Brawl mars Turkish football’s return from suspension

Brawl mars Turkish football’s return from suspension
Istanbulspor players leave the field after their president Ecmel Faik Sarialioglu, called them off the pitch in protest of not getting penalty against Trabznospor, during a Turkish Super Lig match in Istanbul on Dec. 19, 2023. (AP)
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Updated 20 December 2023
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Brawl mars Turkish football’s return from suspension

Brawl mars Turkish football’s return from suspension
  • Tuesday’s altercation between players from Bursaspor and Diyarbakirspor involved two third-division teams with a history of ethnically fueled tensions
  • Security forces were called in to help break up the on-the-pitch violence and accompanying altercations between fans in the stands

ISTANBUL: A violent fight involving flying kicks marred Turkish football’s return from a week-long suspension caused by a club president punching a referee.
Tuesday’s altercation between players from Bursaspor and Diyarbakirspor involved two third-division teams with a history of ethnically fueled tensions.
Viral images showed Bursaspor players rushing at their visitors from Diyarbakir — a southeastern city that serves as the informal capital of Turkiye’s Kurdish minority — after the final whistle of their 2-0 home defeat.
Security forces were called in to help break up the on-the-pitch violence and accompanying altercations between fans in the stands.
The referee ended up handing out three red cards to Diyarbakirspor players and two for the home team once calm was restored.
The Turkish football federation issued no official statement.
The match was one of a raft played on the first day since all matches were suspended following an attack last week against a top-flight referee.
Turkiye’s football federation banned Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca for life and ordered the capital’s main club to play five home matches behind closed doors and pay a 60,000 euro ($65,000) fine for their boss’ antics.
Referee Halil Umut Meler spent a night in hospital and then issued a statement accusing Koca of threatening his life.
Teams from Turkiye’s Kurdish regions and their supporters have been involved in repeated fights during Turkish league matches — including against those involving Bursaspor.
Bursaspor played seven matches earlier this year in an empty stadium following another violent incident during which its fans chanted anti-Kurdish slogans during a match against Diyarbakir-based Amed SK.
Tuesday’s return to league play also saw a top-division match suspended over a disputed referee decision.
Istanbulspor president Ecmel Faik Sarialioglu ordered his team off the pitch after the referee decided against whistling for a foul during a phase of play that resulted in a goal by visiting Trabzonspor.
The match was suspended with Trabzonspor leading 2-1 in the second half.
League rules stipulate that a team that fails to finish a match is automatically awarded a 3-0 defeat.


Bizarre penalty sends Aston Villa to first Champions League loss at Brugge

Bizarre penalty sends Aston Villa to first Champions League loss at Brugge
Updated 19 sec ago
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Bizarre penalty sends Aston Villa to first Champions League loss at Brugge

Bizarre penalty sends Aston Villa to first Champions League loss at Brugge
  • Villa had led the 36-team Champions League standings after three straight wins without conceding a goal
  • The loss leaves Villa in fifth place in the standings now led by Liverpool

