United States right-back Sergino Dest has left Ajax’s training camp in Qatar because he did “not feel comfortable”, the Dutch club have said.

Dest chose to represent the US in October

It comes amid rising political tensions between the US and Qatar’s neighbour Iran.

Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani was killed at Baghdad airport in an air strike ordered by US president Donald Trump.

Iran retaliated by firing missiles at air bases housing US forces in Iraq.

On Saturday, US Soccer postponed a men’s training camp in Qatar – which will host the 2022 World Cup – because of “developing tensions” in the region.

Dest, 19, was born in the Dutch city of Almere but has an American father and chose to represent the US in October. He has won three caps.

“Sergino Dest has asked if he could leave Ajax’s training camp in Qatar,” Ajax said in a statement. “He didn’t feel comfortable. Ajax understands his request and has responded to it.”

Dest will return to Amsterdam to train with Ajax’s reserve team.

Source – BBC News

Ashley Young has rejected a one-year contract extension at Manchester United because of a lack of playing time.

Young has won 39 caps for England, the last of which came at the 2018 World Cup

Young, 34, hopes to join Inter Milan this month, but failing that, plans to sign for the Serie A leaders in the summer when he will be a free agent.

United are still to decide whether to let the defender leave during January as they regard him as an important member of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad.

He has made 18 appearances this term, but has only started 10 league games.

Young joined United from Aston Villa in 2011 and has been part of squads that won the Premier League, FA Cup and EFL Cup.

He has played 261 times for the Old Trafford club.

Source – BBC News

The Catalans fell at the semi-final stage after throwing away the lead in the final minutes to lose 3-2 in Saudi Arabia.

Lionel Messi was left to rue a series of “childish mistakes” in Jeddah as his Barcelona side crashed out of the Supercopa at the hands of Atletico Madrid .

In the first-ever playing of the new-look competition in Saudi Arabia, Barca went behind to a goal from Koke seconds after the game restarted after half time.

The Catalans rallied, with Messi and Antoine Griezmann – scoring his first goal against his former employers – turning the tables and Barca also seeing two goals disallowed via VAR.

Alvaro Morata then restored parity to 2-2 from the penalty spot, and Atleti were unlucky not to receive another spot-kick in a frantic finale before Angel Correa scored the decisive goal four minutes from the end.

Atletico go on to face Madrid rivals Real in the final on Sunday while Barca prepare for an early flight home, to the evident displeasure of their captain.

“It is a shame, we played a great game, after so long we felt good again, we were in control, dominated and attacked all the time,” Messi told reporters in Jeddah.

“We let it slip through certain mistakes when [Atletico] were already almost dead, in less than 10 minutes they turned round a game that we should have seen out.

“It hurts because it is a title and we wanted to be in the final and win it, we showed a different side to what we have been showing recently against Espanyol and at the end of last year, we played a good game but sadly we couldn’t get the victory.

“We have taken a step forward today despite the defeat but we are aware that we have not been doing things the way we want, we do not want to make these childish mistakes again.”

Defeat has once more placed Ernesto Valverde under the spotlight , with the coach the target of criticisms from Barca fans for his side’s mixed performances.

Messi admitted that the pressure was on, but called on the Catalans to show a united front as they prepare for the final months of the 2019-20 season.

“We will keep working and trying to improve, now we will have more days to prepare for the next game, we have to improve a lot and despite the fact that we have not been playing well we will try to get our play back,” he added.

“It is normal when there are defeats and we don’t achieve our goals, the fans see that their team isn’t playing as they would like, as we would like, it is normal for them to speak out but we have to be more together than ever, it is a difficult situation because we let slip a title that we wanted to win but we have to look forward.

Source – Goal.com

The Liverpool star has won the prize for the first time, holding off competition from his club team-mate and the Algeria winger.

Photo by Getty

Sadio Mane has beaten Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah and Manchester City‘s Riyad Mahrez to the CAF African Player of the Year award for 2019.

Mane was a stand-out player as Liverpool went all the way in the 2018-19 Champions League, while he has also enjoyed a strong start to the 2019-20 Premier League campaign.

The Senegal international placed in the top three in each of the previous three years, finishing runner-up to Salah in 2017 and 2018, and third in 2016, when Mahrez came first.

But the 27-year-old has now claimed Africa’s top individual prize after establishing himself among the world’s top players.

“I am very happy and so proud to win the award this year,” Mane said upon receiving the accolade.

“I love football and anything related to it, I am glad to be here with all of you. I dedicate this award to my family, my team-mates in Liverpool, my manager Jurgen Klopp and all of the Egyptians.

“It is a great day for me and for my career. I would like to thank all of the Senegalese who supported me during my journey. I am feeling happy because they will be glad watching me winning this award, especially the people in my village whom I promised I would win Player of the Year. I would like to thank them in French to best express my feelings.

“I cannot describe my feelings after winning this award and these emotions which surround me in Egypt. Thank you, everyone.”

Mane was the co-winner of the 2018-19 Premier League Golden Boot after scoring 22 goals, sharing the award with his fellow African stars Salah and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Liverpool won the Champions League last term and came close in the Premier League as well, falling one point short as Manchester City won the English top tier for a second straight campaign.

