Football: Ronaldo hat-trick saves Man Utd as Spurs, Arsenal slump to defeat

MANCHESTER -- Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick as Manchester United claimed a 3-2 win over Norwich on Saturday to take advantage of defeats for Arsenal and Tottenham in the race for a place in next season's Champions League.

Spurs' winning run was brought to an abrupt halt by a 1-0 home defeat by Brighton, while the Gunners were beaten 1-0 at Southampton to slump to a third consecutive loss.

Ronaldo's 50th club hat-trick tempered a revolt among the fanbase at Old Trafford as United move above Arsenal into fifth on goal difference, three points behind Tottenham.

There was unrest among the United fans before the game even began as many did not come into the stadium until the 17th minute to protest against the 17 years of the Glazer family's ownership of the club.

Those late to take their seats missed Ronaldo's first goal of the afternoon as he swept home Anthony Elanga's cross.

The 37-year-old then powered home Alex Telles' corner for his 20th goal of the season despite United's struggles.

However, the Red Devils' defensive problems were laid bare by the bottom-of-the-table Canaries who had scored just 20 goals in their previous 31 league games.

Kieran Dowell halved the arrears in first-half stoppage time before Teemu Pukki levelled seven minutes into the second half.

David de Gea then had to produce a brilliant save to deny Pukki completing the comeback.

United players were then met with chants of "you're not fit to wear the shirt", with Paul Pogba singled out for abuse when he was substituted.

But Ronaldo had the final say when his free-kick flew through the grasp of Tim Krul 14 minutes from time to set up a huge week for United.

Ralf Rangnick's men face a daunting trip to Liverpool on Tuesday before facing Arsenal next weekend.

"Ronaldo has scored three very important goals for us," said De Gea.

"We know we aren't playing very well but we got three points. We should control the game more against Norwich at home."

- North London nightmare -

Brighton halted Tottenham's charge towards the Champions League as Leandro Trossard struck a 90th-minute winner.

But Antonio Conte's men were bailed out by another defeat for Arsenal as they failed to close the gap against a Southampton side that had been thrashed 6-0 by Chelsea last weekend.

Brighton were Arsenal's conquerors last time out to snap a seven-game winless run.

With confidence restored, the Seagulls looked more like their old selves under Graham Potter as they controlled the game and completed a north London double thanks to Trossard's composed finish in the final minute.

"Today we did everything too slow," said Conte. "It was not a good game for us.

"When you can't win, you should not lose and that is a lesson for us today. When it is not your day, you have to pay more attention and not lose."

Arsenal's lack of a top striker proved their downfall at St. Mary's as Fraser Forster produced a string of fine saves to leave Mikel Arteta's men frustrated.

Southampton took their chance when it came as defender Jan Bednarek swept high past Aaron Ramsdale just before half-time.

"We had so much possession, we created situations but the end product was not good," said Arteta.

"You have to score goals to win games. What else can I say? The boys played the way they have to play but in the box is where things are defined."

At the bottom of the table, Watford look set to return to the Championship after Brentford inflicted their 10th successive home league defeat.

Pontus Jansson scored the winner deep into stoppage time for the Bees after Emmanuel Dennis had cancelled out Christian Norgaard's opener.

Second-from-bottom Watford remain six points adrift of safety with six games left to play.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Netherlands coach Van Gaal says cancer treatment behind him

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Netherlands football coach Louis van Gaal insisted Monday that he was fit enough to lead his nation to the World Cup finals saying his prostate cancer treatment has been successful.

Van Gaal, 70, said ten days ago he had been receiving treatment since being diagnosed in 2020, but still plans to lead his team at the World Cup in Qatar in seven months' time.

"I had 25 sessions of chemotherapy. Then I had to wait five or six months to see if that had worked. It has," he told the ANP press agency.

The former Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United coach also underwent surgery. 

The no-nonsense Van Gaal managed the Oranje between 2000-2002 and 2012-2014, when they finished third at the World Cup in Brazil.

He then returned to the Dutch national team after the resignation of Frank de Boer in the aftermath of the country's last-16 exit from Euro 2020.

The Netherlands were placed in Group A with hosts Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal in Friday's draw.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Spurs tighten grip on top-four spot as Arsenal, Man Utd lose

LONDON -- Tottenham thumped Aston Villa 4-0 on Saturday to tighten their grip on fourth spot in the Premier League after Manchester United and Arsenal both slipped up.

Third-placed Chelsea ended a tough week by hammering Southampton 6-0 while Leeds climbed nine points above the relegation zone with a comfortable 3-0 win at Watford.

Six wins in seven league games for free-scoring Spurs have made them firm favorites to qualify for next season's Champions League along with Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Son Heung-min scored a hat-trick for Antonio Conte's men at Villa Park, with Dejan Kulusevski also chipping in as Spurs put their opponents to the sword.

The impressive Harry Kane provided two assists while Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made seven saves in the opening 45 minutes to keep Villa at bay.

The win takes Spurs to 57 points -- three clear of fifth-placed Arsenal and six ahead of West Ham and Manchester United.

"I'm very happy because I have a group of players who want to show me that they will improve in many aspects," Conte told the BBC.

"When you have this you have to be happy to work with them and to try to do something important at the end of the season. Seven games to go and we are showing that we are deserving to stay in the race for a place in the Champions League."

In the early kick-off Frank Lampard's Everton beat misfiring United 1-0 to climb four points above the relegation zone while Arsenal slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Brighton -- their third loss in four games.

The decisive moment at Goodison Park came midway through the first half when Anthony Gordon hit a shot that took a huge deflection off England defender Harry Maguire and wrong-footed David de Gea in the United goal.

Lampard said he was proud of his battling side, who are trying to maintain Everton's record of being ever-present in the English top flight since 1954.

"Beautiful football can come later on," he told BT Sport. "I have ambitions for this club to stay up, play well, but in the position we are in, fighting comes first and foremost."

United's interim manager Ralf Rangnick, who has a two-year contract to remain as a consultant at United beyond this season, was asked whether speculation over the club's next manager was creating a state of limbo.