BRUGES, Belgium: A strange penalty for handball ended Aston Villa’s winning run in the Champions League on Wednesday as the English team lost 1-0 at Club Brugge.
In the other early game, Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker Heorhiy Sudakov had a fine assist and an even better goal in a 2-1 win for the Ukrainian champion against Young Boys.
Villa had led the 36-team Champions League standings after three straight wins without conceding a goal — and they took a bizarre incident before goalkeeper Emi Martínez was eventually beaten.
Villa defender Tyrone Mings was punished for picking up the ball when Martínez seemed to restart play with a goal kick passed short to his teammate.
Mings walked forward a couple steps to gather the ball with his left hand and returned to place it at the corner of the six-yard box.
The penalty kick was awarded and Brugge captain Hans Vanaken scored in the 52nd minute, placing the ball to Martínez’s left as the World Cup-winning Argentina goalkeeper dived to his right.
Martínez tried to persuade German referee Tobias Stieler after the game that he had made a mistake.
The loss leaves Villa in fifth place in the standings now led by Liverpool, with Inter Milan, Arsenal and Brest all able to rise above coach Unai Emery’s team with a win later Wednesday. Inter were hosting Arsenal at San Siro.
Club Brugge have six points, from two wins and two losses and were provisionally in 20th place, which after all eight rounds in January would earn a place in the knockout playoffs round.
Shakhtar’s Sudakov showed against Young Boys why he is expected to be the club’s next big-money sale.
Both teams came into the game without scoring a goal in the first three rounds of the new league phase format.
Swiss champion Young Boys are struggling in 10th place in their domestic title defense and took an unexpected lead in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, where Shakhtar are playing their Champions League home games during the military invasion by Russia.
After the Shakhtar defense was caught in the 27th minute playing short passes deep in their own half, Kastriot Imeri struck with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Shakhtar was level four minutes later when Sudakov’s precise pass into the goalmouth eluded a circle of five Young Boys players to find Oleksandr Zubkov for a tap-in.
Sudakov cleverly created space in the 41st to stride forward and fire a low shot from 20 yards (meters) into the far corner of the net past diving goalkeeper Marvin Keller.
Shakhtar are outside the playoff places in 26th, with four points, and Young Boys is 35th and among six teams with zero points.


Benjamin Mendy wins most of $14m unpaid wages case against Manchester City

Benjamin Mendy wins most of $14m unpaid wages case against Manchester City
Updated 06 November 2024
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Benjamin Mendy wins most of $14m unpaid wages case against Manchester City

Benjamin Mendy wins most of $14m unpaid wages case against Manchester City
  • The France international filed a claim against Manchester City last year
  • The 30-year-old argued City unlawfully deducted wages that he was due under his contract

LONDON: Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy won a case against the club on Wednesday for most of over 11 million pounds ($14 million) in wages withheld after he was charged with sexual offenses, of which he was later cleared.
The France international filed a claim against Manchester City last year. The Premier League club stopped paying him in September 2021, shortly after he was charged with sexual offenses, until the end of his contract in June 2023.
Mendy was acquitted of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in January 2023, following a trial at Chester Crown Court. He was found not guilty of one count of rape and one of attempted rape after a retrial.
The 30-year-old argued City unlawfully deducted wages that he was due under his contract, saying in a witness statement that he had been promised he would be paid after he was cleared.
City’s lawyers, however, said Mendy was not paid because he was not able to perform his duties as he was held in custody before his trial for breaching his bail conditions.
“Mr Mendy is entitled to recover some, but not all, of the sums claimed,” Judge Joanne Dunlop said in a written ruling on Wednesday.
Manchester City did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mendy said in a statement posted on X: “Having had to wait for three years for my wages, I am delighted with the decision and sincerely hope that the club will now do the honorable thing and pay the outstanding amounts, as well as the other amounts promised to me under the contract, without further delay, so I can finally put this difficult part of my life behind me.”
Dunlop said in her ruling that Manchester City was entitled to withhold Mendy’s pay for two periods he spent in custody, covering about five months of the 22-month period of his claim.
When Mendy was not in custody, Dunlop found, he was “ready and willing to work” and prevented from doing so by his suspension by the Football Association and bail conditions “which were unavoidable or involuntary on his part.”
Mendy joined City from AS Monaco in 2017 for a fee of around 52 million pounds, on an annual salary of 6 million pounds.
He signed for French club Lorient, currently in Ligue 2, shortly after his retrial.