But Mane’s side appear well positioned to end a 30-year English title drought this term, having opened up a 13-point lead atop the table in 2019-20.

Mane has again played a starring role, having scored 11 league goals while adding another two strikes in the Champions League as Jurgen Klopp’s men have advanced to the last 16, where they will face Atletico Madrid.

Mane was also named as part of a star-studded CAF best XI, which also included Andre Onana, Serge Aurier, Joel Matip, Kalidou Koulibaly​, Achraf Hakimi, Idrissa Gueye, Mahrez, Hakim Ziyech, Salah and Aubameyang.

Dortmund full-back Hakimi was also named the African Youth Player of the Year as he continues to impress for club and his country Morocco.

Nigeria and Barcelona star Asisat Oshoala claimed the prize as the CAF African Women’s Player of the Year.

In other awards, Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi was named the Men’s Coach of the Year, while South Africa‘s Desiree Ellis won the prize on the women’s side.

Algeria were also named the Men’s National Team of the Year after winning the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, while Cameroon were named the Women’s National Team of the Year after becoming one of just two African teams, along with Nigeria, to advance to the knockout stage of the tournament.

Source – Goal.com

The reigning champions took a massive step towards a third successive Carabao Cup final appearance with a commanding 3-1 victory at Old Trafford.

Photo by Getty

For the first time this century, Manchester United conceded three first-half goals at Old Trafford. They were fortunate it wasn’t more.

Out-thought and outclassed by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, the hosts were given a painful reminder of just how far they have fallen behind their cross-town rivals.

Indeed, the Catalan coach masterminded a dominant and devastating 45 minutes of football that embarrassed United in their own backyard.

United may have restored some pride by pulling a goal back after the interval through Marcus Rashford but, in truth, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer never produced an answer to the problems Pep had posed.

City are looking to land the Carabao Cup for a third successive year. United, by contrast, appeared to be playing more in hope that expectation that they could end a three-year wait for silverware and give their noisy neighbours a bloody nose on the way.

They barely landed a blow until Rashford finished off a fine second-half breakaway, which gave them hope that a trip to the Etihad Stadium – where they have had some success in recent years – might be worth making.

However, they had already been taken apart by a Guardiola tactical masterplan that looked like it had killed the tie off by half-time in the first leg.

The former Barcelona boss resembled a chess grandmaster as he stood on the edge of the technical area, pointing and shifting his players throughout. In the home dugout, Solskjaer could only sit and watch City run rings around his players.

Guardiola was at least three steps ahead of his opposite number, and it will have been a useful footballing lesson for Wayne Rooney, back at Old Trafford as a spectator, as the United legend begins his burgeoning coaching career at Derby County.

Solskjaer’s strategy was clear: soak up the pressure and try to catch City’s slow defence on the counterattack.

It worked at the Etihad a month ago and Guardiola wasn’t going to change his philosophy of playing high up the pitch and trying to dominate possession. Only this time the City boss made small changes that that made a huge difference.

His first surprise arrived an hour before kick-off when he left his two main strikers, Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus, on the bench, with Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne selected as false nines.

The energy of the two midfield dynamos was too much for United, as the pair drifted all over the pitch, playing as the furthest players forward one minute, and screening the back four the next.

Bernardo, in particular, was outstanding, producing the kind of all-action display that saw Guardiola describe him as the most effective player in the Premier League.

It was the Portuguese who opened the scoring with a stunning 17th-minute strike that flew past David De Gea form 25 yards out and he then turned provider, putting Riyad Mahrez in on goal for City’s second.

The visitors’ third goal was all about an outrageous feint from De Bruyne that sent Phil Jones hurtling towards the Sir Alex Ferguson stand. Unfortunately, the Belgian’s subsequent shot was saved but the ball rebounded off Andreas Pereira and into the net.

A 3-0 lead was just rewarded for a classic City performance, one founded upon innovation and industry, perfectly personified by Bernardo. However, he wasn’t the only player to shine.

Rodri flitted between midfield and defence to brilliant effect, shutting down United at every opportunity, Ilkay Gundogan offered intelligent control of the ball, while Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy surged forward incessantly from wide positions.

At the back, Fernandinho and the much-maligned Nicolas Otamendi were too wily for United’s youthful attacking duo of Rashford and Mason Greenwood as the home side failed to have a shot on target in the first half.

Rashford and Greenwood did conjure a goal between them with 20 minutes to go, after Angel Gomes had stolen possession in midfield, but United never really looked like getting themselves back into the game, or indeed the tie.

In last season’s semi-final first leg, City beat League One Burton Albion 9-0, rendering the return fixture irrelevant.

They could have done likewise at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. They really should have. The gulf in class was that big at times. Between both sets of players, and their respective managers.

Source – Goal.com

Gareth Bale has been left out of Real Madrid’s squad for the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia due to illness.

Gareth Bale has scored two goals for Real Madrid this season

The club said the Wales forward, who has been linked with a move away from the Bernabeu in the transfer window, had been “diagnosed with an infection in the upper respiratory tract”.

