Before I kick this off I think it’s very important to state that Celtic’s Aleksandar Tonev has not, at the time of writing, been found guilty of racially abusing Aberdeen’s Shay Logan. The SFA have received referee Bobby Madden’s report on the alleged incident revolving a remark made by the Bhoys star to his opponent and a case may be made if clear evidence is found.
Celtic have insisted that Tonev has stated to them that he’s not guilty, while the player’s agent has also defended his client.
Of course we all hope that he is not culpable and that the incident is just a misunderstanding. But should he have made the remark he’s accused of, then the SFA must throw the book at both club and player in a bid to ensure that repeat incidents are not witnessed or endured by anybody.
Tonev was up against Logan for the entire game, which ended 2-1, in what was a heated showing between the pair. The Bulgarian, on loan from Aston Villa, frequently clashed with his opponent in a footballing sense, with both players refusing to give an inch in their battle.
Logan reported the incident early in the second half and informed both his captain Mark Reynolds and the referee.
Now, nothing has been proven, but the last thing Scottish football needs is more controversy. We’re not here to delve into the accusations to have been thrown back and forth between Celtic and Rangers down the years or even Leigh Griffiths’ relatively recent troubles, but these problems leave the game in a difficult position.
This incident cannot be swept under the carpet, with acts of racial abuse or gestures of any kind simply unacceptable in the modern game. Football in Britain has moved forward almost immeasurable leaps since the days of the 70s and 80s and it’s always worth remembering that nations across Europe are still involved in shameful accusations on an almost seasonal basis.
That is not to mean that Tonev should be given an easy ride at all, with the UK having the reputation it has due to strict enforcement and punishment for offenders. Luis Suarez and John Terry are two of the most high profile wrongdoers in recent times, and the FA acted swiftly on both counts to ensure that the players were banned for lengthy periods, fined and held up as examples to others.
Even though Tonev was not in British football during the times of these offences he will be aware of the punishments dished out and the strict warnings aimed at other professionals, rendering any action, if guilty, he made completely unacceptable.
I’ll stress again that I hope for the sake of football that he’s not proven to have made such utterances, but should he have then the SFA must act as their counterparts below the border did – quickly and efficiently.
Tonev should not be banned for life – everyone deserves a second chance in society – but a massive punishment and a vast fine should be dished out. Further to this, Celtic, although some could deem this unfair, should suffer some sort of sanction.
This would help in getting the message through that racism is intolerable and help to ensure that such attitudes are not bred within groups of players.
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This incident is set to rumble on with more announcements set for later this week. So for now we will all continue to sit tight and hope that this episode is just a horrible mix-up.
As the FootballFanCast.com Advent Calendar reaches Day 5, we’re giving away two copies of ‘Inside the Divide: One City, Two Teams … The Old Firm’ by Richard Wilson.
Since 1888, Rangers and Celtic football clubs have been locked into an intense and frequently explosive rivalry: Rangers the product of West Scotland’s Protestant establishment, Celtic the team founded to raise money for the Catholic underclass of Glasgow.
On 2 January 2010 the two teams met in the Old Firm’s New Year Derby, a fixture that had been banned for ten years because of the trouble it brought with it.
Richard Wilson puts that game at the centre of a book which delves into the history and widens out to the cultural resonance of the fixture within Scotland.
It is a potent mix of close-up observation and big-picture thinking, with insight, understanding and depth.
Congratulations to Tara Davies who won a Big Match DVD yesterday.
Fancy a copy of Inside the Divide?
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The winners will be announced tomorrow, when we will also be unveiling our prize for Day 6. Don’t forget to come back to FootballFanCast.com then!
On Monday, Estadio Deportivo reported that Arsenal manager Unai Emery has made contact with Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega regarding a possible move.
Emery has previously worked with the 29-year-old, who is believed to have concerns about moving abroad.
Banega, who re-joined Sevilla for a second spell from Inter Milan in 2017, made 48 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals and creating six assists.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”255571″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Five outrageous World Cup stats you won’t believe are true”]
The Spanish publication states that the midfielder could end up being available for £17.5m due to a clause in his contract.
It is unclear whether Arsenal will pursue a deal, but some fans are certainly keen on the idea after witnessing his performance for Argentina at the World Cup on Tuesday.
What do you think of the World Cup so far? Let us know and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.
Banega played a pivotal role in his nation’s 2-1 victory over Nigeria, which sent them into the knockout rounds of the tournament.
While inside his own half, the midfielder chipped the ball over the top to find Lionel Messi, who scored Argentina’s first of the evening.
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Banega’s passing on the night set him apart from his teammates, and Arsenal fans certainly noticed.
Is anyone watching Banega in the Argentina vs Nigeria game ? from r/Gunners
Comment from discussion Is anyone watching Banega in the Argentina vs Nigeria game ?.Comment from discussion Is anyone watching Banega in the Argentina vs Nigeria game ?.Comment from discussion Is anyone watching Banega in the Argentina vs Nigeria game ?.Comment from discussion Is anyone watching Banega in the Argentina vs Nigeria game ?.Comment from discussion Is anyone watching Banega in the Argentina vs Nigeria game ?.Comment from discussion Is anyone watching Banega in the Argentina vs Nigeria game ?.Comment from discussion Is anyone watching Banega in the Argentina vs Nigeria game ?.Comment from discussion Is anyone watching Banega in the Argentina vs Nigeria game ?.
Paul Pogba seems to have been dividing opinion ever since he returned to Manchester United from Juventus in the summer of 2016.
The £89m man has, at times, put in some stellar displays for the Red Devils during his time at Old Trafford.
On other occasions, the Frenchman has struggled to influence from the middle of the park, and many have argued that it is down to positioning.
In some games, manager Jose Mourinho has required Pogba to play deeper and start plays closer to the defensive line, but that does not play to the 24-year-old’s strengths.
According to The Independent, the former Juventus star feels that he is being misused because he plays better in a more attacking role.
In his last three Premier League outings, Pogba did not play a full 90 minutes, and there are rumblings that there is unhappiness behind the scenes.
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The Independent has gone as far to say that the midfielder was open to leaving the club following United’s 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur, but his reaction was more heat-of-the-moment than anything else.
United fans have been tweeting their thoughts on the situation and how it can be resolved.
Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta has claimed that his side has no hope of winning the Champions League if they continue to play the way they did against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.
The Gunners succumbed to a disappointing 2-0 defeat against a vastly superior Dortmund side in their first group game, with Arteta believeing that an appearance in June’s final in Berlin will remain but a distant dream unless there is a drastic improvement in the team’s performances.
“If you make the mistakes that we did, against top sides, we know that there is no chance to win the Champions League” said Arteta in the aftermath of the defeat.
“We encouraged them to do that by giving the ball away so many times in very difficult positions. They exploit the spaces very well and they put us under pressure.
“I am bitterly disappointed. I am very disappointed because we knew their strengths, what we had to avoid and what we did was encourage them to play their game.
“We have to react. We have to analyse what we have done wrong and try to improve.”
Arsenal’s European zenith came in 2006 when they reached the Champions League Final in Paris, only to lose narrowly to Barcelona despite taking the lead. Since then, Arsene Wenger’s men have not enjoyed much success on the continent, exiting at the Round of 16 stage in the past four seasons.
However, the season is still in its infancy, and after last weekend’s impressive display against league champions Manchester City, Arsenal midfielder and England international Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is convinced that the Gunners are more than capable of returning to winning ways as they head to Aston Villa on Saturday.
“It is early in the season, Villa are a good side. It is a nice place to go and play football and we have to be at the required level” the Arsenal man said.
“They will be tough but if we believe in ourselves as title contenders this year and we will have to go with the belief that we will win the game and that is what we are going to do.
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“They are a good side with good players and we saw them go to Anfield and put in a good performance both defensively and going forward. We know what Villa are capable of but won’t let this performance get us down too much.”