Ruthless Liverpool spoil Alonso’s return to Anfield

Ruthless Liverpool spoil Alonso’s return to Anfield
Updated 06 November 2024
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Ruthless Liverpool spoil Alonso’s return to Anfield

Ruthless Liverpool spoil Alonso’s return to Anfield
  • Leverkusen remain on seven points from their opening four Champions League matches after another sobering night for their ambitions to match the heights they hit last season

LIVERPOOL: Xabi Alonso endured a miserable return to Anfield as Liverpool thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 on Tuesday, thanks to a Luis Diaz hat-trick, to go top of the Champions League table.
Cody Gakpo was also on target as the Reds maintained their 100 percent record in Europe after four games.
Alonso, a Champions League winner during his playing days in the Liverpool midfield, turned his back on succeeding Jurgen Klopp to remain at Leverkusen after leading them to an unbeaten German league and cup double last season.
Liverpool, though, are not left wondering what might have been as Arne Slot continued his stunning start as manager with a 14th win in 16 games in all competitions.
Leverkusen remain on seven points from their opening four Champions League matches after another sobering night for their ambitions to match the heights they hit last season.
Alonso’s men sit fourth in the Bundesliga, seven points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich, and failed to master what Alonso described pre-match as a “beautiful challenge.”
The Spaniard cut a frustrated figure on the touchline as his side struggled to get into the slick passing rhythm they have become famed for during his tenure.
The German champions, though, created the best of what chances there were in a first half short on goalmouth action.
Jeremie Frimpong saw appeals for a penalty waved away when he went down with a clear sight of goal under a challenge from Kostas Tsimikas.
Frimpong also had the ball in the net just before the break but handled before racing through to finish.
Liverpool’s best opening of the half came seconds later when Curtis Jones’ excellent pass finally found some space for Gakpo, but his powerful effort was repelled at his near post by Lukas Hradecky.
Just like in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Brighton that took Slot’s men to the top of the Premier League, it took until the second half for both Liverpool and the Anfield crowd to come to life.
Mohamed Salah should have done better when he sliced wide after a jinking run through the Leverkusen midfield by Ryan Gravenberch.
A cagey tactical battle was sparked into life on the hour mark by a moment of stunning quality.
Jones spun his marker before splitting the Leverkusen defense with a pinpoint pass for Diaz, who nonchalantly chipped the advancing Hradecky.
Moments later, Liverpool had killed the visitors off with another flowing move.
Salah’s driven cross was headed in at the back post by the flying Gakpo.
The linesman raised his flag to momentarily silence the celebrations, but a VAR review showed the Dutch forward was onside for his sixth goal of the season.
Victor Boniface headed wide with a huge chance to bring Leverkusen immediately back into the game.
Instead, Liverpool pulled further clear seven minutes from time when Diaz controlled Salah’s looping cross and fired home.
The Colombian then rounded off the scoring with his ninth of the season in stoppage time with another clinical finish after Darwin Nunez’s blocked shot fell into his path.
Liverpool’s return of 12 points means they are almost certainly already assured of a place in the knockout phase, but are closing in on sealing direct progression to the last 16 via a top-eight finish in the 36-team league.


Al-Nassr’s 5-star show blows Al-Ain away

Al-Nassr’s 5-star show blows Al-Ain away
Updated 06 November 2024
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Al-Nassr’s 5-star show blows Al-Ain away

Al-Nassr’s 5-star show blows Al-Ain away
  • Cristiano Ronaldo helps side to easy victory

Al-Nassr defeated holders Al-Ain 5-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite on Tuesday to move into third place in the group and give Saudi Arabia the top three positions in the 12-team table.

With Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli winning on Monday to stay perfect on 12 points after four games, Al-Nassr are just two behind thanks to a devastating performance against the UAE’s powerhouse side.

The last time Al-Ain met Saudi Arabian opposition was just 15 days ago and fans were treated to a nine-goal thriller as Al-Hilal ran out 5-4 winners.

The last time they met Al-Nassr was at the quarter-final stage of last season’s competition in March when the UAE team triumphed on penalties in what was a painful evening for the fans in Riyadh.

It was a different story this time with Al-Nassr going ahead in the fifth minute with an impressive goal, though Al-Ain’s coach Hernan Crespo was left asking questions of his defenders.

