European Football Thread

[Gazz]

They could or they can do what Barca did with Turan and just have him train for six months. Probably be more beneficial than loaning someone out since the player can get used to the system and then come into the first team squad straight away.

[Adam]

Is this firmly the end of "De Gea to Real" rumours any time in the next 18 months then?

[Steeb]

18 hours ago, stokeriño said:

Got anything to say now, Zizou?

Apparently one of the players signed that caused this punishment was Zidane's son.

Oh the hilarity.

[Lineker]

Serie B is introducing a green card in an attempt to promote fair play in the Italian second division. The initiative will make its debut on Friday night in the Spezia v Bari game at the Stadio Alberto Picco.

The cards will be “virtual” as they will not be handed out during matches but every player can earn one by putting the ball out of play, assisting the referee or even admitting to diving in the penalty area, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Serie B president, Andrea Abodi, said: “It’s a symbolic award. It can be something very simple. The important thing is to recognise acts of fair play. This is just one part of a series of initiatives on and off the pitch. Respect has to come first and that’s where this green card comes into play.”

The initiative is being introduced in collaboration with the Italian Refereeing Organisation with the aim of changing the image of Italian football and motivating players to promote good behaviour on the pitch.

At the end of every month the league will announce a list of all the names of the players who have been given a green card.

[Gazz]

Utterly pointless.

AC Milan are taking one of their own U19 players to court after it turns he is actually 27.

[Lineker]

Quote

A German court says former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeneß has been approved for early release from prison and will be freed on 29 Feb.

Hoeneß was convicted of tax evasion and began serving a three-year sentence in June 2014.

He has been taking part in a work release program for the last 12 months, under which he has been working in Bayern's youth department during the day before returning to prison for the night.

Hoeneß stepped down as Bayern president after his conviction but Bayern officials have not ruled out his return.

Feyenoord have suspended striker Colin Kazim-Richards for two weeks for threatening a journalist.

The 29-year-old was unhappy with a report in Algemeen Dagblad newspaper questioning his attitude, and confronted the reporter when he arrived at a pre-match news conference.

Kazim-Richards was then dropped from the squad for Sunday's game with PSV.

He has now been banned from training or playing until 1 February, when the club will re-evaluate the situation.

[Lineker]

The Internazionale manager, Roberto Mancini, became embroiled in a furious spat with his Napoli counterpart during the Italian Cup quarter-final on Tuesday night, which the Milan side won 2-0 after goals from Stevan Jovetic and Adem Ljajic.

However, the result was quickly forgotten afterwards as a clearly shaken and furious Mancini told Rai TV about the exchange he had with the Napoli manager on the touchline.

“The confrontation on the touchline? You have to ask Sarri about that, he is a racist. People like him do not belong in football. He used racist words. I stood up to ask about the five minutes being added on and Sarri shouted ‘poof’ and ‘faggot’ at me. I would be proud to be that if he is what’s considered a man.”

“People like him should not be in football. He is 60 years old. The fourth official heard but didn’t say anything. He came to see me in the changing room to apologise but he should really be ashamed of himself.”

Mancini was sent off towards the end of the game for remonstrating with the Napoli bench. Mancini did not see the second goal as he became involved in the heated exchange with the fourth official and then Sarri, and was ordered from the touchline.

The row began after the fourth official mistakenly indicated nine minutes of added time before changing his mind and showing five instead.

All Sarri had to say of the incident was “that he could not remember” what he said to Mancini and that “what is said on the pitch should stay on the pitch”.

Sarri is no stranger to controversy. Last year while still in charge of Empoli, he was fined €5,000 after a match against Varese after making a rude gesture towards fans but escaped punishment for making similar comments.

“Football has become a sport for fags,” said Sarri. “We suffered twice as many fouls, but we had more yellow cards. It’s a contact sport in Italy and but the whistle is blown a lot more than in England because of the interpretation by homosexuals.”

Inter, third in the league, will face the winner of Wednesday’s match between Lazio and Juventus in the semi-finals.

[Baddar]

Sounds like a nice chap.

