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Horror defending leads to Hibernian throwing away lead

2023-11-01T08:00:00+08:00

Jair Tavares scored his first goal for Hibernian but it was not enough to secure victory as Ross County fought back from 2-0 down to claim a 2-2 draw in a dramatic cinch Premiership match at Easter Road.

The 22-year-old Portuguese winger has enjoyed a new lease of life under recently installed manager Nick Montgomery and he appeared to have Hibernian on course for a win that would have lifted them into the top half of the table when he added to Élie Youan’s deflected first-half strike.

But an own goal from Allan Delferriere and a superb finish by substitute Jordan White in the closing 20 minutes earned County a third successive away draw.

Hibernian boss Montgomery made four changes to the side that started Saturday’s 0-0 draw at home to Celtic. Goalkeeper Jojo Wollacott came in for his first league appearance, with David Marshall dropping to the bench, while Jordan Obita, Joe Newell and Martin Boyle made way for Lewis Stevenson, Dylan Levitt and Adam Le Fondre.

County made two alterations to the team that drew 3-3 at Motherwell last weekend as Ben Purrington and Kyle Turner replaced George Harmon and Yan Dhanda.

Hibernian threatened in the 11th minute when Youan got in behind and crossed from the right, forcing James Brown to clear over his own crossbar as Dylan Vente raced in to try and connect on the edge of the six-yard box.

Another County defender had to make an important intervention 11 minutes later when Ryan Leak blocked Tavares’ shot from a Youan cutback after an excellent build-up down the right.

Ross County almost took the lead with their first notable foray into the hosts box in the 25th minute when Turner flashed a ferocious angled shot just beyond the far post after Simon Murray laid Brown’s pass off into his path.

White’s late equalising goal was his second Premiership score of the campaign

PAUL PHELAN/SHUTTERSTOCK

At the other end, Le Fondre saw a powerful low shot from the edge of the box run agonisingly wide of Ross Laidlaw’s left-hand post.

The Edinburgh side made the breakthrough in the 42nd minute when Youan’s shot from just outside the box deflected off Purrington and eluded Laidlaw.

And the hosts looked to be well on their way to securing the three points eight minutes into the second half when Tavares received a pass from Levitt and drove forward before sending a firm right-footed shot beyond Laidlaw from the edge of the box.

The goal was allowed to stand following a VAR check for offside, much to the delight of the former Benfica winger whose Hibernian career appeared to have petered out following a difficult first season in Scotland.

Staring down the barrel of defeat, County found some resistance in the closing stages. They pulled one back in the 74th minute when substitute Delferriere inadvertently turned the ball into his own net after Wollacott failed to deal with a cross from substitute Dhanda.

And Malky Mackay’s team left the home support exasperated in the 82nd minute when White spun in the box and fired high into the net after excellent work by Murray on the right to set him up.

Philippe Clement, Injuries are the biggest puzzle at Rangers

2023-11-01T08:00:00+08:00

Philippe Clement has described fitness issues at Rangers as his “biggest puzzle” as he added another two players to the injury list.

Midfielder Nico Raskin will miss the trip to Dundee in the cinch Premiership on Wednesday night after being carried off the field on a stretcher during the 2-1 home win over Hearts on Sunday with an ankle injury, and defender John Souttar joined him on the sidelines with a muscle complaint.

Striker Kemar Roofe has been taken out of action as Rangers try to get to the root of his long-standing fitness issues while defender Dujon Sterling and winger Rabbi Matondo remain out, with left back Borna Barisic also missing recently.

Striker Danilo came off the bench to score the late winner against Hearts wearing a mask to protect a recent facial injury and, while attacker Tom Lawrence has returned to training, the trip to Tayside comes too soon for him.

Asked if he was surprised by the conditioning of some of the players at Ibrox since arriving to take over from Michael Beale, Rangers boss Clement said: “Next question please.”

However, during the pre-match media conference at the club’s training ground he expressed his bewilderment.

The Belgian said: “(Raskin) is not good enough to be in the squad for tomorrow and that is a downfall because he was doing good things and taking steps.