Madrid take on Valencia in their Super Cup semi-final in Jeddah at the King Abdullah Stadium on Wednesday.

Eden Hazard, who joined Real from Chelsea in the summer, is another notable absentee for the Spanish side.

Eden Hazard has been out since November with an ankle injury

The Belgium international has not played since November, when he suffered an ankle injury during a 2-2 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League group game.

Meanwhile, Karim Benzema misses out with a leg injury. The Frenchman has only missed one game this season.

Bale, Hazard and Benzema will remain back in Madrid with Mariano Diaz, James Rodriguez, Lucas Vazquez and Brahim Diaz.

Source – Sky Sport

Roma legend Daniele De Rossi has retired from professional football at the age of 36 after leaving Boca Juniors, according to Sky in Italy.

Daniele De Rossi has retired from football after leaving Boca Juniors – Sky in Italy

His contract with the Argentine side was due to expire in June but the Italian World Cup winner has decided to retire from playing and could now return to Rome in a new role.

Doubts had emerged about De Rossi’s stay in Argentina after changes at the top of the Buenos Aires club following elections. It is understood that he will explain the reasons for his decision and what he plans to do next at an upcoming news conference.

De Rossi joined Boca Juniors on a one-year deal in July

De Rossi joined Boca Juniors on a one-year deal in July following 18 years at Roma. He had previously expressed an admiration for the Bombonera in 2017.

However, he only managed six games for Boca, with injuries hampering his stay in the Primera Division.

Daniele De Rossi only managed six games for Boca

De Rossi was a product of Roma’s youth system and made 616 appearances for the Italian side, winning two Coppa Italias and one Supercoppa Italiana.

Source – Sky Sport

The Blues stalwart spoke of an incident that nearly took the life of the Russian businessman while on holiday.

Chelsea legend Pat Nevin has revealed he nearly killed the club’s owner Roman Abramovich while on holiday in Scotland.

The Scottish winger was on a trip to his home country and was driving around the Isle of Arran when he nearly hit a cyclist while turning a corner.

Nevin was shocked to see that the man he nearly knocked off the bike was none other than the famous Chelsea owner – who still isn’t aware that his brush with death involved a former Blues player.

“About three years ago I was on holiday in Arran and I was driving up the north side of Arran,” Nevin said on BBC Radio Scotland.

“Every time you go on holiday there, you drive round the whole island.

“I came round a corner at the top just before Lochranza and I nearly hit a guy on a bike.

“I just got out the way at the last moment, I could have killed the guy. It was Roman Abramovich.

“What a story that would have been if I had killed Roman Abramovich. I just missed him.

“His yacht was off the coast and he was cycling round.

“He doesn’t know to this day that it was me.”

Scotland international Nevin, who played for the London club between 1983 and 1988 spoke of his friendly relationship with Abramovich, who has overseen Chelsea’s most successful era, with the club winning five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and the Champions League.

He revealed Abramovich, who became owner of Chelsea in 2003, was a ‘shy’ man, who generally didn’t communicate with people unless approached first.

“I have met him quite a few times. He is phenomenally shy, he is an incredibly shy person,” the 56-year-old said.

“I was down DJing in London about two years ago. I was sitting in a sports place at the back of Stamford Bridge and he caught my eye.

Source – Goal.com

The 34-year-old shows no sign of slowing down as he adds to his ever-growing list of goalscoring achievements.

Photo by Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to write his name in the record books after beginning 2020 with a hat-trick for Juventus in their 4-0 win against Cagliari in Serie A on Monday.

His second-half treble in Turin means he becomes just the second player to score a Serie A hat-trick, a La Liga hat-trick and a Premier League hat-trick this century, after Alexis Sanchez.

Sanchez achieved this feat when he scored a hat-trick for Arsenal in a 5-2 win against Leicester at the King Power Stadium in September 2015, having previously hit trebles for Barcelona and Udinese.

Ronaldo, of course, hit league hat-tricks for Manchester United and Real Madrid prior to his effort for the Bianconeri at Allianz Stadium.

After a goalless first half, Ronaldo opened the scoring four minutes after the restart before doubling Juve’s lead from the penalty spot midway through the second period.

The 34-year-old then turned provider by setting up Gonzalo Higuain to make it 3-0 with eight minutes remaining. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid man then completed his hat-trick a minute later to wrap-up a thumping win.

It was the Portugal forward’s 36th league hat-trick of his career – no player has scored more in Europe’s big five leagues since 2008. That includes his great rival Lionel Messi, who is second on the list with 34, while Luiz Suarez is a distant third with 16.

In total, Ronaldo has now scored 56 hat-tricks for club and country, with his ninth treble for Portugal against Lithuania in November equalling the international record for most hat-tricks held by Sweden’s Sven Rydell.

Ronaldo’s opening goal also meant he became the first player to score at least one goal in one of Europe’s top five leagues in each of the last 18 years, stretching all the way back to his first goal for Manchester United against Portsmouth in November 2003.

There are only two other players currently active who can match this feat – 38-year-old Real Betis forward Joaquin and 41-year-old Werder Bremen striker Claudio Pizarro.

Source – Goal.com