[Lineker]

Spanish newspaper El Mundo are suggesting that Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano has been sentenced to a year in prison for tax evasion. They say that the Argentine may be able to avoid jail time by paying a fine.

El Mundo also report that, while Javier Mascherano admitted defrauding the treasury of 1.5m euros in 2011 and 2012, the Barcelona star has asked the judge if he can pay a further fine rather than serve the one-year prison term.

[Lineker]

In a follow-up to yesterday...

The Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri has been given a two-game ban and a €20,000 fine for the homophobic insults he aimed at the Internazionale manager Roberto Mancini during their Italian Cup quarter-final.

Mancini became embroiled in a furious confrontation with his Napoli counterpart during the game on Tuesday night, which the Milan side won 2-0 after goals from Stevan Jovetic and Adem Ljajic.

Afterwards a clearly furious Mancini told Rai TV: “People like him do not belong in football. He used racist words. I stood up to ask about the five minutes being added on and Sarri shouted ‘poof’ and ‘faggot’ at me. I would be proud to be that if he is what’s considered a man.

“People like him should not be in football. He is 60 years old. The fourth official heard but didn’t say anything. He came to see me in the changing room to apologise but he should really be ashamed of himself.”

Mancini, who was sent off towards the end of the game for remonstrating with the Napoli bench, was fined €5,000 for confronting Sarri, and for being “disrespectful” to the fourth official after the match.

Sarri denied being homophobic, adding: “I was just irritable … I was not discriminating against anyone. If I did indeed use those words, then I apologise to the gay community.”

[Whisper]

Two-game ban. Lol, Italy.

[stokeriño]

Quote

If I did indeed use those words,

"Let's be clear: any apology I make is purely hypothetical."

[TCO]

Given Italian football's history, I'm surprised they even deem that an offence. 

Poisonous league.

[METALMAN]

Before you get all lol Italy just stop for a moment. Try to have a bit of perspective. Is there any evidence that he said anything, other than Mancini's statement?

Probably not very sensible to be zealous with your punishment when there isn't any corroborating evidence.

[MDK]

lol Italy

[Szumi]

1 hour ago, metalman said:

Before you get all lol Italy just stop for a moment. Try to have a bit of perspective. Is there any evidence that he said anything, other than Mancini's statement?

Probably not very sensible to be zealous with your punishment when there isn't any corroborating evidence.

Pretty sure the fourth official was right there too though, although I can't be quite sure.

[MDK]

 

 

[Lineker]

Real Madrid poised to announce football’s first £1bn kit deal with Adidas

[Lineker]

Quote

Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid have had their Fifa-imposed transfer bans suspended pending their appeals, both Primera División clubs have announced.

Real and Atlético were banned by the world governing body earlier this month from registering new signings for the next two transfer windows for breaching rules on the international transfer and registration of players aged under 18.

However, both clubs immediately appealed against the ruling – which would mean they are not be able to register any new players until the summer of 2017 after this month’s window closes – and on Friday night they announced the sanction had been provisionally suspended.

Real said in a statement on their official website: “Real Madrid has announced that the Fifa appeal committee has decided to provisionally suspend the sanction imposed on the club.”

Atlético said in a statement: “The Fifa appeal committee has granted the probationary suspension of the sanction imposed by the disciplinary committee of said body that prevented our club from signing national or foreign football players during the next two full periods of recruitment.

“The probationary suspension of said sanction shall be applied pending the outcome of the appeal filed by our club with the appeal committee of the maximum global governing body of football.”

Barcelona were hit with a similar punishment in April 2014 and their appeal to Fifa and the Cas (court of arbitration for sport) ultimately enabled them to sign six players, including Luis Suárez, in the following transfer window while their ban was suspended.

However, the Madrid clubs will not be able to register players this summer if their appeals are rejected before the window opens.

They could sign players without being able to register them until the ban is lifted, as Barcelona did with Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal.

Press Association Sport understands that the appeals of the two Madrid clubs will be heard before the summer.

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[Herr Matzat]

Germanies Goal of the Year 2015

This is 3. Bundesliga Soccer.

https://youtu.be/fdaVymJKphg