“It is a pity but we need to find other solutions. I hope it is short term but we will see the next couple of days how these things evolve.

Raskin, right, is the latest Rangers player to head to the treatment table; a blow given his recent good form

IAN MACNICOL/GETTY IMAGES

“Tom is closer because he is training but he is not fit enough to be in the squad.

“Danilo is ready to play. We will see what is important in this game, if it necessary that he starts or is ready to come on. It depends on the opponent and what profile you need.

“He is not ready for 90 minutes, that is logical.

“It is quite a puzzle. It is the biggest puzzle that I ever saw to be honest, with all the injuries and players falling out.

“John Souttar will also not be available for the game with a muscle problem. Not a big one but not available for the game.

“We started with a lot of players unavailable, some players falling out in the last couple of weeks.

“So it will be important that in every game we look at the minutes of the players and try to build their physical condition and robustness in the next couple of weeks and months to have a bigger squad available.

“It is never short-term work, it is a long-term project, creating players ready for 90 minutes every three days for months.”

Ex-Man Utd star claims Erik ten Hag would be ‘disrespectful’ to listen to Roy Keane

2023-11-01T08:00:00+08:00

Ex-Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has disagreed with Roy Keane’s firm belief that Bruno Fernandes should be stripped of the captain’s armband at Old Trafford

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Football Digest: Man Utd urged to give Ten Hag time he needs

Dimitar Berbatov does not think Bruno Fernandes should be stripped of the Manchester United captaincy, believing it will “only add to the turbulence” inside the dressing room.

Fernandes came under fierce criticism from Roy Keane after the Manchester derby as the ex-United midfielder slammed his on-pitch behaviour as “unacceptable”. Keane claimed that Erik ten Hag should take the armband off Fernandes, less than three months after replacing Harry Maguire in the role.

Gary Neville and Micah Richards also blasted Fernandes for his actions in the damning 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday. Now, former United forward Berbatov has weighed in and disagreed with Keane, admitting that replacing Fernandes as captain would only disturb the squad further.

Speaking to Betfair, Berbatov said: “I saw Gary and Roy Keane’s comments and I agree with what Gary said. If you change the captaincy now, then it will only add to the turbulence in the team. It happened in pre-season when the armband was taken from Harry Maguire and given to Bruno.

“Now if you take it from Bruno, that will be bad for his morale. If he is removed as Man United captain, then his performances will dip because it’s disrespectful to him. Bruno will be aware of the criticism regarding his behaviour, and he will need to work on it.

“The reason for Fernandes’ current behaviour is due to how the team is performing. He’s not happy with it. I’ve been there myself and I know the feeling. It’s not a good one. When you’re the captain and things aren’t going well, you need to shout, and you need to be angry with the players around you. We know where he’s coming from with all this, but I don’t think the armband should be taken away from him.”

Bruno Fernandes has come in for criticism following recent performances. (

Image:

Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)

It has been a disappointing campaign for Fernandes so far, with the midfielder scoring just one Premier League goal in 10 matches this season. He cut a frustrated figure in the defeat against bitter rivals City on Sunday and, after the match, Keane has expressed his feelings on the United skipper.

Keane said on Sky Sports: “The one thing I would do, after today having watched him again, I would definitely take the captaincy off him, 100 percent. I know it was a big decision to change the captaincy with Maguire, but Fernandes is not captain material.

“I think he’s a talented player, but what I saw today, we’ve discussed this before, I was at Liverpool last year, his whinging, his moaning, constantly throwing his arms up in the air. It really isn’t acceptable.

“It has to start somewhere and where do you make changes - manager? board level? It starts with that (the captaincy) because the manager is capable of doing that. Hold his hands up and say he got it wrong. Fernandes is a great player, but he’s the opposite of what I would want in a captain.”

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Vincent Kompany retains Burnley’s faith despite the Clarets worst start in 52 years… after picking…

2023-11-01T08:00:00+08:00

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Burnley have suffered eight defeats on their return to the Premier League
The Clarets face a crucial run of fixtures which could shape their season
**Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast’It’s All Kicking Off!’ **

Vincent Kompany retains the unwavering backing of Burnley’s board as they battle the club’s worst start to a season in 52 years.

The Clarets, who travel to Everton in the Carabao Cup fourth round, have picked up just four points from their opening 10 matches, Saturday’s 2-1 reverse at Bournemouth an eighth defeat of their return to the Premier League.

They only had fewer points (three) in 1970-71, when they were relegated from the top flight. It leaves them just above rock-bottom Sheffield United, also promoted from the Championship last year, with an uphill battle to stave off relegation straight back to the second tier.

While Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom’s future remains precarious, with Chris Wilder keen to take back the reins at Bramall Lane, Burnley sources have told Mail Sport that Kompany is safe.

Chairman Alan Pace, the head of owners ALK Capital, afforded Kompany more than £100million reshaping a squad heavily reliant on loan deals that won the Championship with 101 points.

Vincent Kompany retains the Burnley’s support despite a woeful start to the season

Chairman Alan Pace invested heavily in the summer but expects it to take time to gel the squad

Burnley suffered their eighth Premier League defeat of the season against Bournemouth

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There is an understanding that the 15 new permanent signings - only two of whom, Jordan Beyer and Michael Obafemi, had been on loan at Turf Moor last term - required time to gel.

Kompany went through a sticky patch during his first couple of months as manager, when replacing Sean Dyche as boss, before turning their fortunes around.

But the Belgian realises that he needs results quickly in an unforgiving division, with four huge games in the next five that could shape their season after Wednesday’s clash with Dyche’s Everton.

Burnley host Crystal Palace and West Ham either side of a trip to Arsenal and the November international break before facing Sheffield United at home. Wolves away follows that and Kompany will need to a set of results from those.

The 37-year-old was unusually distressed at the officiating against Bournemouth, incensed that VAR did not check a late handball by Chris Mepham in the home box as Burnley went in search of a dramatic equaliser.

The PGMOL have already apologised to Kompany this season for decisions that went against them during a draw at Nottingham Forest last month.

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Man Utd predicted lineup as Erik ten Hag makes mass changes for Newcastle

2023-11-01T08:00:00+08:00

Manchester United and Erik ten Hag need a sharp response after being hammered 3-0 by arch rivals City on derby day, with Newcastle up next in the Carabao Cup fourth round

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Football Digest: Man Utd urged to give Ten Hag time he needs

Erik ten Hag is ready to shuffle his personnel after Manchester United’s abysmal derby day defeat.

United are still reeling from Sunday’s humiliating 3-0 defeat to local rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford, which condemned Ten Hag’s side to a fifth defeat in 10 league games. Ten Hag is ready to get ruthless with his underperforming players and wield the axe for tonight’s defence of the Carabao Cup at home to Newcastle.

Second-choice goalkeeper Altay Bayindir could make his United debut in place of Andre Onana, while Marcus Rashford, who has one goal in 13 games, is in danger of being dropped. Ten Hag has the chance to give his fringe players a chance to prove themselves after his established stars let him down so badly in the abject display against Treble winners City.

That could see starts for young duo Alejandro Garnacho and Hannibal Mejbri, and a return to the starting line-up for Raphael Varane, Sergio Reguilon, Antony and Mason Mount, all of whom were on the bench on Sunday. Ten Hag is mindful of the short recovery time between Wednesday’s match and Saturday’s 12:30pm kick-off at Fulham, a game in which United cannot afford to lose again.

A much-changed United XI beat Crystal Palace 3-0 in the third round, marking the Red Devils’ best performance of the season so far. Ten Hag will also be thinking about the upcoming games next week, as United travel to Copenhagen in need of a victory to boost their Champions League knockout hopes before hosting Luton at Old Trafford prior to the international break.

**Have your say! Should Erik ten Hag be sacked if Manchester United lose? Join the debate in thecomments section. **

This is how Manchester United are expected to line up against Newcastle

The Dutch boss chose not to hold a pre-match press conference to preview the clash with Newcastle, who they beat 2-0 in last season’s final at Wembley to end their six-year trophy drought. However, ahead of Sunday’s demolition, Ten Hag did provide an update on academy prospect Kobbie Mainoo, who was a regular in pre-season before suffering a serious ankle injury which forced him out for three months.

“There’s still a way to go, but, for part of the game, he is ready,” the Red Devils manager told MUTV. “That’s good news because we counted on him this season. He’s a midfield player and we can use his capabilities, his physicality, his taking the ball. He’s brave, so [he has] all abilities and skills. He can contribute to the team.”

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Man Utd predicted lineup: Onana; Dalot, Maguire, Varane, Reguilon; Hannibal, Amrabat; Antony, Mount, Garnacho; Martial

Newcastle predicted lineup: Dubravka, Livramento, Lascelles, Dummett, Targett; Longstaff, Joelinton, Hall; Almiron, Gordon, Willock

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Arsenal ready to rub salt in the wounds by moving for star after brutal Man Utd snub

2023-11-01T08:00:00+08:00

Benjamin Sesko has emerged as one of Europe’s most talented young attackers and the Slovenian is now catching the eye of Arsenal after he snubbed a move to Manchester United

Arsenal are weighing up a move for Benjamin Sesko

Arsenal are lining up a move for former Manchester United target Benjamin Sesko.

Sesko, 20, rejected interest from the Red Devils last summer and instead joined RB Leipzig. However, the forward didn’t move to the Bundesliga outfit until July 2023 and spent one final season in Austria with Red Bull Salzburg, scoring 18 goals in 41 appearances.

The Slovenia international has made an impressive start to life at Leipzig despite not starting as many matches as he may have hoped, netting six goals in 13 games. Sesko came on as a late substitute against Manchester City in the Champions League last month, having struck in the 3-1 win over Young Boys on matchday one.

But Sesko is already attracting interest from elsewhere, with Arsenal understood to have sent scouts to watch him in the German top-tier. The Gunners are ‘monitoring’ Sesko ahead of a potential move as he continues to draw comparisons with City marksman and Ballon d’Or runner-up Erling Haaland.

Surprisingly, Leipzig value Sesko at just £40million. AC Milan are also interested but Arsenal are confident they can win any race to secure the services of the attacker. Sesko has also scored nine goals in 24 appearances for Slovenia after making his senior debut back in 2021.

Mikel Arteta could be tempted to add another striker to his squad, although Eddie Nketiah showed his worth by scoring a hat-trick in the 5-0 rout over Sheffield United on Saturday. Gabriel Jesus, meanwhile, won the Player of the Match in the victory against Sevilla last Tuesday after scoring and grabbing an assist.

The Gunners have also been linked with a move for Brentford star Ivan Toney once his eight-month ban comes to an end in January. Toney struck an impressive 20 top-flight goals in 33 matches last season and has been tipped to leave the Bees, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham among his potential suitors.

Benjamin Sesko has scored six times in 13 appearances since his summer move to RB Leipzig (

Image:

Getty Images)

Arsenal boss Arteta was asked about his side’s striker search before their crunch clash against Manchester City last month, but appeared to rule out a move for another forward in January. “We believe in the players that we have first of all,” the Spaniard stated. “Because we have the resources that we have secondly, and at the moment we feel we are covering that position.”

With Sesko now entering the conversation, Arsenal may change their mind on adding an attacker to their ranks. Sesko’s agent Elvis Basanovic confirmed earlier this week that he had previously spoken to Milan over a potential move for the youngster, who has 57 career senior club goals to his name.

“I can confirm that I spoke with Milan in the past about Sesko when Maldini was there. However in that moment a transfer wasn’t possible, it was not the right time,” Basnovic said, via the Milan Eye. “You never know in the future, Milan is a big club. Sesko feels very good now at Leipzig where he continues to grow.”

Sesko had been linked with a switch to United in 2022 before securing his move to RB Leipzig for around £21million instead. Explaining why he didn’t join the Red Devils, Sesko said in September: “The thing is, I wasn’t really involved in these kinds of conversations. But I think it was better to come here.”

He added: “It was very important for me to go to a place that plays a similar style of football. I already knew what I had to do and didn’t have to go through a whole learning process again.”

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Michael Carrick rewarded for taking Middlesbrough’s cup run seriously

2023-11-01T08:00:00+08:00

The Carabao Cup is not what it used to be? Try telling that to Michael Carrick. The Middlesbrough manager won the competition twice as a player and could find himself lifting the trophy in his first full season as a manager after his side booked a quarter-final place thanks to a thrilling 3-2 win away to Exeter.

Emmanuel Latte Lath’s late penalty proved decisive, following earlier second-half strikes from Morgan Rogers and Sammy Silvera.

Ryan Trevitt scored two superb long-range goals for Exeter, but the midfielder went from hero to zero in the final ten minutes as his foul on Rogers enabled Latte Lath to settle things from the spot.

“Cups are special,” Carrick said. “You can turn your noses up at them sometimes and I understand why some people maybe don’t take them as seriously as was maybe the case in the past because it does give you extra games and it does stretch you a bit.

“But we’re in this business to try to be successful and set up special occasions and special nights. It’s a little bit different to the week in, week out and we’ve enjoyed ourselves in this competition.”

With rain teeming down at a sold-out St James Park, it felt like an evening tailor-made for a cup upset and Exeter lived up to their billing as Trevitt fired home from the corner of the penalty area in the 13th minute.

Trevitt, right, fouls Rogers, conceding the penalty that gave Middlesbrough the chance to advance to the quarter-finals

GRAHAM HUNT/SHUTTERSTOCK

Rogers levelled four minutes into the second half, after Alex Bangura’s refusal to give up on a seemingly lost cause. The Middlesbrough full back robbed Jack Fitzwater of possession, with the ball breaking to Rogers, who curled home a sublime finish.

Ten minutes later, Middlesbrough took the lead as Silvera darted in from the left touchline before curling an excellent low finish into the corner.

Yet Exeter were not to be subdued for long, with Trevitt’s second goal of the evening levelling the scores in the 66th minute. Picking up the ball with his back to goal, the midfielder turned neatly before scoring from 20 yards.

However, his next key act was to tilt the game back in Middlesbrough’s favour. Trevitt was penalised for pulling back Rogers in the box and Latte Lath stepped up to score the winner.

Alfie Devine, the teenage midfielder on loan from Tottenham Hotspur and called up to train with the full England squad this season, made a small entry into Port Vale’s history books last night as his goal carried the Sky Bet League One side through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the first time.

The England Under-20 international, whose only other senior cup goal came for Tottenham away to non-League Marine in the FA Cup in 2021, picked up a loose ball just inside the Mansfield Town half on 50 minutes. He was allowed to advance into space before depositing a well-judged shot in to the bottom corner of the net from 25 yards, aided by a slight deflection.

“I thought his goal was a reward for the way we were playing and was a great goal, well-executed,” Andy Crosby, the Port Vale manager, said. “Getting to the quarter-final is a fantastic achievement for everyone connected with the club.”

Devine, left, scores the only goal of the game to send Port Vale into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup

RYAN BROWNE/SHUTTERSTOCK

The strike helped Vale overcome League Two opponents who had been unbeaten this season under Nigel Clough. The Mansfield manager won the competition twice as a Nottingham Forest player but, from what he could see through the first-half fog, his chances of leading Mansfield to their first League Cup quarter-final since 1976 would have appeared dim.

Oliver Arblaster came closest to giving the visitors the lead when he struck a post on 22 minutes after a cross from the dangerous wingback Tom Sang. Sang had an effort of his own well saved after dispossessing Calum Macdonald.

There were a series of misses that could have been punished by Mansfield before the interval, including an instant volley from Davis Keillor-Dunn that drew a fine reflex save from Connor Ripley in the Vale goal. After taking the lead, Vale should have quickly settled the tie. Uche Ikpeazu clipped the bar, James Plant’s shot was well saved by Christy Pym and Jesse Debrah’s header was held on the line.