Mohamed Simakan has impressed since joining from RB Leipzig, but there seemed to be little danger when the center-back picked up the ball inside his own half. The French defender was allowed to cross the halfway line, though, and with the opposition falling back, a short pass found Talisca who made space for the shot with his first touch and then fired home with his second.

Cristiano Ronaldo fired just wide from a similar position at the edge of the area after 10 minutes, but given Al-Ain’s scoring capabilities there was a feeling that more was needed.

Al-Nassr kept pushing and probing and Ronaldo had a goalbound shot blocked before the five-time Ballon d’Or winner got the all-important second with one of his less spectacular strikes. Khalid Eisa failed to hold on to a long-range effort from Sadio Mane and there was Ronaldo to slot it home from close range.

It was just the cushion that the Riyadh club wanted but they kept coming forward and, soon after, moved further ahead.

Angelo broke into the left side of the area after 37 minutes and his low cross was deflected off the leg of Fabio Cardoso to loop over Eisa and into the net.

The home fans were in dreamland and it could have been even better three minutes before the break had Eisa not got a foot to a Talisca shot that seemed goalbound.

There was just a hint of danger from Soufiane Rahimi in added time to remind Al-Nassr that the Moroccan had scored 13 in the last tournament and four already this time around, but at the break it was looking very good indeed as Al-Nassr had probably produced their best 45 minutes of the season.

They also started brightly after the restart, but after 10 minutes Al-Ain were on the scoresheet and back in the game with a goal from nowhere. Park Yong-woo’s powerful low shot from outside the area bounced off the post but then hit the diving Bento and rebounded into the goal.

A few nerves resulted and Bento was the busier of the two goalkeepers, although, at the other end, Aymeric Laporte headed over from a corner.

Al-Ain went closer when, with 13 minutes remaining, Rahimi rolled the ball across the face of goal for Abdoul Traore to net, but he somehow miscontrolled and the massive chance went begging.

It was his side’s last chance as Wesley sealed victory with nine minutes remaining, the Brazilian curling the ball home from inside the area.

There was no coming back from that, and there was even time for Talisca to grab his second and his team’s fifth as he lifted the ball smartly over Eisa to end a perfect evening for Al-Nassr and a perfect round of games for Saudi Arabia.


Dybala left out of Argentina squad for World Cup qualifiers while Martínez is back from suspension

Dybala left out of Argentina squad for World Cup qualifiers while Martínez is back from suspension
Updated 05 November 2024
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Dybala left out of Argentina squad for World Cup qualifiers while Martínez is back from suspension

Dybala left out of Argentina squad for World Cup qualifiers while Martínez is back from suspension
  • Martínez was suspended by FIFA for the last two qualifiers for “offensive behavior”

BUENOS AIRES: Roma striker Paulo Dybala was left out of the Argentina squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers, while goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez is back after a suspension.
Coach Lionel Scaloni announced his squad on Tuesday, with the absence of Dybala and the inclusion of Valencia midfielder Enzo Barrenechea the two big surprises.
Martínez was suspended by FIFA for the last two qualifiers for “offensive behavior” in two previous matches in September, but he will be available for the match at Paraguay on Nov. 14 and the home game against Peru five days later.
Argentina lead South American World Cup qualifying with 22 points from 10 matches. The top six teams will get direct spots at the 2026 tournament.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Walter Benítez (PSV Eindhoven), Gerónimo Rulli (Marseille).
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Germán Pezzella (River Plate), Nehuén Pérez (Porto), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United), Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon).
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Roma), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Nicolás Paz (Como), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Rodrigo de Paul (Atletico Madrid), Enzo Barrenechea (Valencia).
Strikers: Thiago Almada (Botafogo), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolás González (Juventus), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Julián Álvarez (Atletico Madrid), Facundo Buonanotte (Leicester), Valentín Castellanos (Lazio), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan).