos, while he also lifted the World Cup in 2002.

Brazil have not been crowned world champions since, but Carlos is optimistic about his country’s latest crop of young players.

“Vinicius Junior and Rodrigo of Real Madrid are the future, along with Flamengo’s Gerson,” he declared. “These are the guys I am most excited about.

“All three are fantastic players and they will be very successful.”

As for his own position, Carlos believes that compatriot Marcelo is now the reference point for all aspiring left-backs.

“I feel like I was an example to follow after what I achieved, just like what Marcelo is doing now in Real Madrid,” he argued. “People will follow Marcelo just as they followed me.”

Source – Goal.com

Manchester City’s appeal against a two-year ban from European club competition will begin on 8 June at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

Manchester City have made 10 appearances in the Uefa Champions League, including reaching the last 16 in the 2019-20 competition before it was suspended

The Premier League champions were given the punishment by Uefa in February after being found to have committed “serious breaches” of club licensing and financial fair play regulations.

City have denied the breaches, saying they are “simply not true”.

The hearing is listed for three days and is not open to the public.

Cas said “some hearings may be conducted by video conference” because of the travel restrictions in place because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cas arbitration procedures involve an exchange of written submissions between the parties while a panel of arbitrators is convened to hear the appeal.

The independent adjudicatory chamber of the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) – Uefa’s financial watchdog – said it found City had broken the rules by “overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to Uefa between 2012 and 2016”, adding that the club “failed to cooperate in the investigation”.

At the time, City said they were “disappointed but not surprised” by the “prejudicial” decision and would appeal.

Uefa launched an investigation after German newspaper Der Spiegel published leaked documents in November 2018 alleging City had inflated the value of a sponsorship deal, misleading European football’s governing body.

Reports alleged City – who have always denied wrongdoing – deliberately misled Uefa so they could meet financial fair play rules requiring clubs to break even.

Source – BBC News

Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi returned to limited training on Tuesday following his arrest in the early hours of Sunday.

Callum Hudson-Odoi, right, has played 17 Premier League games this season, scoring once

The 19-year-old England international was held on suspicion of rape after a woman was taken to hospital.

He was released on bail and then cleared to train at Cobham after a coronavirus test proved negative.

Players were only allowed to train in small groups as part of the Premier League’s phase one training return.

Hudson-Odoi was pictured training in a group with midfielder N’Golo Kante, forward Christian Pulisic, defender Kurt Zouma and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Neither Hudson-Odoi nor Chelsea have commented on the events of Sunday morning, with the arrest made at 03:53 BST.

In March, Hudson-Odoi, who has three England caps and signed a new five-year contract with the Blues in September, became the first Premier League player to test positive for Covid-19, before making a full recovery.

On Tuesday, the Premier League announced that six players and staff had tested positive for coronavirus across three clubs.

Source – BBC News

DFB President Fritz Keller says he has spoken to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge about the idea and they will now make a written proposal.

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Bayern Munich and the German Football Association (DFB) want UEFA President Aleksandar Ceferin to introduce a salary cap in European football.

DBF President Fritz Keller criticised the “absurd salaries and transfer fees” which he feels now characterise the top end of the game.

Keller revealed that he has spoken with Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge about the idea and that the pair are in agreement, and will be making a proposal to UEFA as a result.

“There are absurd salaries and transfer fees that are no longer credible,” Keller told reporters.

“We have to talk about salary caps. I am glad that I agree with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on this point.

“Therefore, we will write a letter to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.”

Rummenigge alluded to the idea in an interview with Sky at the weekend, noting that former UEFA President Michel Platini had suggested it years ago, touting the idea of following the salary-cap model used in the United States.

He said Platini had the support of Europe’s biggest clubs, but “we were told from the outset that this could not be brought into line with competition laws.”

Keller added: “The end result must be a regulation that conforms to European law and also applies to Britain.

“We must bring professional football closer to the people again.

“The current crisis has brought to light problems in football that were previously overshadowed by ever new [transfer] records.”

The current world transfer record is the €222 million (£198m/$263m) Paris Saint-Germain spent to sign Neymar from Barcelona.

In a post-coronavirus world, it seems unlikely that record will be broken any time soon.

Former Bayern president Uli Hoeness has said he doesn’t believe there will be €100m transfers in the coming years while Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici has predicted that football will begin to resemble the NBA.

That would mean an increase in player swap deals, rather than straight cash transfers.

Away from such matters, Keller also confirmed that an argument between himself and Rummenigge had been resolved.

Keller had made some derogatory comments about the “bigotry” of millionaires in football which Rumennigge took to be aimed at Bayern, but he now says they have spoken about the matter and put it behind them.

Source – Goal.com

The club announced that one player and two staff members are set to self-isolate as part of guidelines set by the English top division.

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Watford have announced that three people at the club have tested positive for the coronavirus over the last two days.

On Tuesday, the Premier League confirmed that there were six positive Covid-19 results returned from a total of ​748 tests administered to players and club staff on Sunday and Monday.

The league confirmed that the positive tests came from three different clubs, with one of the positive tests revealed to be Burnley assistant manager Ian Woan, who the club says is “asymptomatic and is currently safe and well at home.”

Then, on Tuesday night, Watford confirmed that one player and two staff members have tested positive and will begin a period of self-isolation.

“Watford Football Club confirms that three people have tested positive for the Covid-19 virus following testing at the training ground over the past 48 hours,” the club said in a statement.

“Of those three positive tests, one is a player and two are members of staff. All three have asked that medical confidentiality be respected and, therefore, the club will not be naming those involved.

“All three will now self-isolate for seven days – in line with the protocols set out in Premier League guidelines – before being tested again at a later date.

“Strict adherence to the Premier League guidelines has ensured the training ground remains virus-free and a safe environment for the players to continue to work. The club will continue to liaise closely with the affected personnel and there will be no further comment.”

On Monday, the Premier League announced that teams can begin training in “small groups” starting Tuesday after a meeting of shareholders approved the plans.

The Premier League has been suspended since March as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, with the league still eyeing a return to play in June.

Watford captain Troy Deeney has previously spoken out in opposition to plans to get the 2019-20 campaign back underway, stating that he would not put his family at risk for a return to football.

Deeney insisted he was not prepared to risk becoming infected at training and then spread it to his family, particularly amid concerns that black, Asian and minority ethnic people are more susceptible to the virus.

The Bundesliga became the first major European league to resume their season this weekend, as the German top-flight returned to play behind closed doors.

Source – Goal.com