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Football: Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling calls for more black managers to be given a chance
LONDON (AFP) – Manchester City star Raheem Sterling has urged English football to use the global anti-racism protests to initiate debates and find solutions regarding the lack of black representation in top leadership positions in the sport.
Calling for racial justice, thousands of protesters have rallied across the UK, joining a wave of demonstrations sparked by the death of African American George Floyd at the hands of US police last month.
England forward Sterling, who has previously been prominent in calling out racism in both the domestic and international game, is the latest sports star to lend his support to the protests
“The protest is a great starting point, to make your voice be heard. But just protesting alone is not going to make a change in this country,” Sterling said Monday (June 8) in a BBC TV interview.
“It’s how we move on from here. It’s about highlighting things, the society that needs changing, and then acting upon it. We’ve done a lot of talking, and it’s time now to act.”
“This is a time to speak on these subjects, speak on injustice, especially in my field,” he added.
Sterling pointed a finger at the long-running disparity between the number of high-profile Black, Asian and minority ethnic players and the dearth of those who go on to hold significant managerial, coaching or administrative jobs.
“There’s something like 500 players in the Premier League and a third of them are black and we have no representation of us in the hierarchy, no representation of us in the coaching staffs. There’s not a lot of faces that we can relate to and have conversations with,” he said.
“With these protests that are going on it’s all well and good just talking, but it’s time that we need to have conversations, to be able to spark debates.
“But at same time, it’s coming together and finding a solution to be able to spark change because we can talk as much as we want about changing and putting people, black people, in these positions that I do feel they should be in.”
Sterling contrasted the managerial paths of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, who have landed top roles at Rangers and Chelsea, to equally experienced black players who have been compelled to start much lower down the ladder.
“The coaching staff that you see around football clubs: there’s Steven Gerrard, your Frank Lampards, your Sol Campbells and your Ashley Coles. All had great careers, all played for England,” said Sterling.
“At the same time, they’ve all respectfully done their coaching badges to coach at the highest level and the two that haven’t been given the right opportunities are the two black former players.
“The change is being able to speak to people in Parliament, people at the hierarchy at my football club, football clubs across the country, people at the national team of England, to implement change and give equal chances to not just black coaches but also different ethnicities.
“I feel like that’s what’s lacking here, it’s not just taking the knee, it is about giving people the chance they deserve.”
Football: Hearing opens as Manchester City appeal two-year European ban
LAUSANNE (AFP) – Manchester City’s appeal against a two-year ban from European competition opened before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday (June 8) by video conference, a court official told Agence France-Presse.
City are accused of overstating sponsorship revenue to hide their failure to comply with Uefa’s financial fair-play (FFP) rules between 2012 and 2016. In addition to the ban, they were also fined 30 million euros (S$47 million).
“The hearing has started well and the video conference is working well,” Matthieu Reeb, the secretary general of the Lausanne-based CAS, said.
The remote hearing, which pits Manchester City against Uefa lawyers, opened 0900 local time and is scheduled to last three days before closing on Wednesday evening.
Reeb said a decision could announced in July.
Even if City’s appeal to CAS fails, the English champions could present a further appeal before the Swiss Federal Court, also based in Lausanne.
Uefa’s case was prompted by a series of leaked emails published by German magazine Der Spiegel in 2018 that seemed to show how City manufactured extra sponsorship revenue from a series of companies with connections to the club’s Abu Dhabi-based owner Sheikh Mansour.
Under the Sheikh’s ownership, City’s fortunes have been transformed, winning four Premier League titles in the past eight years.
However, the billions invested in players and managers have not yet delivered the club’s first Champions League title.
City are still involved in this season’s competition and will be allowed to compete should the 2019/20 edition of the Champions League return in August, no matter the outcome of the appeal.
Another European powerhouse, Italian club AC Milan, has already been excluded from European competitions for failing to comply with the FFP rules, after losing their appeal to CAS in June 2019.
A two-season ban from the competition would represent a huge blow to City’s prestige, finances and hope of keeping manager Pep Guardiola and key players like Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling.
“Two years would be long. One year is something I might be able to cope with,” De Bruyne told Het Laatste Nieuws last month.
City banked 93 million euros from prize money and television rights alone by reaching the quarter-finals of last season’s Champions League.
The further loss of gate receipts and commercial revenue would make it extremely difficult for the club to meet FFP regulations without cutting costs.
City have steadfastly rejected Uefa’s allegations.
“Based on our experience and our perception, this seems to be less about justice and more about politics,” said CEO of the City Football Group Ferran Soriano.
Uefa has been under pressure, most publicly from La Liga president Javier Tebas, to impose a harder line on clubs backed by states, such as City and Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain.
European football’s governing body also have plenty riding on the case. If they lose the appeal, the FFP regulations would be undermined.
A delayed outcome would leave a cloud hanging over the return of the Premier League season.
City seem certain to secure Champions League qualification on the field with a 12-point lead over fifth-placed Manchester United.
If they are excluded, fifth would be good enough for the riches of next season’s Champions League, which are all the more valuable during the economic crisis caused by coronavirus.
Just six points separate United from Crystal Palace in 11th, leaving plenty to play for in the final nine rounds of matches of the season once the premier league restarts on June 17.
Coronavirus: Lionel Messi back in Barcelona training ahead of Mallorca restart
MADRID (AFP) – Lionel Messi trained again with his teammates on Monday (June 8) to give Barcelona a massive boost ahead of their La Liga return against Mallorca on Saturday.
Messi has been suffering from tightness in his right thigh and had not trained fully since last Tuesday.
He sat out sessions on Wednesday and Friday before working alone at Camp Nou on Saturday.
But Barcelona said in a statement their captain has rejoined “the rest of the team in the week of the return to competition in the Spanish league”.
Asked if Messi would be able to face Mallorca, Barca coach Quique Setien told Movistar on Sunday night: “Messi is not the only one that has not trained and felt some discomfort.
“It’s what has happened to everyone or practically everyone since they have been back.
“It is some minor tightness and we have it under control. He is doing perfectly and will not have any problem.”
Setien also gave an update on the fitness of Luis Suarez, who has been given the green light by the club to return after undergoing surgery on his right knee in January.
“He is better than we expected,” he said. “But the question is how ready he is after so long out and whether he is ready to start.”
Barcelona sit two points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, which will resume on Thursday with Sevilla against Real Betis after a three-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There are 11 rounds left to play, with fixtures expected to take place every day until the season ends on July 19.
Coronavirus: NFL, NFLPA near roadmap to return – report
(REUTERS) – A roadmap for players to return to team facilities is being discussed by the National Football League (NFL) and NFL Players Association, NFL Network reported on Monday (June 8).
The initial goal is to allow teams to bring in players who need physicals, including rookies and players signed in free agency.
That could happen by June 26, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
No mini-camps or formal group training will be permitted.
The NFL provided a memo to teams and the NFLPA outlining details of some requirements before players can return, including two metres between all lockers”where possible”.
Given the order to hold training camp at team facilities, housing all 90 players permitted on a roster during training camp at an acceptable social distance could be a challenge for teams already in tight quarters.
In the memo, there are no established regulations for Covid-19 testing or protocol for handling positive tests.
However, the league plans to establish such protocol this month, noting “we should expect that these protocols will change as medical and scientific knowledge of the disease continues to grow”.
Some teams found ways to have independent physicians or previous team physicians provide information about free agents in order to complete contracts in March.
But most free agent deals reportedly include provisions for voiding deals should the player eventually fail a physical.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, players were not allowed to visit the headquarters of teams or be seen for physical evaluations.
Coronavirus: Dan Evans dismisses Novak Djokovic’s US Open concerns over tennis protocols
(REUTERS) – Britain’s Dan Evans believes Novak Djokovic’s concerns about players having only one member of their support staff at the US Open does not apply to the majority of the field and compromises should be made when action resumes.
The US Open organisers are assessing safety measures for the tournament scheduled to begin on Aug 31 without spectators after the Covid-19 pandemic stalled the season in March.
World No. 1 Djokovic said hosting the tournament would be impossible due to “extreme” Covid-19 protocols, but Evans said there has to be some “give and take” from the players.
“I don’t think having one person of your team only allowed is such a big deal – the majority of the draw would only travel with one coach,” Evans told BBC 5 Live.
“Not everyone’s travelling with physios and fitness trainers like Novak said, so I think his argument there is not really valid for the rest of the draw, apart from the real top guys.”
The US Open will be the first Grand Slam to be played after the coronavirus outbreak, and will be followed by the French Open which was moved to September.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal is also not keen on travelling to New York, one of the cities hardest hit by coronavirus, in present circumstances.
But Evans has urged both Nadal and Djokovic to take part in the event in order to help lower-ranked professionals in financial crisis due to the shutdown.
“This is the point where I think the players should really come together and Novak and Rafa should really be looking to help those players with lower ranks so they get a good pay day,” he added.
Golf: Tiger Woods not in field for PGA Tour’s return next week but world’s top five will play
(REUTERS) – Tiger Woods will not compete next week when the PGA Tour swings back into action after a three-month Covid-19 hiatus, as the American former world No. 1 was not listed in the field released on Friday (June 5) for the event in Fort Worth, Texas.
The 15-time Major champion did not commit to the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club by the (5am Saturday Singapore time) deadline, and thus will not be part of a stacked field headlined by the top five golfers in the world, including top-ranked Rory McIlroy.
Woods’ lone Colonial appearance was in 1997 but there was a sense he would return this year given the long layoff since the PGA Tour shut down in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 44-year-old Masters champion last competed on the PGA Tour in mid-February, when he laboured through a final-round 77 at the Genesis Invitational where he finished last among players who made the cut.
World No. 11 Woods, one win shy of a record-breaking 83 PGA Tour wins, then skipped a number of tournaments with back issues but did play a May 24 charity match with Phil Mickelson and NFL Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
Football: Dortmund beat Hertha to maintain faint title hopes
DORTMUND, GERMANY (REUTERS) – Borussia Dortmund kept alive their fading hopes of wrestling the Bundesliga title from Bayern Munich’s grasp after a second-half goal from Emre Can gave them a 1-0 home win over Hertha Berlin on Saturday (June 6).
The result left Dortmund second on 63 points with four rounds of games remaining, seven behind champions Bayern who moved a step closer to securing their eighth successive title with a 4-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen earlier in the day.
Prior to the kickoff, both teams went down on one knee in the centre circle to pay tribute to George Floyd, an unarmed black man whose death in US police custody on May 25 has triggered protests around the world..
Bayern players wore “Black Lives Matter” armbands in their win over Leverkusen and before the match they warmed up in T-shirts saying “Reds Against Racism”.
The first half in Dortmund was played almost at walking pace and produced two chances for the home side, as Thorgan Hazard sliced his shot wide from seven metres before Julian Brandt fired wide from 18 metres.
England forward Jadon Sancho, who scored a hat-trick in last week’s 6-1 win at Paderborn, endured a poor afternoon and was guilty of an astonishing miss in the 51st minute, when he side-footed the ball wide from five metres.
With Dortmund dominating, Can finally broke the deadlock in the 58th when he drove the ball into the bottom left corner from the edge of the penalty area after Sancho headed a Hazard cross into the midfielder’s stride.
Sancho squandered another gilt-edged chance in the 90th minute, allowing Hertha keeper Rune Jarstein to block his shot from two metres out after another flowing Dortmund move.
The result left Hertha ninth on 38 points with only a slim chance of clinching a Europa League qualifying spot.
Football: Bayern crush Leverkusen to stay on title course, last-placed Paderborn draw with Leipzig
BERLIN (REUTERS) – Bayern Munich came from a goal down to ease past hosts Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 on Saturday (June 6) and remain firmly on course to win the Bundesliga title with four games remaining.
Lucas Alario fired in after 10 minutes as Leverkusen, without the injured Kai Havertz, scored with the first chance of the game.
But Bayern recovered from the early shock and Kingsley Coman curled in the equaliser in the 28th minute before the visitors struck twice in three minutes to turn the game around.
Leon Goretzka completed a sensational passing move in the 42nd minute and Serge Gnabry chipped the ball over keeper Lukas Hradecky on the stroke of halftime.
Bundesliga top scorer Robert Lewandowski headed in Thomas Mueller’s 20th assist of the season to seal Bayern’s ninth straight win before a superb 89th-minute goal from 17-year-old Florian Wirtz cut the deficit for the hosts.
Leaders Bayern moved 10 points clear of Borussia Dortmund, who play Hertha Berlin later. Bayer Leverkusen stayed fifth.
Elsewhere, last-placed Paderborn scored a 1-1 draw away at high-flying RB Leipzig after captain Christian Strohdiek netted a dramatic stoppage time equaliser, keeping alive their faint hopes of avoiding relegation.
Patrik Schick’s 27th minute goal saw Leipzig lead, but their fortunes turned after defender Dayot Upamecano was needlessly sent off two minutes from the end of the first half when he petulantly kicked away the ball after a foul.
The 21-year-old Frenchman had been booked earlier in the game, and his second yellow card ensured an early shower.
The result left Leipzig in third place, 11 points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich with four games remaining, while Paderborn moved to 20 points, still five adrift at the bottom.
Rouwen Hennings gave Fortuna Duesseldorf a 2-2 draw at home to 10-man Hoffenheim with a goal in each half. But Uwe Rosler’s side, who are third from bottom, will see it as two points dropped rather than one gained.
Hoffenheim got off to the worst possible start when striker Hennings headed the hosts into the lead in the fifth minute, shortly before visiting captain Benjamin Huebner was shown a straight red card for an altercation at a corner.
Munas Dabbur equalised in the 16th minute, while Hennings had a second headed goal ruled out two minutes later after the video assistant referee (VAR) spotted a foul in the build-up.
Steven Zuber put Hoffenheim ahead around the hour mark, but Hennings netted a penalty to secure the draw and leave his side third from bottom on 28 points, three behind Mainz.
Hoffenheim climbed to sixth and into the Europa League places on 43 points.
Mainz 05 scored once in each half to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 and move three points above the Bundesliga relegation playoff spot with four games left in the season.
The visitors went ahead two minutes from halftime thanks to Moussa Niakhate’s first goal of the season, and Eintracht, who are unlikely now to qualify for Europe, rarely threatened.
The hosts, who have now won only once in their last six games, upped the tempo after the break but still failed to register a shot on target in the entire game.
Kunde Malong’s solo run after winning possession in midfield killed off the game in the 77th minute and gave Mainz a crucial victory in their battle to stay up.
Mainz are 15th on 31 points with Frankfurt 11th on 35.
Football: Liverpool to resume title quest against Everton on June 21
LONDON (REUTERS) – Liverpool will resume their quest for a first top-flight title in 30 years against city rivals Everton on June 21, as the Premier League on Friday (June 5) released its revised fixture list for the first three weeks of the restarted season.
Football in England has been suspended since mid-March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but clubs have voted to restart the season on June 17 when second-placed Manchester City host Arsenal and Sheffield United visit relegation-threatened Aston Villa.
Liverpool are 25 points clear at the top and are two victories away from winning the Premier League, but will have a shot at securing the title by beating Everton if City lose to Arsenal.
Other potential dates in the first three fixtures when Liverpool could clinch the title are June 24, when they host Crystal Palace, and July 2, when they face Manchester City.
The venues for Liverpool’s games against Everton and City are yet to be confirmed.
Tottenham Hotspur, who are currently eighth, host fifth-placed Manchester United on June 19, while third-placed Leicester City travel to Watford on Saturday, June 20.
Arsenal are back in action on the same Saturday with a trip to Brighton and Hove Albion, while Villa play again on Sunday, June 21 when they host fourth-placed Chelsea.
City play again on Monday, June 22, when they host mid-table Burnley.
All the matches will be broadcast live but take place without fans present.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES:
June 17 : Aston Villa v Sheffield United; Man City v Arsenal
June 19 : Norwich v Southampton; Tottenham v Man United
June 20: Watford v Leicester; Brighton v Arsenal; West Ham v Wolves; Bournemouth v Palace
June 21: Newcastle v Sheffield United; Aston Villa v Chelsea; Everton v Liverpool
June 22: Man City v Burnley
June 23: Leicester v Brighton; Tottenham v West Ham
June 24: Man United v Sheffield United; Newcastle v Aston Villa; Norwich v Everton; Wolves v Bournemouth; Liverpool v Palace
June 25: Burnley v Watford; Southampton v Arsenal; Chelsea v Man City
June 27: Aston Villa v Wolves
June 28: Watford v Southampton
June 29: Palace v Burnley
June 30: Brighton v Man United
July 1: Arsenal v Norwich; Bournemouth v Newcastle; Everton v Leicester; West Ham v Chelsea
July 2: Sheffield United v Tottenham; Man City v Liverpool
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