After making some big-name signings in recent years – Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez being the standout examples – Arsene Wenger was confident that his side would have the quality and strength in depth to sustain a credible challenge for the league title and proceed further into the Champions League than in previous campaigns. However, after Tuesday’s insipid performance the pressure is on for the Gunners to prove their worth, otherwise their captain’s warnings may ring true.
Depending on the location, football can have two completely separate meanings. Just like their geographical locations, the two sports are a world apart when it comes to their similarities. Not only does the word differ in sports, but in the sport’s business as well. The American’s have been known for their love and following to “their” football, and haven’t really caught on to the rest of the world’s craze for European football until now.
In the past decade European soccer has experienced an American invasion never before seen. It wasn’t until 2005 the English Premier League welcomed its first American owner. Even though the owners are new to the Premier League, sports are something they are very familiar with. The American owners have experience in either business or ownership of American sport franchises. This then becomes a matter of question of previous American sports ownership being good enough versus knowledge of European football.
Team
Owner
Year of Takeover
Experience
Manchester United
Malcolm Glazer
2005
CEO of First Allied Corp, Owner of Tampa Bay Buccaneers (National Football League)
Aston Villa
Randy Lerner
2006
Chairman of MBNA Corp, Owner of Cleveland Browns (National Football League)
Arsenal
Stan Kroenke
2007
Owner of Kroenke Sports Enterprises, owner of St. Louis Rams (National Football League), Co-owns Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City
Sunderland
Ellis Short
2008
President of Lone Star Funds
Liverpool
John W. Henry (Fenway Sports Group)
2010
Founder of John W. Henry & Company, Owner of Bosten Red Sox (Major League Baseball), Co-owns Roush Fenway Racing
As of now, Americans account for 25 percent of the ownership in the Premier League. American’s aren’t known for their knowledge of football, but they do have a good understanding of sports business. Just how well are the teams benefiting financially from the foreign approach? Depending on the team the answer to that question can be very different.
The first takeover, and probably the most controversial one was Malcolm Glazer’s. The Glazers bought the club for £777 million pounds sharing the debt between the family and the club. The total amount of debt added up to £660 million pounds with interest payments equaling £62 million pounds a year. Needless to say, this appeared to be the most extreme financial takeover. The next year was a much more subtle takeover. In August of 2006, Randy Lerner reached an agreement to a takeover of the club spending £62.6 million pounds. By September Lerner increased his shares to 85.5% and became chairman of the club. The next and most recent team to jump into ownership was the Fenway Sports Group (John W. Henry) that bought Liverpool in 2010 for £300 million pounds. Upon takeover of the club, FSG paid back £200million pounds of debt owed to the Royal Bank of Scotland from previous owners.
The next two clubs took a much more settled approach to taking over the clubs. Stan Kroenke started buying shares of Arsenal in 2007 totaling 9.9%. It wasn’t until 2007 that Kroenke increased his share holding to 62.89% and made an offer for the rest of the club this past year. Similar to Kroenke, Ellis Short gradually invested in Sunderland Football Club. 2008 Short bought a 30 percent stake in the Sunderland F.C, until 2009 when Ellis gained 100% control of the club.
For some of the clubs, the approach to ownership has been very helpful to the clubs. However, to some teams the approach was perceived very badly. Manchester United has had probably the biggest impact from the American owner. Manchester United fans didn’t agree to the club’s takeover approach due to the massive debt and the cost of interest paid annually. In fact, there have been many protests to Glazer’s takeover. Along with a new club formed FC United of Manchester, many United fans refused to renew their season tickets. Fans also created anti-glazer songs and chants that they sang at games. Fans including former United star David Beckham started wearing the previous colours of the club, green and gold. The protests are still going on today.
Manchester United statics show that the club is financially profitable today, but fans are upset of the approach to the takeover. Yes, today Man United is the most valuable team in the world; however it is not due all to the ownership. The whole time the club spent money on paying back the debt, they could have been paying it on players and the team. The more a team can afford salaries, the more competitive a club is. Of course, the more successful a team is the more money they’ll get.
Besides club competitiveness, a clubs sponsorship is a large portion to its revenue. Again, the team with the biggest impact of profit with its American owner is Manchester United. Today, Manchester United is ranked the most valuable team in the world valued at $2.3 billion dollars. So how did the club get so profitable with a daunting amount of debt to pay off? The answer is sponsorships. From deals and sponsors the club has become the world’s sport team leader of profits with a global fan base of 330 million.
The approach to gaining sponsorship deals has made Manchester United what it is today. In 2006, Man United agreed to a shirt sponsorship with AIG worth £56.5 million for four years. This deal alone is the biggest in British history. The other large deal for Manchester United was their 13-year £303 million pound deal with Nike. This deal is essential to the team for two big reasons. The deal allows Nike to pay the team a fixed priced for merchandise rights to its kits (shorts, shirts, cleats, etc). Also, the team is now associated with a market leader in a corresponding industry. In just the first 22 months of the agreement Nike had sold 3.8 million replica jerseys. This builds fan support and encourages industries to sell the teams merchandise.
The business opportunities don’t stop there. In 2004, the team invested millions of pounds in digital advertising boards around three sides of the pitch. Manchester United keeps revenue coming even beyond the game; fans can finance their cars or homes through United loans or mortgages. Fans can also purchase a Man United credit card, United insurance, invest in United bonds, gamble in United Super Pool lotteries, or even catch a movie in the Red Cinema in Salford. All of these business transactions help to promote the team building the brand while creating a profit at the same time.
The American influence has proved many positive influences to the League. The first and most obvious is the American following that the owners have created. Since the American owners took over, the popularity of the league has risen and created more profit for the league. Recently ESPN broadcasted the chance for a record setting amount of viewers to watch the Manchester City vs. Manchester United match reaching more then one million viewers. The April 30th live match was viewed on cable television and doubled the previous viewers record set in 2010 of Arsenal versus Chelsea. The English Premier League has became the richest football league with help from its three-year television deal, which incurred $5.4 billion dollars. It is shown that the league acquires 2.3 billion dollars just through overseas television rights.
Although Manchester United has dominated the example of a profitable business strategy takeover (with ownership fees not included of course), Liverpool has shown some strong examples of club revenue efficiency. The owner is planning on ways to maximize profits especially on game day. After many obstacles the owner received access to expand the stadium to fit almost double the amount of fans on game day. By increasing fans on match day, revenues will grow and the team’s profits will rise. In a short time as owner, John W. Henry has proposed many ideas such as this to help the teams financial strategy for the long run.
When it comes to how to run a sports franchise, there is a lot the Premier League can learn from the Americans. However, the learning isn’t a one-way street. As 5 American’s have already caught on, there is a lot to be learned from the Premier League. The Premier League offers global brands that Americans don’t have the chance to jeopardize on. American football is very popular, in America. Although there is gaining interest, including London hosting two NFL games at Wembley stadium next year, the interest/market is still very restricted. Football (American soccer) is the most popular sport on the planet with over 3.5 billion fans worldwide.
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Having the world as a potential market is something that American sports owners have not had the chance to be a part of. 6 of the 11 teams are playing in the States next year which increases global interest. The growing interest isn’t just in America; the English Premier League has started to become a global brand. Having a global brand is the best thing for a business looking to expand profits. The Glazer family is cashing in on the expanded market looking to sell shares on a U.S. stock exchange of Man U, as well as offering 30 percent to the Singapore Exchange. Deloitte stated, “Even if the Premier League clubs are only able to maintain the current wages-to-turnover ratio of 62%, we predict operating profits will almost double”. That means with this revenue increase it would put the revenue at an overall turnover of about $3.5 billion. The rise in fans around the world will create profit potential that no other sport could reach, and that’s a business worth investing in.
Everton are interested in launching a surprising bid for Borussia Dortmund’s Mario Gotze, according to Sky Sports.
What’s the story?
Mario Gotze made a big name for himself early in his career and was considered one of the brightest talents in Europe a few years ago.
