All 20 Serie A clubs have made a united pledge to combat Italian football’s “serious problem” with racism because there is no more “time to waste”.

Mario Balotelli has been among the players targeted by racist abuse in a number of incidents which have blighted Serie A matches this season

The top-flight clubs said they could “no longer stay silent” after several recent incidents in which Serie A players have been racially abused.

“It’s a problem we have not done enough to combat over the years,” the clubs said in an open letter on Friday.

“We, the undersigned clubs, are united by our desire for serious change.”

Earlier this month, Brescia’s Mario Balotelli called fans who shouted racist abuse at him “small minded” and “imbeciles”.

Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku said the abuse he suffered in September, when Cagliari fans made monkey noises after the Belgian scored a penalty, showed the game was “going backwards”.

The Sardinian club were later cleared of racist chanting, leading the head of anti-discriminatory body Fare to say that Italian football authorities and their disciplinary systems to combat racism were “not fit for purpose”.

Serie A says it intends to deliver “a comprehensive and robust” anti-racism policy with new, stricter laws and regulations.

“Images of players being racially abused in Italian football have been viewed and discussed all around the world this season and that shames us all,” the letter added.

“No individual should ever be subjected to racist abuse – inside or outside of football – and we can no longer stay silent on this issue or wait for it to magically disappear.

“We don’t have any more time to waste.

“We must now act with speed, with purpose and with unity and we call on you, the fans, to support us in this vitally important endeavour.”

Source – BBC News

The football federation in Chile has announced it is to cancel the rest of the season due to security concerns following weeks of anti-government protests.

Football is Chile’s most popular sport (file photo)/Getty Images

All matches were suspended when the violence began six weeks ago.

The six remaining fixtures have all been cancelled and no teams will be relegated or promoted.

Universidad Católica, who were leading the championship by 13 points, have been declared the champions.

Their opponents have agreed to abandon the rest of the season and give Universidad Católica a 14th league title.

The World Rally Championship motor race Rally Chile has also been cancelled due to the unrest.

It was scheduled to take place in April, the month in which the government has agreed to hold a referendum on a change to the country’s constitution.

What are the protests about?

The protests were triggered by an announcement that public transport fares would rise in the capital, Santiago.

Demonstrations quickly spread across the country and grew into a general revolt against inequality, the high price of health care and poor funding for education.

Harsh repression by the security forces further stoked the anger of those protesting as did the response by President Sebastián Piñera, who declared a state of emergency and said the country was “at war”.

At least 26 people have been killed and hundreds injured in the unrest.

Two weeks ago, President Piñera agreed to a referendum asking Chileans whether they want to introduce changes to the constitution.

The current constitution came into force in 1980 when the country was still under military rule.

Source – BBC News

Once an Arsenal Invincible, the ex-midfielder has been appointed as interim head coach while the club searches for a replacement for Unai Emery.

Photo by Getty Images

It was a brief speech, lasting no longer than 60 seconds, but Freddie Ljungberg left the Arsenal squad knowing exactly what he wanted from them.

He wanted passion, desire and, most of all, he wanted unity.

The Swede had seen firsthand the damage that had been done by the breakdown in the relationship between Unai Emery and the majority his squad in recent weeks, both in terms of performances on the pitch and work around the training ground.

And so when he faced his players for the first time in the changing room at London Colney on Friday morning, Ljungberg wanted to make his point.

It was a point that was welcomed by those who were listening. Emery may not have had the respect of everyone in his changing room, but Ljungberg certainly does.

Wherever you go when you walk through the corridors at Arsenal’s training ground you see pictures from the club’s Arsene Wenger-inspired glory years and many include Ljungberg in his pomp, celebrating key goals or grasping some treasured silverware.

Arsenal now have an Invincible in charge and that alone demands respect.

But it’s not just what he achieved as a player that ensures the 42-year-old is held in high esteem by the current squad. Since his promotion to the first-team set-up in the summer from his role within the academy as under-23s boss, Ljungberg has become a hugely popular figure with the senior players who have been impressed with his coaching ability.

He is hands on, he is demanding but he is approachable. There is a connection there and the players want to hear from him and to learn from him. Whereas Emery would often keep his distance from the group, Ljungberg will always be involved firsthand, making sure he gets his points across clearly.

“However long I oversee Arsenal for, I will give everything I have to put smiles on faces again,” said Ljungberg in a message to fans on social media.

“We have a busy few weeks ahead and the team needs your support.”

The relationships Ljungberg has with the younger players in the squad need little explanation. He was their coach last season for the U23s and many would run through a brick wall for him.

Talk to players such as Joe Willock or Bukayo Saka and their eyes light up at the mention of his name.