Cristiano Ronaldo demands a referee is substituted after team-mate Talisca’s goal was ruled out…

2023-11-01T02:30:49+08:00

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Al-Nassr won 1-0 against Al-Ettifaq in a bad-tempered cup match in Saudi Arabia
Cristiano Ronaldo was angered by the performance of the referee in the match
**Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast’It’s All Kicking Off!’ **

A furious Cristiano Ronaldo gestured for the referee to be substituted during Al-Nassr’s 1-0 win over Al-Ettifaq in the King Cup of Champions quarter-finals.

Ronaldo had been angered by the performance of the referee in the closing stages of the first half of the match.

His team-mate Talisca had appeared to have given Al-Nassr the lead in stoppage time at the end of the first half.

The Brazilian’s turned in a cross at the back post, with his effort initially awarded by Chilean referee Piero Maza.

His effort was chalked off following a VAR review, with Ronaldo adjudged to have been offside and interfering with play.

Cristiano Ronaldo was seen gesturing for the referee to be substituted during the match

Roanldo had been angered by the decision to rule out an Al-Nassr goal in the first half

رونالدو يطالب بتغيير الحكم

تابع الحساب الاساسي : @Nfcdiario pic.twitter.com/FCmTQ6ovI1

— DIARIO MEDIA (@DiarioMedi_a) October 31, 2023

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Ronaldo signalled to the bench for a substitution, before pointing at the referee.

Maza was forced to make another decision involving Talisca moments later, with the referee booking the Al-Nassr player after catching an opponent with his left arm.

Another VAR review led to the yellow card being upgraded to a red, with Talisca adjudged to have struck out with his arm.

Ronaldo had earlier been booked in the first half for dissent towards the referee after the 38-year-old had seen an appeal for a free-kick waved away.

The Portuguese star avoided a second booking for his outburst towards the official later in the half.

Al-Ettifaq, managed by Steven Gerrard, were also reduced to 10-men in the match with midfielder Ali Hazazi sent off for a foul which led to a brawl between the two teams.

Sadio Mane would score the decisive goal in the bad tempered cup tie, with the former Liverpool star netting in the second period of extra time.

The result takes Al-Nassr into the last eight of the cup competition, which features teams from the top two tiers in Saudi Arabia.

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England duo pay classy tribute to Aitana Bonmati after World Cup rival’s Ballon d’Or triumph

2023-10-31T22:09:49+08:00

The Spain and Barcelona midfielder beat four Lionesses to the prestigious award as she was named the new Ballon d’Or Feminin winner

Barcelona’s Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmati receives the Women’s Ballon d’Or award

Lionesses duo Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh shared their admiration of new Ballon d’Or Feminin winner Aitana Bonmati after the Spain and Barcelona midfielder claimed the award on Monday evening.

The 25-year-old collected the prize in Paris to cap off a sensational year of personal and team success in which the Catalan playmaker scooped up every women’s prize available.

Indeed, a stellar club campaign saw Bonmati named the SuperCopa MVP, Uefa’s Player of the Year and Uefa’s Women’s Champions League Player of the Tournament while also collecting a treble with Barcelona and a first-ever Women’s World Cup with Spain, where she was also handed the tournament’s Golden Ball award for her performance in the 1-0 final win over England.

Bonmati saw off heady competition amongst the prestigious award’s shortlist, including Lionesses stars Millie Bright, Rachel Daly, Mary Earps and Stanway. And Stanway and Walsh, whose omission among the nominees came as a surprise to many, showed their support for Bonmati.

The duo re-posted an image onto their Instagram stories from Nike’s social media account which depicted a photo of Bonmati with the words’ ‘Raise the bar, Football will follow’ written across along with the accompanying caption: “The best season. Of any footballer. Ever.”

Stanway tagged her photo with the word ‘Mega’, while Walsh went with ‘Incredible’ to describe the feat of her Barcelona team-mate.

Neither Stanway nor Walsh were in attendance at the Theatre du Chatelet on Monday due to a scheduling clash. The Lionesses face Belgium on Tuesday in a crucial Nations League match and Stanway revealed in a pre-match press conference that the nominated England players decided to forego attending the ceremony due to match preparation.