Unfortunately his career has been blighted by injury but he will always be fondly remembered for scoring the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final for Germany.
The 26-year-old moved from Borrussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich in 2013, only to move back to his former club in 2016.
Last season the attacking midfielder made 19 starts in the Bundesliga, scoring two goals and assisting three.
According to the report, Dortmund are keen to recoup most of the £22million they paid to bring him back to the Signal Iduna Park, and many clubs are interested in the player.
Is it likely?
If Everton were to pull this off, it would surely be one of the shocks of the summer.
With Sky reporting that Arsenal, West Ham, Marseille and Valencia in for the World Cup winner, Everton would have to do something special to convince Gotze to head to Merseyside.
Even if they did, they would be spending a lot of money on a player who hasn’t quite lived up to the promise he showed early in his career.
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He has had little game time in the past few years having spent a lot of time nursing injuries, and Marco Silva would be better off spending his money elsewhere on areas that need investment.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”255857″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Everton’s opening fixtures for the 201819 Premier League season”]
According to a post on Ladbrokes’ official Twitter account, Arsenal have reportedly offered midfielder Aaron Ramsey a new contract worth £250,000-a-week and the captaincy too in order to keep him at the club, but Gunners fans are all saying the same thing about the prospect of him being their new skipper.
The Wales international has less than 18 months remaining on his current deal and there has been no progress over extending his stay at the Emirates yet, although Ladbrokes suggest that the north London outfit are ready to show the 27-year-old how much they want to keep him – especially after his hat-trick in the 5-1 win against Everton on Saturday.
Jack Wilshere is another of those that would likely be in contention to replace Laurent Koscielny as the skipper in the future, but that could depend on whether he remains with the club with his deal expiring in the summer.
Arsenal supporters were quick to have their say on the Ramsey captain rumour via social media, and while one said “he’s selfish and plays for himself, not the club”, another said “good player but has nothing to offer as a captain”.
Newcastle United will surely be looking to reinforce his squad in the summer and what better way to scout his targets than by watching the World Cup. With Group H being the target, there are choices from Algeria, Belgium, South Korea, and Russia.
There are already a few players who have already made a name for themselves despite all the teams from this group being knocked out, with Belgium the final nation to face the exit. Some hidden talents can surely boost the Magpies ahead of next season as new signings will surely keep the fans happy.
Here are SIX World Cup stars Newcastle United should sign from Group H.
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Aissa Mandi
Name: Aissa Mandi
Age: 22 (October 22, 1991)
Club: Stade Reims
Position: Right Back
Nationality: Algeria
Estimated Value: £1.7 million
//www.youtube.com/embed/gQyPhQqSZag
With the highly possible departure of Mathieu Debunchy, Newcastle will be without a quality right back and with rather limited funds, Mandi could serve as a very probably move. At only 22, he is a regular for both Stade Reims and his national team as well.
He is very good when it comes to making interceptions and tackles and is also very effective when attacking due to his ability to send accurate long balls and crosses to the more attacking players.
Faouzi Ghoulam
Name: Faouzi Ghoulam
Age: 23 (February 1, 1991)
Club: Napoli
Position: Left-Back
Nationality: Algeria
Estimated Value: £4.4 million
//www.youtube.com/embed/Z7L8dVip8Gk
Although he recently made a switch to Napoli, Alan Pardew could be interested in a move for the speedy full back in bids to provide some cover alongside the left flank. He had been a regular at Saint Etienne and continues to feature for the first team at Napoli, making 37 appearances the previous season, notching one goal and providing five assist.
His height gives him some advantage when it comes to aerial battles with smaller quicker wingers, while his speed makes it available to keep up with them. Ghoulam’s ability to step in and make an inception can give his team a huge advantage when playing the key passes during the counter attacking.
Islam Slimani
Name: Islam Slimani
Age: 26 (June 18, 1988)
Club: Sporting Lisbon
Position: Striker
Nationality: Algeria
Estimated Value: £1.7 million
//www.youtube.com/embed/50fe1aKP22E
If scoring goals was a problem for Newcastle United in the previous season, the addition of Slimani may help add some extra firing power up top. Known for his aerial ability, he could be the player to come in and help fill the void ever since Demba Ba made his move to Chelsea.
With two goals in three games during Algeria’s World Cup run, his scoring capabilities have already been showcased on the largest stage. He also managed eight goals in 26 matches for Sporting Lisbon and best of all, his value is still very reasonable. Alan Pardew should really consider the striker who was named Algeria’s Player of the Year in 2013.
Anthony Vanden Borre
Name: Anthony Vanden Borre
Age: 26 (October 24, 1987)
Club: Anderlecht
Position: Right Back
Nationality: Belgium
Estimated Value: £1.7 million
//www.youtube.com/embed/j4sDpC5pW4o
Alan Pardew may need to begin preparing for life without first choice right back Mathieu Debunchy and that is where Vanden Borre can step in. The right back is very tricky when carrying the ball forward and can provide quite a powerful shot.
His World Cup was cut short after breaking his ankle in the match against South Korea but his passionate personality and willingness to succeed has always been a great motivator during his career. His additional to the squad could give Alan Pardew another quality right back to fill the likely to be vacant role.
Steven Defour
Name: Steven Defour
Age: 26 (April 15, 1988)
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Club: FC Porto
Position: Central Midfield
Nationality: Belgium
Estimated Value: £6.1 million
//www.youtube.com/embed/1tTOEDvQH7Q
Defour is a player who can step in and control the ball in the middle of the park and also provide the killer ball to the more attacking players. Apart from his ability to get forward and create chances for his team mates, he also joins the defenders to make important challenges before his opponents reach the team’s defensive line.
Alan Pardew will still be searching for a player than can replace Yohan Cabaye in central midfield and with a highly probable price tag; Newcastle should really consider acquiring his services. He also won Belgium’s Golden Shoe back in 2007 as the club hope for him to replicate his earlier performance.
Lee Chung-yong
Name: Lee Chung-Yong
Age: 26 (July 2, 1988)
Club: Bolten Wanderers
Position: Right midfield / right winger
Nationality: South Korea
Estimated Value: £.3.5 million
//www.youtube.com/embed/84oRFPi77NE
With Bolten being relegated, Newcastle have the ability to reinforce the club with players who are very likely to want to return to football in the English Premier League. He can serve as a tricky winger who has the ability to take players on with his neat footwork and can also provide the key passes to the more attacking players.
He was a regular feature throughout Bolton’s season, scoring three goals and providing six assist. Apart from his attacking aspect, he is also quite quick, meaning that he can always race back to help out with defending. With his side being relegated, his value could drop as well, so if Alan Pardew wants to make a reasonable purchase, acquiring his services could be a positive investment.
must beat Fulham when they travel to Craven Cottage tomorrow, according to Blues’ youngster Bryan Oviedo.
The Toffees dropped out of the Premier League top four last weekend following the Merseyside derby as the club recorded its’ third consecutive draw.
Bryan Oviedo, aged 22, believes that a win against Fulham will quickly restart Everton’s bid for Champions League qualification glory and rekindle the form his team started the season with.
“It is very important for us to win this weekend because we what to stay in the top places. We need to win to keep close to the Champions League positions” said the Costa Rican international, who can play at left-back or left midfield.
“But we have a very good team, very strong defenders and good players in midfield and attack.
“The team has a strong mentality. We have come back from being 1-0 and 2-0 down in recent games and the team is very united.”
Oviedo is yet to make a start in the Premier League and has kept out of the first team by Leighton Baines, Steven Pienaar and Kevin Mirallas, but is hoping to feature from the bench against Fulham.
The Toffees man is keen to play against international team-mate and Cottagers midfielder Bryan Ruiz.
“It is nice to play against Bryan,” said the former FC Copenhagen player. “I talk with him a lot and we are the only two Costa Rican players in England.
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“I spoke with him two days ago too, he told me Fulham need the three points but I told him it is the same for Everton. Maybe after the game we will swap shirts” he added.