Willock flourished under the two-time Premier League winner last season while playing for the U23s. It was a breakthrough campaign for the academy product who had been struggling to live up to his potential prior to working with Ljungberg.

“Freddie is not only a legend, he’s an unbelievable manager and coach,” said the 20-year-old, who has scored four goals in 17 appearances for the senior side this season.

“He’s a mentor for me, he showed me a lot behind the scenes that people don’t really know about.

“He’s improved my whole overall game. If I’m being specific, getting in the pockets when I’m playing No.10 and attacking at No.8.

“He showed me a lot of different tactics to get space and turn to attack other teams. Every day I’m working with him and I’m learning from him.”

Ljungberg prefers to operate with a 4-2-3-1 system, a formation that certainly got the best out of Willock last season with the U23s.

The midfielder primarily operated as part of the central pairing in midfield. He was tasked with winning the ball back high up the pitch and then leading the charge with wingers like Xavier Amaechi and Saka either side bombing down either flank, with one of either Tyreece John-Jules or Eddie Nketiah up front and Emile Smith Rowe in behind.

Ljungberg wants his teams to press high up the pitch, a tactic Emery tried to implement during his time in north London – but one he failed miserably to install.

And that should suit Arsenal going forward when you look at the make-up of their squad. Nicolas Pepe will be hoping to get far more of a look-in than in recent weeks and players like Saka and Reiss Nelson will be eagerly anticipating working under the Swede once again.

“Freddie’s information is vital for me because I play in the same position as him and he’s been a big part in my progress,” said Saka after producing a man-of-the-match display against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League in September.

“He gives a lot of advice to me every day but the best piece of advice he’s given me is to stay humble.

“He’s been with me since I was 15, seen me do amazing things but he always tells me to stay humble and to keep working hard because he really thinks I can be a top player.”

Source – Goal.com

The forward will face old side Atletico Madrid having scored just five times for the Blaugrana – but was his strike against Dortmund a turning point?

Photo by Getty

Returning to the Wanda Metropolitano was always going to be a testing experience for Antoine Griezmann.

Atletico Madrid fans remain upset by his controversial summer transfer to Barcelona and a fiery reception awaits the French forward on Sunday night.

Griezmann had hoped to meet his former side feeling at home on and off the field at Camp Nou, secure in his belief that he had made the right decision to move to Catalunya.

Unfortunately for the 28-year-old, that is simply not the case.

Griezmann struck the third goal as Barcelona beat Borussia Dortmund 3-1 on Wednesday to secure qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League as winners of Group F.

However, the World Cup winner was only on the field because his compatriot Ousmane Dembele had been forced off injured just 26 minutes into the first half.

Griezmann may have been signed for €120 million (£102m/$132m) during the summer but he has not been a guaranteed starter under Ernesto Valverde.

Dembele’s latest setback is, therefore, good news for Griezmann, who is now set to avoid the humiliation of sitting on the bench against his old team this weekend.

Former Barca forward Paco Alcacer was forced to do just that when he returned to face Valencia and the fear has been mounting in recent weeks that Griezmann’s Camp Nou career could prove even more disappointing, given the money involved.

Indeed, Griezmann’s strike against Dortmund was just his fifth Blaugrana goal in 17 appearances and his first in six matches.

Given the way in which he had publicly spurned the club in the summer of 2018 on the now infamous ‘The Decision’ reality show, many Barca fans were unhappy when Josep Bartomeu resurrected the transfer during the summer.

“I think most Barca fans don’t want him and, on top of that, I think the price is over the top,” argued club president Joan Laporta.

On top of the cost, though, there were legitimate concerns over his suitability to playing alongside Luis Suarez and, even more importantly, Lionel Messi.

At Atletico, Griezmann thrived as a second striker, usually in behind Diego Costa. He was given the freedom to roam but, at Barcelona, only Messi has the prerogative.

Consequently, Griezmann must either operate on the left wing, where he has spent the majority of his playing time this season, or as a No.9 when Suarez is unavailable or rested.

Some felt that Griezmann could actually usurp the Uruguayan this season but Suarez’s relationship with Messi, on and off the field, means he remains the first-choice centre-forward.

The South American duo certainly delivered against Dortmund, with the pair combining for the first two goals.

“It’s normal that we look for each other; we’re the two main forwards,” Suarez enthused afterwards.

It has been suggested that the pair are not particularly fond of Griezmann – it’s no secret that both wanted Neymar back at Barca this summer – but the former Liverpool man insisted that once he and Messi had effectively broken Dortmund’s resistance, they tried to tee up Griezmann for a goal.

“As has happened with other team-mates who were struggling to score, when we were winning, we looked for him,” Suarez revealed.

“Antoine did spectacularly well in the end. He had chances and he scored, which is important for his confidence.”

The boost certainly couldn’t have come at a better time and his joy at ending his mini-drought was obvious, with a grinning Griezmann making a point of going straight to Messi to thank his captain for the through-ball.

“Messi’s given him an assist now, you can’t say anything,” Clement Lenglet quipped afterwards.

The centre-half was joking but the goal certainly provided some badly needed evidence that Griezmann can indeed thrive alongside the Argentine.

It’s also worth pointing out that Barca have been here before.

Looking back to the 2014-15 season, it was Suarez who was out of place, unable to find his rhythm with Neymar and Messi until eventually it all clicked perfectly against Atletico, with the ‘trident’, as they became known, all getting on the scoresheet.

Suarez, Messi and Griezmann did likewise against Dortmund and the France international even took to Twitter afterwards to post a picture of himself and his captain celebrating his strike, accompanied by the words “Important night”.

And maybe it was. Maybe it was the turning point for Griezmann. How he would love to prove as much at the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday.

Source – Goal.com

Borussia Dortmund are denying reports that Jadon Sancho being late for a team meeting was the reason why he was named as a substitute for their clash with Barcelona in the Champions League, according to Sky in Germany.

Sancho was benched for Dortmund’s clash with Barcelona in the Champions League

Sancho came on to score for the Bundesliga side in the 77th minute at the Nou Camp during the 3-1 defeat on Wednesday.

“Barcelona is a difficult game, we need players on the pitch who are focused and ready, and we looked and decided on this starting eleven,” said Dortmund head coach Lucien Favre when discussing Sancho not starting their penultimate game in Group F.

Sancho scored a consolation goal in Dortmund’s 3-1 defeat to Group F frontrunners Barcelona

The 19-year-old England international was previously substituted by the Dortmund head coach after 36 minutes in Dortmund’s 4-0 defeat away at Bayern on November 9, because Favre believed Sancho was having a poor game.

He was also dropped and fined by Dortmund ahead of their 1-0 win over top-of-the-table Borussia Monchengladbach in October after he was late coming back from international duty.

Sancho has netted 17 times in 56 Bundesliga matches since arriving at Signal Iduna Park in 2017

Sancho has six goals and nine assists in 18 games in all competitions for the German side so far this term and has directly contributed to more Bundesliga goals than any other Dortmund player this season (10).

The winger has been linked with moves to various European clubs including Chelsea and Real Madrid, amid rumours that the youngster has developed a fractious relationship with Dortmund boss Favre this season.

Sancho also was named runner-up in the 2019 Golden Boy award this week, missing out to Atletico Madrid and Portugal starlet Joao Felix.

Dortmund, who are currently sixth in the German top-flight, are joint-second in Champions League Group F, level on points with Inter Milan, ahead of their final group clash with Slavia Prague on December 10.

Source – Sky Sport

Brazilian side Chapecoense have been relegated to the second division for the first time in their history, three years after a tragic plane crash that killed most of their players.

Chapecoense’s relegation to the Brazil second division has been confirmed. Miguel Schincariol/Getty Images

Chapecoense lost 1-0 at home to Botafogo on Wednesday to end their hopes of remaining in the top division for a seventh straight campaign.

The result left Chapecoense second bottom out of 20 teams, with 28 points and three games remaining.

While they could still catch 16th-placed Ceara, who hold the last position of safety with 37 points, they would still finish behind them as the competition’s first tiebreaker is games won. Chapecoense have won six games while Ceara have won 10.

Chapecoense made it to Serie A for the first time in 2014 and finished 15th and 14th in their first two top-flight seasons.

“I want to apologise to the fans for not achieving our aim to remain in the division,” Chapecoense coach Marquinhos Santos told reporters. “I’m certain that Chapecoense will return much stronger.”

Captain Douglas said: “It’s a delicate moment, difficult to find words in this situation. We players are very sorry to leave Chapecoense in this situation, but Chapecoense has always shown unity.

“I think this is the time for the whole community to unite again, rearrange things, leave everything on track for Chapecoense to return to Serie A, which is the club’s place, and continue to build this beautiful story.”

Despite losing 19 players and staff on Nov. 28, 2016, in a plane crash near Medelllin, Colombia, the team avoided relegation that season. They lifted the Santa Caterina state championship in May 2017; their first title since the plane crash that killed 71 of the 77 people on board.

The crash occurred as the squad travelled to face Colombian side Atletico Nacional in the final of the Copa Sudamericana.

Source – ESPN

Four points from safety and no wins in eight league games – it’s fair to say things have not gone to plan for Southampton this season.

Sofiane Boufal signed a five-year contract when he joined Saints from Lille three years ago

Now Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has been dealt a new blow after Morocco midfielder Sofiane Boufal suffered a toe injury – running into a kitchen table.

Boufal, who has played in 10 of his team’s 13 league games this season, is a doubt for Saturday’s crucial home game with bottom club Watford.

“He couldn’t train for three days now and it is still a bit swollen,” said Hasenhuttl on Thursday.

“He hit his toe on the table at home.

“He ran into the kitchen and hit it on the table, something like that.”

Asked if Boufal, who cost Saints a then club record £16m from French side Lille in August 2016, had any chance of facing Watford, Austrian Hasenhuttl said: “It will be difficult for the weekend.”

Southampton have endured a difficult season and are one point and one place above Watford.

They were seconds away from winning at Arsenal last Saturday when they conceded an equaliser.

On October 25, Saints suffered a humiliating 9-0 home defeat by Leicester City.

Source – BBC News

Manchester City’s parent company, City Football Group (CFG), has agreed a deal to buy a majority stake in Indian Super League side Mumbai City FC.

Former Uruguay striker Diego Forlan (left) is one of the most high-profile players to appear for Mumbai City

CFG is buying 65% of Mumbai City, meaning the group will now hold a stake in eight football clubs.

Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor owns the remaining 35% of the club along with accountant Bimal Parekh.

On Wednesday, CFG also announced a £389m investment from US private equity firm Silver Lake.

That deal values CFG at £3.73bn.

The group already owns controlling stakes in Manchester City, Major League Soccer side New York City FC and Australian A-League team Melbourne City as well as minority shareholdings in clubs in China, Spain, Uruguay and Japan.

Mumbai, founded in 2014, have previously been managed by Manchester City greats Peter Reid and Nicolas Anelka, while former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan played for the club in 2016.

The club are seventh after five games in the Indian Super League, following a third-place finish last season.

“We believe that this investment will deliver transformative benefits to Mumbai City FC, to City Football Group and to Indian Football as a whole,” said chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

Analysis

Russell Osman, former England international and Indian Super League analyst for Star Sports

The Indian Super League is on the up, and the Indian national team is improving all the time under head coach Igor Stimac. It’s a massive market for football.

The Indian public will love it and the whole of Asia will love it. It’s like a big pat on the back for what has been done out here by the ISL.

This season Mumbai have won one, drawn one and lost a couple. It’s the sixth year of the ISL, and they have had some very good players here, like Florent Malouda and Diego Forlan.

We have had one or two Indian players moving abroad and trying their luck overseas, such as goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu who went to Norway (and played in the Europa League).

City were talking about the technical staff out here, they need to have a look around and they will unearth some very talented players.

Source – BBC News

The Argentine has broken his silence and wished Spurs all the best for the future after being relieved of his managerial duties last week.

Photo by Getty Images

Mauricio Pochettino has expressed his gratitude towards Daniel Levy and Tottenham‘s supporters in his first statement since behind sacked by the club on November 21.

The Argentine spent over five years at Spurs, helping to transform the side into top four regulars, while also masterminding a run to the Champions League final last season.

Unfortunately, the Lilywhites were unable to build on that success at the start of 2019-20 campaign, slipping to 14th in the Premier League table after 12 fixtures.

Pochettino ended up paying the ultimate price, with Tottenham chairman Levy wielding the axe last Tuesday before appointing former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho as the 47-year-old’s replacement less than 24 hours later.

No comments were issued publicly by Pochettino in the wake of the decision, but he has now released a statement via the League Manger’s Association (LMA) saying a final goodbye to the club’s fans and staff.

“I would like to thank Joe Lewis and Daniel Levy for giving me the opportunity to be part of Tottenham Hotspur’s history,” he said.

“I would like to thank also everyone I met at Tottenham, all the club staff and the football players during these five and a half years.

“Finally I would like to give a special mention to the fans who make this club so great with their fantastic support.

“I gave the best of me to accomplish the objectives I was asked for in our first meeting. There were equally tough challenges as exciting successes.

“Best wishes for the future, I am sure we will cross paths again.”

The former Southampton boss is not expected to be out of work for long, with a number of top European clubs thought to be interested in his services.

Pochettino has been heavily linked with a permanent post at Bayern Munich, while also being tipped to replace either Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid or Ernesto Valverde at Barcelona.

It has even been suggested that the ex-Tottenham tactician could succeed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United, but it is not yet clear where he will continue his managerial career.

Spurs, meanwhile, have already hit the ground running under their new manager, securing a 3-2 Premier League win over Tottenham on Saturday before beating Olympiacos 4-2 in the Champions League three days later.

Next up for Mourinho’s side is a home clash with Bournemouth this weekend, before the enigmatic head coach returns to Old Trafford to face United on December 4.

Source – Goal.com