Georgia Stanway congratulates Ballon d’Or Feminin winner and Barcelona teammate Aitana Bonmati (

Image:

Instagram)

Keira Walsh congratulates Ballon d’Or Feminin winner and Barcelona teammate Aitana Bonmati (

Image:

Instagram)

“Obviously it’s very cool [being] nominated. It’s nice to get the accolade, as well as a lot of my teammates in the Lionesses. There are a few people I would also add to the list that have also had a very successful year.

“That’s something that we spoke about as a playing group and we just said it would be nice in the future if it wasn’t on a matchday -1 so that we could enjoy the experience.”

Stanway, who helped German giants to a fifth Frauen-Bundesliga title in their history and supplied 10 goals in 37 appearances across all competitions last season, finished 23rd in the final Ballon d’Or rankings. Meanwhile Chelsea defender Millie Bright finished 11th, Rachel Daly of Aston Villa finished 10th and United goalkeeper Earps claimed fifth.

Celtic ban Green Brigade fans after Palestine support

2023-10-31T08:00:00+08:00

Celtic have banned the Green Brigade from attending matches amid escalating tensions with the group, which has waved flags in support of Palestine.

The club had stressed “political messages and banners” were not welcome after “Free Palestine” and “Victory to the resistance” flags were held aloft by the group. Palestinian flags were also unfurled before their 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League after the Green Brigade warned it would defy the club’s stance on them.

Supporters doubled down against criticism from their own club by waving flags in the away end during the 4-1 win over Hearts on Oct 22.

Around 200 Green Brigade members based at the North Curve section of Celtic Park have now been told their season tickets have been suspended. There is no mention of Palestine in the statement from Celtic, which instead says the suspension is due to “repeated incidents of unacceptable behaviour”.

The brigade will be absent for Wednesday’s Premiership clash with St Mirren but the ban could be lifted if talks with the group’s leaders prove productive.

The ultras group traditionally organises a tifo - a choreographed display involving a large banner or image - but has been waving Palestinian flags instead recently.

Reports in Scotland say the action was taken by the club following fresh problems at Hibernian last weekend, when stewards were targeted with threats and intimidating behaviour.

Flashpoints in recent weeks have also included fans attempting to storm into Celtic Park for the Champions League clash against Lazio. There were also fireworks at Feyenoord and crowd trouble at Motherwell’s Fir Park.

After the club last week took action and banned the Green Brigade from access to tickets for future away games, a new email sent to members of the group reads: “We are writing to advise that due to repeated incidents of unacceptable conduct involving the ‘Green Brigade’ group, the club has suspended the season tickets of all season-ticket holders who have registered with the ticket office as being part of this group, pending further review and communication with the group and/or the supporters in question regarding compliance with the Ground Regulations, the Rail Seating Safety Code of Conduct, and club communications, moving forward.

“Therefore, your ticket is not eligible for use tomorrow night for our match against St Mirren and will remain suspended until further notice. Access to away tickets for supporters registered as being part of the group will also remain suspended. The safety of all supporters at Celtic Park is of paramount importance and amid these serious safety concerns, this immediate action whilst regrettable, is considered by the club to be necessary.

“We have separately emailed the representative of the group with further detail, following on from a number of formal written communications dating back to September and ongoing dialogue since the summer. Should you wish to contact the club on this or any other matter related to the Rail Seating Section, we would ask that you direct your correspondence in the first instance to railseating@celticfc.co.uk.”

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Horror defending leads to Hibernian throwing away lead

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Philippe Clement, Injuries are the biggest puzzle at Rangers

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Ex-Man Utd star claims Erik ten Hag would be ‘disrespectful’ to listen to Roy Keane

Vincent Kompany retains Burnley’s faith despite the Clarets worst start in 52 years… after picking…

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF!

Man Utd predicted lineup as Erik ten Hag makes mass changes for Newcastle

Arsenal ready to rub salt in the wounds by moving for star after brutal Man Utd snub

Michael Carrick rewarded for taking Middlesbrough’s cup run seriously

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Cristiano Ronaldo demands a referee is substituted after team-mate Talisca’s goal was ruled out…

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF!

England duo pay classy tribute to Aitana Bonmati after World Cup rival’s Ballon d’Or triumph

Celtic ban Green Brigade fans after Palestine support