"I don't think this should be an excuse for anybody," he said, with Ajax boss Erik ten Hag touted as a strong favorite to be the next permanent boss.

"We're Manchester United, we've got a lot of international players."

-Arsenal stumble - 

Arsenal are having a wobble at the wrong time after putting themselves in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League -- they have not played in Europe's elite competition since the 2016/17 season.

Brighton took the lead at the Emirates Stadium when Leandro Trossard turned home a low cross from Enock Mwepu and the Zambian midfielder himself added a second. Martin Odegaard scored a late consolation.

"It has been a difficult week and we've lost some big players, but if you get what you want, not everything is going to be with a blue sky," Mikel Arteta told the BBC. 

"This is our team in the good moments and especially the defeats. There are many games to play but we have to be concerned about that performance, especially first half."

Chelsea suffered a shock 4-1 defeat at the hands of Brentford last week before losing 3-1 against Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

But they restored confidence on Saturday, racing into a 6-0 lead in the 54th minute, with two goals apiece for Mason Mount and Timo Werner.

"The performance changed, the commitment and the discipline," said Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel. "This is how we want to play and we gave an answer finally because you could see it on the scoreboard."

Manchester City and Liverpool go head to head at the Etihad on Sunday in a top-of-the-table clash.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Kiwi own-goal hat trick helps US to SheBelieves Cup win

LOS ANGELES -- Three own goals by New Zealand defender Meikayla Moore helped deliver the reigning Women's World Cup champion United States a 5-0 victory Sunday over the Football Ferns in the She Believes Cup.

Moore, who plays for Liverpool in the English Women's Championship, knocked US crosses in the fifth, sixth and 36th minutes into the Kiwi net.

US forward Sophia Smith kicked the ball from the left side and Moore's attempt to stop the ball with her right foot only sent it into the goal.

Seconds later, American defender Sofia Huerta charged upfield and crossed the ball from the right wing to the heart of the penalty area, where Moore deflected it into the goal.

US striker Margaret Purce charged in from the right wing into the penalty area in the 36th minute and flicked the ball in front of the goal, where it deflected into the goal off Moore's left foot.

The 25-year-old from Christchurch slumped forward, bent at the waist, for several seconds after watching the third own goal. She was soon replaced and consoled on the sidelines.

It marked the first match the US women had ever gotten the benefit of three own goals, their pressuring early attack a byproduct of settling for a goal-less draw in their tournament opener against the Czech Republic.

"This game we just came out with a wad of energy and I think that was big for us," Smith said.

"There was just more urgency for us to get in behind and score goals and create opportunities so I would say overall we played with energy and urgency."

US reserve Ashley Hatch nodded home a goal off a Huerta pass in the 51st minute and Mallory Pugh scored a final goal off a feed from Hatch three minutes into stoppage time.

The Americans improved to 17-1-1 in the all-time series against New Zealand, including a 6-1 US rout at last year's Tokyo Olympics.

The US women stretched their home soil unbeaten streak to 64 matches, including 57 triumphs and seven draws. They have kept 16 straight home clean sheets since last surrendering a goal in a 3-1 win over Japan in 2020's She Believes Cup.

- Iceland wins 2-1 -

The Americans conclude the round-robin tournament on Tuesday against Iceland, which defeated the Czechs 2-1 in Sunday's second game.

Natasha Anasi scored in the 11th minute and Selma Sol Magnusdottir followed in the 18th to give Iceland a half-time lead. Michaela Khyrova answered the for the Czechs in the 85th minute but it was not enough.

The US women must defeat Iceland in order to capture the title, while a draw on Tuesday will be enough to give Iceland the crown.

The Football Ferns, who opened with a 1-0 loss to Iceland, will close against the Czechs in the final double-header at Frisco, Texas.

The tournament serves as a warm-up for US qualifying for next year's Women's World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics. That North American event will be played in July at Monterrey, Mexico.

New Zealand will serve as co-hosts with Australia of the 2023 Women's World Cup, where the United States hopes to win a record third consecutive crown.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Philippines' success can inspire next generation, says Stajcic

Philippines' coach Alen Stajcic hailed qualification for next year's Women's World Cup as a "once-in-a-lifetime" achievement that can inspire a new generation of players.

The Philippines defeated Taiwan in a penalty shootout in Pune, India, on Sunday to secure a semi-final berth at the Women's Asian Cup and, in addition, a place at the World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand next June.

That marks the Philippines' first-ever qualification for a major global soccer finals in either the men's or women's game and Stajcic, who was appointed in November, believes it can have a positive impact on children throughout the archipelago.

"It's an unbelievable achievement by the group, it's a moment in history for the country and no one can ever take that away from the group, it's a new bar that's been set," said the Australian.

"Now every young kid, girl and boy, back in the Philippines knows they can be inspired and get to the World Cup themselves.

"I know the group is really proud of each other but I know they're even more proud that they've inspired the next generation."

Hailing from a country where basketball is the dominant sport, a squad drawn largely from the Filipino diaspora in the United States went into the tournament ranked as outsiders.

The Malditas were handed a challenging drawn in the group phase, which saw them pitted against Australia, who finished as Asian Cup runners-up in 2014 and 2018, as well 2019 World Cup qualifiers Thailand.

However, they emerged from their group second behind the Australians before defeating three-time Asian champions Taiwan to secure the World Cup berth and also set up an Asian Cup semi-final with South Korea in Pune on Thursday.

"I'm not even worried about the semi-final at the moment," said Stajcic.

"I usually wouldn't say that, but we've just qualified for the World Cup and we're going to enjoy that.

"It's a remarkable achievement, it's a once-in-a-lifetime, one that's never been done before. So you just really have to soak up these moments." 

(Reporting by Michael Church in Hong Kong, Editing by Robert Birsel)

-reuters

Football: Ronaldo sends Man United into last 16, Chelsea thrash Juventus

Manchester United booked their place in the Champions League last 16 as Cristiano Ronaldo scored in a 2-0 victory at Villarreal on Tuesday, while holders Chelsea also reached the knockout phase by thumping Juventus.

Three-time European champions United went into their first game since sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the weekend needing a win to confirm a top-two finish in Group F.

But they were under massive pressure as defeat would have left their fate out of their own hands.

David de Gea made two crucial saves and United, with Michael Carrick in caretaker charge, took advantage through Ronaldo's 78th-minute lob.

Jadon Sancho, so often a peripheral figure since his big-money move from Borussia Dortmund in the close-season, capped a fine individual display with his first goal for the club late on.

"It's not an important result for me personally. It's an important one for the players and the club," said Carrick.

Ronaldo's goal was the 799th of his career, his 140th in the Champions League and his sixth in the competition this season.

The other qualification spot in the group remains up for grabs after Young Boys and Atalanta played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in Bern.

Late goals from Vincent Sierro and Silvan Hefti gave the Swiss champions a 3-2 lead, but Luis Muriel struck in the 88th minute for the visitors.

Atalanta face a winner-takes-all match against Villarreal in Bergamo next month.

- Chelsea thrash Juve -

Chelsea romped into the last 16 and to the top of Group H with an impressive 4-0 thrashing of Juventus at Stamford Bridge.

Thomas Tuchel's men knew that qualification would be secured if they could avoid defeat or if Zenit Saint Petersburg failed to beat Malmo.

The Blues dominated the early stages and took the lead through young defender Trevoh Chalobah's third goal of the season.

Chelsea's defenders were consistently a menace from set-pieces, and Thiago Silva saw a header saved by Wojciech Szczesny early in the second period.

It was a defender who doubled Chelsea's lead in the 56th minute.

England right-back Reece James hammered a fine volley into the bottom corner to net for the fifth time already this term.

Chelsea grabbed their third goal less than two minutes later, Ruben Loftus-Cheek prodding the ball to Hudson-Odoi, who smashed home from close range.

There was still time for Timo Werner, making his first appearance since an injury layoff, to come off the bench and score in added time.

"We did really well, it is so tough to score goals against Juventus and we created so much," said Tuchel. "Full credit for an amazing performance and a fantastic result."

Zenit drew 1-1 with Malmo to secure a spot in the Europa League knockouts.

- Barcelona stutter -

Barcelona were held to a goalless draw by Benfica at the Camp Nou in Xavi's second game as coach, but remain above the Portuguese side in Group E.

However, the Catalan club will have to beat Bayern Munich in Germany in their final group game to be sure of making the next round.

Benfica host already-eliminated Dynamo Kiev in their last match, trailing Barca by two points.

Barcelona endured a nervy first half which saw Gavi waste the only clear opportunity, blazing over from close range when Memphis Depay was waiting in the middle for a tap-in.

Xavi's men improved after the interval, though, with Frenkie de Jong's header forcing Benfica 'keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos into a flying save.

But it was Benfica who almost took a huge step towards the last 16 deep into injury time, only for Haris Seferovic to shoot wide when he should have scored.

"We played well but there's a bitter aftertaste because we were here to win tonight," Barca defender Ronald Araujo told uefa.com.

"In front of our fans, our people -– and now we simply must go and win in Munich."

The other game in Group E saw Bayern Munich wrap up top spot with a 2-1 victory at Dynamo Kiev.

Robert Lewandowski lit up a snowy evening in the Ukrainian capital by scoring a magnificent overhead kick, with Kingsley Coman also on the scoresheet for the six-time winners.

In Group G, Lille made Salzburg wait to reach the last 16 as Jonathan David scored a first-half winner in a 1-0 victory in France.

All four teams in the group can still go through, after Sevilla saw off Wolfsburg 2-0.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi makes PSG statement as 'crazy' Sheriff shock Madrid

PARIS, France -- Lionel Messi opened his Paris Saint-Germain account as the French side beat Manchester City while new boys Sheriff Tiraspol shocked Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Messi's top-corner finish added to Idrissa Gueye's first half goal as PSG moved top of Group A with the 2-0 win over last year's runners up.

Pep Guardiola's side hit the bar twice in the first half with Portugal playmaker Bernardo Silva failing to score two metres out with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma helplessly on the ground.

"The important thing was to win, against an immense opponent, one of the contenders for the trophy," Messi told broadcaster Canal+.

"I had only played here (Parc des Princes) once, but little by little I'm adapting and integrating to the team," he added.

In Group D, Sheriff, playing in just their second ever game in the group stage of the competition, upset record 13-time winners Real Madrid 2-1 in the Spanish capital.

Uzbekistan winger Jasur Jakhshibaev put the Moldovans in the lead before the half hour mark as Karim Benzema equalised after 65 minutes to score for a 17th different season in the competition, a feat only also achieved by 34-year-old Messi.

But the hero for Sheriff, who are based in the region of Transnistria on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border, was Luxembourg attacking midfielder Sebastien Thill.

The 27-year-old Thill fired home a sublime half volley with 62 seconds of regular time remaining at the Santiago Bernabeu two week after Sheriff had beaten Shakhtar Donetsk earlier in the month in their opening group game.

"After this match we all went crazy. There are a lot foreigners in the club, we come from all types of countries. It's our strength," Thill told Canal+.

"We played both matches to 100%. We're all happy now," he added.

Madrid's Casemiro rued his side's lack of efficiency in front of Sheriff's Greek goalkeeper Georgios Athanasiadis.

"It's football, we had 20 shots or more and we scored one, they had two shots scored both," he told Movistar+.

"We have to pay more attention, especially defensively.

"We started well, we had total control of the game, we had opportunities to get ahead, but they scored a great goal at the end," he added.

Earlier in the group, Serie A champions Inter Milan remain winless in Europe this season following the 0-0 draw at Shakhtar.

Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk was a spectator in Kiev days after beating Anthony Joshua on points to become just the third boxer to win both the cruiserweight and heavyweight world titles.

- Salah, Firmino doubles -

In Group B, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino scored twice as Liverpool hammered Porto 5-1 and Luis Suarez claimed a 97th-minute winner as Atletico Madrid edged AC Milan 2-1 in Italy.

Jurgen Klopp's side wore black armbands after former Liverpool striker Roger Hunt died earlier in the day aged 83.

Milan played an hour with 10-man after Franck Kessie's red card and the seven-time European champions were unable to claim a first win in the competition since 2013.

Earlier, Ivory Coast striker Sebastien Haller took his tally to 10 goals in as many games this season as Ajax beat Besiktas 2-0 to stay top of Group C in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Netherlands winger Donyell Malen also scored for his new club as Borussia Dortmund overcame Sporting Lisbon 1-0 and trail the Dutch champions on goal difference.

American Jesse Marsch lost his fifth game in nine matches in charge of RB Leipzig in the 2-1 home defeat to Club Brugge. Leipzig face a tough ask to reach the last 16 in a group alongside PSG and City.

On Wednesday, champions Chelsea head to Juventus, Manchester United host Villarreal and Benfica welcome Barcelona in the pick of the ties.

Agence France-Presse

Football: AC Milan stalemate piles on misery for Juventus

MILAN, Italy -- Juventus were left struggling in the unlikely surroundings of Serie A's bottom three on Sunday after a 1-1 draw with AC Milan kept them searching for a first league win this season.

Alvaro Morata's fourth-minute goal gave Juve the lead but Ante Rebic headed in a 76th-minute equalizer as Milan ended the weekend in second place on goal difference behind city rivals Inter who crushed Bologna 6-1 on Saturday.

Milan could have won the match in the dying moments but Juve keeper Wojciech Szczesny pulled off a brilliant point-blank save to deny Pierre Kalulu.

Juventus, still reeling from the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United, are 18th with just two points from four games with only Cagliari and Salernitana propping them up.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri had harsh words for some of his stars.

"You have to be determined, to bring home the tackle, keep focused. This is part of the general growth process of some players," he said.

"I will admit that I made mistakes on the substitutions, I got it wrong. I should've put more defensive players on and put the 1-0 lead under lock and key, so I take responsibility for that."

Milan, missing both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Olivier Giroud, dropped their first league points of the season.

However, they will be relieved not to have lost back-to-back games having gone down to Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek.

Spanish international Morata temporarily allowed Juventus fans to forget about Ronaldo when he sped away from Theo Hernandez before coolly slotting the ball past Mike Maignan in goal. 

Milan only threatened through three long distance attempts from Sandro Tonali in the fitst half.

But Croatian winger Rebic preserved Milan's unbeaten league start by heading in a Tonali corner with 14 minutes left.

"We came here to win the game," said Milan coach Stefano Pioli told DAZN.

"Juventus did better in the first 20 minutes, were more determined and focused, but we continued playing and did much better towards the end with chances to win, so it was overall a positive performance."

Roma dropped their first points in Serie A under Jose Mourinho as Verona came from behind to earn new coach Igor Tudor a 3-2 victory on his debut.

Lorenzo Pellegrini's clever backheel flick gave visitors Roma a half-time lead in the pouring rain as they sought a fourth successive win to start the season.

- Mourinho beaten -

Antonin Barak equalized for Verona shortly after the interval and Gianluca Caprari put the hosts ahead with a precise finish five minutes later.

Ivan Ilic turned a Pellegrini cross into his own goal to bring Roma level before the hour, but Davide Faraoni's brilliant volley secured the win for Verona to halt a run of three straight losses.

"I knew their qualities, even before the change in coach," Mourinho told DAZN.

"They'd already posed big problems to their opponents. And when there's a coaching change there's often a reaction mentally, it can happen."

Roma's city rivals Lazio needed a late goal from Danilo Cataldi to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to Cagliari.

Ciro Immobile struck for the fifth time in four games as Lazio went ahead just before the break.

Joao Pedro's looping header pegged Lazio back right at the start of the second half, with Keita Balde then firing home against his former club to put Cagliari on top.

But the Sardinian club couldn't hold on for victory in Walter Mazzarri's first game in charge as Cataldi fired into the top corner seven minutes from time to rescue Lazio.

Venezia's first Serie A home match since the 2001-02 season ended in a crushing 2-1 loss to Spezia.

Simone Bastoni curled in a sensational effort as Spezia grabbed an early lead at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, an intriguing ground set on the south-eastern tip of Venice's main archipelago.

Pietro Ceccaroni headed Venezia level on the hour but Mehdi Bourabia's brilliant injury-time strike from distance claimed Thiago Motta's Spezia a first win.

Agence France-Presse 

Football: Ronaldo takes United joint top with Chelsea, City win and Spurs slump

MANCHESTER, England - Two goals from returning hero Cristiano Ronaldo sent Manchester United joint top of the Premier League after early season pace-setters Tottenham Hotspur fell to a surprise 3-0 loss at Crystal Palace.

Champions Manchester City made it three wins out of four with a 1-0 win at Leicester City while Arsenal got their first victory of the campaign, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on target in a 1-0 win over Norwich City.

Manchester United and Chelsea lead on 10 points with an identical goal difference after four games with Manchester City a point behind along with Brighton & Hove Albion, who won 1-0 at promoted Brentford, and Spurs.

Chelsea beat Aston Villa 3-0 in the late game to register their 600th victory in the Premier League.

Romelu Lukaku and Mateo Kovacic finally opened their accounts at Stamford Bridge, with the Belgian striker scoring twice, while goalkeeper Edouard Mendy denied Villa numerous times to keep his third clean sheet.

Ronaldo's return to United from Juventus last month brought with it the promise of excitement and goals at Old Trafford and his second debut certainly lived up to the billing.

The 36-year-old fired his side ahead just before the break, pouncing to slot home from close range after Newcastle keeper Freddie Woodman was unable to hold on to a low drive from Mason Greenwood.

After Javier Manquillo brought Newcastle level following the break, Ronaldo produced a trademark strike. He burst into the box as he collected a through ball from Luke Shaw before drilling it through the legs of Woodman.

Bruno Fernandes made it 3-1 with a wonderful strike from 25 metres out and substitute Jesse Lingard completed the rout.

SPURS SEE RED

Ronaldo was not the only celebrating debutant -- Odsonne Edouard scored twice on his debut for Palace as 10-man Tottenham Hotspur fell to a 3-0 loss at Selhurst Park.

Spurs centre back Japhet Tanganga was shown a second yellow card in the 58th minute for a foul on Jordan Ayew, five minutes after the defender was adjudged to have illegally blocked winger Wilfried Zaha.

Matters got worse for the visitors as Palace were awarded a penalty when Ben Davies handled from a Conor Gallagher cross in the 75th minute, and Zaha dispatched the spot-kick past Hugo Lloris.

Palace scored again six minutes from time through Edouard, who slotted home from Zaha's cross 27 seconds after coming on, and the Frenchman completed his dream debut in stoppage time following a slick team move.

Another Portugal international, Bernardo Silva, scored the only goal for Pep Guardiola's City at Leicester.

City striker Ferran Torres had a number of good chances in the first half but Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel was alert.

Jamie Vardy had a goal ruled out for offside four minutes into the second half but it was Manchester City who finally broke the deadlock as Silva pounced on a loose ball in the box to fire home in the 62nd minute.

Leicester piled forward looking for an equaliser and Kelechi Iheanacho and Ademola Lookman both went close, but Brazilian keeper Ederson was quick off his line twice.

BRIGHTON UP TO FOURTH

Brighton's excellent start to the campaign continued with their third victory in four league games.

Leandro Trossard's curler from the edge of the penalty area in the 90th minute secured the three points from Graham Potter's side who are now fourth in the standings.

Arsenal moved off the bottom of the Premier League standings and scored their first goal of the campaign after captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's scrambled 66th-minute effort gave them a 1-0 home win over Norwich.

Mikel Arteta's side produced an improved performance after their opening three defeats but were made to work hard by a rugged Norwich side before Aubameyang, who missed two first-half chances, broke the deadlock.

The Gabonese striker fired wide in the 10th minute and was denied in the 20th by a superb save from visiting goalkeeper Tim Krul before Takehiro Tomiyasu volleyed over the bar for the dominant hosts on the stroke of halftime.

Pepe twice hit the post within a few seconds from a flowing move and the second rebound fell kindly to Aubameyang, who was perfectly positioned to tuck the ball into an empty net. 

(Reporting by Simon Evans, additional reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

-reuters 

Iceland football federation resigns en masse over sex assault scandal

The entire board of Iceland's football federation (KSI) has resigned after a woman accused it of covering up claims of alleged sexual assault by a national squad player.

KSI chairman, Gudni Bergsson, already stepped down late Sunday and the association issued a statement acknowledging that its board had not handled the situation correctly.

Now, following an emergency five-hour session on Monday, the board's other 16 members resigned as well, KSI said in a statement later that day.

On Friday, Thorhildur Gyda Arnarsdottir, now 25, had told public broadcaster RUV that a member of the national team had grabbed her crotch and grabbed her by the neck, before assaulting her with another individual, in a Reykjavik nightclub in September 2017.

Arnarsdottir and another woman had filed police reports against a player for sexual assault that night.

Arnarsdottir also said she knew of at least six other players who had been accused of sexual assaults by other women. 

Several media have identified the player in question as Kolbeinn Sigthorsson.

Late Monday, Sigthorsson's club in Sweden, IFK Gothenburg, confirmed in a statement that "one of our players" was implicated, without naming Sigthorsson explicitly. 

At the time, "the player was reported to the police. The police investigation did not lead to any prosecution, but the parties agreed on a settlement," the statement said. 

"IFK Gothenburg takes this very seriously even if the case in the legal sense is closed," said club director, Hakan Mild. 

"We have an ongoing dialogue with the player about this to find out which way we can take forward. We want to clearly mark that we distance ourselves from his actions and all similar behaviours," Mild said. 

Bergsson was found to have lied when he told national television that the association had "not received a complaint or any kind of suggestion that someone in particular has been guilty of sexual offences." 

In a statement late Sunday addressed to the victims, the board said: "We... believe you and sincerely apologise. We know that we as guarantors have let you down and we intend to do better."

"We take the matter very seriously. Work is already underway with external professionals to review all responses to sexual offences and violence within the association and how support was and will be provided to victims," the statement read.

It said it would "fix the things that have gone wrong and look at the culture that exists within the football movement from the bottom up."

Agence France-Presse

Football: Nice, Marseille game abandoned after bottles thrown and 'players attacked'

NICE, France -- The French Ligue 1 game between Nice and Marseille was abandoned Sunday when fans of the home side invaded the pitch and angrily confronted opposing player Dimitri Payet, who had thrown a bottle lobbed at him back into the crowd, before an ugly brawl broke out involving players and spectators.

Marseille eventually refused to restart the match with club officials claiming their players' safety could not be guaranteed.

Trouble at the Allianz Riviera Stadium flared in the 75th minute when Marseille star Payet, who had been targeted by plastic bottles every time he took a corner, launched one back at the Nice fans.

Angry home supporters then clambered onto the pitch, threatening Payet.

In the melee, Marseille's Alvaro Gonzalez and Matteo Guendouzi ran towards the end of the ground to face down the fans.

Nice skipper Dante attempted to calm angry supporters.

A security cordon of stewards, dressed in yellow vests, tried to stem the pitch invasion before a brawl broke out between players of the two teams, supporters and staff.

Marseille coach Jorge Sampaoli was seen being restrained by his staff and players. 

The referee then led both teams off to the safety of the dressing room.

Eighty minutes after the game was suspended, Nice, who were leading through a Kasper Dolberg goal, said they wanted to restart.

Marseille, however, wanted the match halted for good.

"The decision was taken by the authorities to resume the match, but Marseille do not want to," Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere told broadcaster Prime Video. 

According to a source, the referee Benoit Bastien was also opposed to a restart.

Eventually, the match was abandoned when the Marseille team refused to continue.

- 'Players attacked' -

"Our players were attacked," said Marseille president Pablo Longoria.

"The league wanted the match to restart. We decided for the safety of our players, who were attacked during the pitch invasion, not to resume because the safety of our players was not guaranteed."

"The referee was with us, he confirmed to Jorge Sampaoli and me that safety was not guaranteed and decided to stop the game." 

Marseille's opening 3-2 win at Montpellier two weeks ago was also held up when fans pelted the pitch with bottles.

That clash at Montpellier's Stade Mosson was halted in the 89th minute after Marseille substitute Valentin Rongier was hit on the head.

Earlier Sunday, Lyon coach Peter Bosz said his side made mistakes like an "under-12s" team as they let a two-goal lead slip to draw 3-3 at home to French Ligue 1 new boys Clermont.

The visitors' Kosovo winger Elbasan Rashani scored twice in the final 10 minutes after Bosz's outfit had led 3-1 at half-time.

Lyon were jeered off the field by their supporters at full-time as Dutchman Bosz, who joined in the close season after a spell at Bayer Leverkusen, remains without a win in three games this term.

"I saw things you don't even see at under-12s level. It's a problem of confidence," said Bosz.

Moussa Dembele, 25, who spent the latter part of last season on-loan at Atletico Madrid, got the 34,000 crowd going when he opened his account for the new campaign after just five minutes from the penalty spot after he was fouled by Johan Gastien.

Seven minutes later, the outfit from the Auvergne were all-square as Lyon defender Sinaly Diomande put through his own goal. 

Bosz's side took control again after 20 minutes with Dembele claiming his second after VAR was used to check for an offside.

- Delort delight -

The hosts' best goal came in first-half injury time as Brazilian pair Bruno Guimaraes and Lucas Paqueta combined sublimely before Paqueta smoothly side-footed his finish into the bottom corner.

With 10 minutes to play, Clermont, in their first season in the French top flight, cut the deficit as Rashani claimed his maiden goal since joining the club from Erzurumspor in July.

The comeback was complete afer 91 minutes as Rashani, born in Sweden, headed home from a cross by Gastien.

On Saturday, champions Lille drew 1-1 with Saint-Etienne and like Lyon are still without a victory.

On Friday, Paris Saint-Germain made it three wins out of three as Kylian Mbappe and Angel di Maria both netted in a 4-2 win at Brest.

Lionel Messi and Neymar missed the fixture with the Argentina star set to make his PSG debut at Reims next Sunday.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Tearful Messi confirms Barcelona exit and 'possibility' of joining PSG

BARCELONA, Spain -- Lionel Messi fought back tears during a press conference on Sunday at which he confirmed he is leaving Barcelona, where he has played his entire career.

The 34-year-old Argentinian superstar, six times a Ballon d'Or winner, has been out of contract since the end of June and Barca say they cannot afford to keep him, with Messi admitting that a move to Paris Saint-Germain is a "possibility". 

"This year, my family and I were convinced we were going to stay here, at home -- this is what we wanted more than anything," said a suited Messi as he struggled to contain his emotions.

"I have still not come to terms with the reality of leaving this club now, changing my life. I love this club.

Last year he sought to engineer a release from his contract in frustration at some poor showings in Europe by the club where he has won four Champions Leagues but ended up staying.

Last year, he explained, "I was convinced I knew what I wanted say, but this year is not the same", stressing his preference was to prolong his stay rather than contemplate what now seems a likely reunion with former clubmate Neymar at PSG -- ostensibly the only club that can afford him with Manchester City having distanced themselves. 

He hotly denied asking for more money but had, on the contrary, accepted a 50 percent salary cut.

"I would've liked to have won another Champions League," he added while stressing that "I don't regret anything, I tried to give my best and I'm ending my career here with a good number of titles".

- 'Gave everything' -

Last month Barcelona, battling huge debts, had said they were in agreement in principle with the player and his entourage on a new five-year deal on much reduced wages.

"The truth is I don't know what to say," said Messi, who signed for the Catalan giants as a 13-year-old.

"After 21 years I am leaving with my three Catalan Argentine children," said Messi, who won 10 league titles with the club.

"I gave everything for this club from the first day that I arrived right to the last. I never imagined having to say goodbye.

"In recent days I have given lots of thought to what I can say and truth to tell I can't think of anything.

"This is really difficult for me after so many years spent here -- my entire life. I'm not ready for this," he said.

"We have had some good times, some bad times too -- but people always showed me the same love," said Messi, who said leaving was "sad and hard."

As thousands of Barca fans milled outside in disbelief at his exit, Messi told reporters one day he hoped to be back in some capacity.

"I hope I can come back and be part of this club at some moment, in any way and bring something to help this club to be the best in the world."

- 'Nothing signed' -

Messi was at pains to say that "nothing has been signed with anyone" and insisted that a picture of him which has made waves on social media in recent days of him on holiday with PSG stars including Neymar and Angel Di Maria was "just a photo".

He said there was no question of his having engineered a path to the Parc des Princes, adding that there had been interest from other clubs.

"When the press release (of his departure) was published, I received a lot of calls from interested clubs," he told reporters who applauded him for several minutes as he took the stage at the start of the press conference and again as he left the stage to embrace staff in the club's trophy room. 

"For the moment nothing is arranged but, yes, we are in discussion," said the Argentinian, who insisted he has always been "totally transparent" on his intentions.

According to Le Parisien, an agreement between PSG and the Argentinian could take place as early as later on Sunday. 

French sports daily L'Equipe forecast a "record contract" of three years, "with an annual net salary of 40 million euros". 

Agence France-Presse

Messi ends trophy drought as Argentina beat Brazil to win Copa America

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Superstar Lionel Messi won his first trophy with his national team as Angel Di Maria's goal gave Argentina a 1-0 win over hosts Brazil in the Copa America final on Saturday.

The victory at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium ended Argentina's 28-year wait for a major trophy, and also ended Brazil's unbeaten home record that stretched back more than 2,500 days.

Argentina had last tasted success at a major tournament in 1993 when the great Gabriel Batistuta's brace gave them a 2-1 win over Mexico in the Copa final in Ecuador.

It was the first time in six editions playing at home that Brazil had failed to lift the trophy.

And while 34-year-old Messi's odyssey has come to an end, Brazil's Neymar, five years his junior, is still without a major title at international level having missed the Selecao's win on home soil two years ago through injury.

Argentina edged a brutal and fractious affair thanks to Di Maria's goal on 22 minutes.

The 33-year-old winger ran onto Rodrigo De Paul's sumptuous through ball to lob Brazil goalkeeper Ederson with a first time finish.

Messi could have wrapped up the win two minutes from time but slipped when clean through with only Ederson to beat. 

- Di Maria the tormentor -

In a frantic start, Argentina's burly enforcer Nicolas Otamendi was quickly in with his first foul while Brazilian midfielder Fred picked up the first booking after just three minutes for a studs up lunge at Gonzalo Montiel.

Brazil were unchanged from their semi-final win over Peru while Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni made five alterations, notably bringing in Di Maria -- who made an energetic and decisive entry off the bench against Colombia last time out.

The final was the first match of the tournament, which was originally due to take place last year, to allow in fans as 7,800 -- a tenth of the Maracana capacity -- took their seats after authorities partially lifted pandemic restrictions.

The first clear chance came on 13 minutes as Richarlison headed down Marquinhos's long ball into the path of Neymar but the Brazilian star was crowded out by a pair of defenders.

The brutal nature of the early challenges could be seen on the players' kits, with Neymar sporting ripped shorts and Lucas Paqueta being left with a hole in his sock following an intervention by Otamendi.

Argentina played with aggression and commitment, but no lack of quality with Di Maria tormenting Brazil's left back Renan Lodi, who probably should have cut out De Paul's pass for the winger's goal.

Di Maria had a shot from 20 yards blocked while Messi fired just wide following a 40 yard run.

Brazil struggled to create anything of note and even when they had a free-kick from shooting range, Neymar couldn't beat the wall.

When the hosts did finally maintain some pressure late in the first half, Everton's deflected strike bobbled though to goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

- Fractious, niggly -

Brazil coach Tite was quick to act, bringing on forward Roberto Firmino for defensive midfielder Fred at half-time.

Richarlison had the ball in the net soon after but he was flagged offside.

And moments later Neymar teed up Richarlison but Martinez parried his near post effort.

Increasingly it descended into a fractious, niggly affair with little fluid play between fouls and a plethora of theatrics and petulant bickering.

It was playing into Argentina's hands as they looked to run down the clock and hold onto their slender lead. 

Brazil managed to up the pressure again at the end of the half but they lacked a killer touch against some full-blooded defending -- Montiel even finished the game with his white sock soaked in blood.

When Brazil substitute Gabriel Barbosa fired a volley on target, Martinez was equal to it.

Messi slipped embarrassingly late on with a chance to clinch victory but it mattered little as moments later his teammates were tossing him in the air to celebrate their win.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi stars as Argentina set up Colombia Copa semi-final

GOIANIA, Brazil -- Lionel Messi scored one goal and created two others as Argentina beat Ecuador 3-0 in Goiania on Saturday to reach the Copa America semi-finals.

In Tuesday's last four match, the 14-time winners will play Colombia, who beat Uruguay on penalties earlier in the day.

Messi teed up goals for Rodrigo De Paul and Lautaro Martinez before firing home an injury time free-kick to cap a stunning individual performance.

The scoreline was harsh on Ecuador, who ended the game with 10 men after Pedro Hicapie's dismissal but had been competitive throughout.

"The truth is it was a very tough match. We knew the difficulty of playing Ecuador, who work hard with players who are fast, physically strong, young," said Messi.

"It was a battle until we managed the (second) goal."

Argentina made a bright start and Martinez almost opened the scoring with a moment of brilliance. He chipped the ball over goalkeeper Hernan Galindez and then volleyed goalwards, only for Robert Arboldea to block the ball on the line.

Moments later Martinez had a shot deflected wide and from the resulting corner, German Pezzella volleyed into the side netting.

Carlos Gruezo almost gifted Argentina a goal when his attempted back pass sent Messi clean through with only Galindez to beat, but the six-time Ballon d'Or winner saw his shot cannon back off the post.

Up the other end, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez had to be alert to parry a stunning 20-yard volley by Sebastian Mendez.

Argentina had their own let off seven minutes from half-time when Pervis Estupinan crossed from the left and Enner Valencia's flicked header narrowly evaded the sliding Alan Franco at the back post.

- Messi takes control -

Two minutes later Argentina were in front, with Messi the architect.

First he played in Nicolas Gonzalez on goal but when he was tackled by Galindez, Messi reacted quickest and teed up De Paul to score.

There was still time before the break for Galindez to make an incredible double save from Gonzalez, before Valencia somehow headed wide from six yards out.

After the break, Valencia remained Ecuador's most likely route back into the match and the livewire forward's near post shot hit Martinez's leg before going behind.

A wicked Estupinan cross was then almost turned into his own net by Gonzalez.

Messi came close to killing off the tie but his curled effort sailed just past the post, while Aston Villa goalkeeper Martinez denied substitute Gonzalo Plata an equalizer with a near-post block.

Inter Milan forward Martinez finally ended Ecuador's resistance six minutes from time from Messi's pass after Hincapie was caught in possession by Angel Di Maria.

And Hincapie completed a miserable few minutes as he was dismissed in injury time after dragging back substitute Di Maria when clean through, with Messi dispatching the free-kick.

- Record-breaker Ospina -

Goalkeeper David Ospina was the hero as Colombia beat Uruguay on penalties in Brasilia.

Ospina saved two spot-kicks in the shoot-out on the day he earned his 112th Colombian cap, moving clear of the previous national record he shared with the iconic Carlos Valderrama.

He dedicated the victory to his civil strife-torn country that would have been one of the twin hosts alongside Argentina before South American football's governing body CONMEBOL moved the tournament to Brazil over coronavirus pandemic concerns and social unrest in Colombia.

"We just want to give joy to our country, a country we want to be full of peace, full of people sharing and enjoying, because we have a beautiful country," said Ospina, 32.

There was little to report in a drab 0-0 draw over the regulation 90 minutes before the quarter-final tie went straight to penalties.

Ospina saved from Jose Gimenez and Matias Vina while Colombia scored all four of their penalties.

It was a huge disappointment for Uruguay's star forward pair Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez, who both converted their spot-kicks but almost certainly have played in their last Copa.

On Friday, Brazil beat Chile 1-0 to reach Monday's semi-final against Peru, who defeated Paraguay 4-3 on penalties after an eventful 3-3 draw that saw both sides finish with 10 men.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Barcelona confirm Aguero signing from Man City

MADRID - Barcelona confirmed that Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero will join the club on 1 July when his contract with the Premier League champions expires.

Argentina international Aguero joined City from Spanish side Atletico Madrid in 2011 and went on to become the club's all-time leading goalscorer, netting 260 times as he helped them to claim five Premier League titles.

"Barcelona are the best team in the world," Aguero, who celebrates his 33rd birthday on Wednesday, told a news conference. "And we all know it.

"It was a good decision to join and help the team achieve things. It's another step and I'm very happy. I hope I can contribute a lot to the club.

"The first thing is to try and play and help the team as 

as I can. We are a team, and I will try my best. Hopefully we can get to the end of the season and be in contention for the important trophies."

Barca said the Argentine will sign a two-year deal, with a 100 million euro ($122.04 million) buy-out clause.

Aguero is expected to be the first of a number of arrivals at Camp Nou this summer as new president Joan Laporta looks to revamp a squad that could only finish third in La Liga.

Aguero's City team mate Eric Garcia has been heavily linked as a transfer target by local media, as have Dutch duo Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum. 

(Reporting by Joseph Walker; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Christian Radnedge and Pritha Sarkar)

-reuters

Salah can prove loyalty to Liverpool in Real Madrid showdown

Mohamed Salah can silence the critics who question his loyalty to Liverpool by avenging the most painful moment of his career when the Egypt star faces Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Salah sparked howls of indignation among Liverpool fans recently when he refused to rule out the possibility of playing for a Spanish club in the future.

The fact that Salah was speaking to Madrid-based newspaper Marca at the time only increased speculation that he was laying the groundwork for a move to Real Madrid.

“I hope to be able to play for many more years. Why not? No one knows what’s going to happen in the future, so maybe one day, yes. It’s not up to me,” Salah said when asked if he was keen to try Spanish football.

Salah’s flirtatious response was similar to the one he gave to another Spanish outlet in December when questioned about a potential La Liga move.

“I think Madrid and Barcelona are two top clubs,” he told AS.

Whether either Real or Barcelona could afford to buy Salah amid the current financial difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic remains to be seen.

But for a club whose supporters pride themselves on their passionate and unflinching loyalty to the Liverpool cause, Salah’s refusal to rule out a switch to Spain was a careless own goal.

It tapped into the long-standing suspicion among a section of Liverpool’s fanbase that Salah, whose contract runs until 2023, is motivated by personal glory rather than team success.

The cynics support their claims by highlighting Salah’s occasional spats with Liverpool forward Sadio Mane when he shoots rather than passing to a better placed teammate.

They also point to Salah’s sulky response to being substituted during the defeat against Chelsea in March, and his reported frustration at being ignored for the Liverpool captaincy in the absence of the injured Jordan Henderson.

Real revenge mission

Of course, Salah could rightly mention that Liverpool might well have failed to win either the Champions League in 2019 or the Premier League last season without his goals and sublime skills.

Even this season, with Liverpool in the midst of a failed title defense marred by seemingly endless injuries, Salah’s haul of 26 goals — including one in Saturday’s 3-0 win at Arsenal — shows what a threat he carries.

With 120 goals in 193 appearances in all competitions since joining from Roma in 2017, Salah is rightly ranked among Liverpool’s all-time greats.

But the 28-year-old’s place in the hearts of Kopites might not be so secure.

Michael Owen and Steve McManaman — both local heroes at Liverpool at the time — were never so fondly regarded after swapping Anfield for Real’s Bernabeu.

Inspiring Liverpool to a revenge victory against Real in a rematch of the 2018 Champions League final won by the Spanish club would go some way to appeasing the doubters.

That bitter 3-1 loss in Kiev remains a personal nadir for Salah, who was in tears on the pitch after being forced to come off with a first half injury following a clash with Sergio Ramos.

Salah had suffered a dislocated shoulder that would hamper him at the World Cup later that year, with some claiming Ramos had deliberately exacerbated the injury with the way he dragged the Egyptian to the turf.

“Let’s just say that I have special motivation to win the tie and go through to the semi-finals,” Salah told Marca about the Real reunion.

Ironically, Real captain Ramos is expected to miss both legs of the quarter-final with a calf injury.

Ramos’s absence is a major boost for Liverpool as they seek to salvage a miserable season by winning a seventh European Cup.

If Salah can play a leading role in making that dream come true, his commitment might not be questioned quite so often.

Agence France-Presse 

Patriots cancel practice amid reports of new positive test

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots have canceled practice amid reports that a third player has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Sports Illustrated reported that reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore tested positive for the virus on Wednesday and was added to the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. The Patriots did not give a reason for Wednesday’s cancellation and did not immediately respond when asked if it was related to a third positive test.

Starting quarterback Cam Newton missed New England’s loss at Kansas City on Monday night after a positive COVID-19 test and was added to the reserve list Saturday. Practice squad player Bill Murray joined him on the list Tuesday.

Newton’s positive test prompted the NFL to postpone the New England’s game with the Chiefs by a day.

Newton tweeted a picture of himself Wednesday morning wearing a mask, along with the caption: “WEAR YOUR MASK. KEEP YOUR DISTANCE.”

The Patriots are scheduled to host the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

-Associated Press

Chiefs-Patriots game off amid report Newton has COVID-19

This NFL postponed this week’s game between New England and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs after positive COVID-19 tests on both teams. ESPN reported on Saturday that Patriots quarterback Cam Newton was among those contracting the disease.

The NFL said Saturday that the game, originally scheduled for 4:25 p.m. EDT on Sunday, will be played on Monday or Tuesday. The league said the move followed “positive COVID-19 tests on both teams.” The Patriots confirmed that a player has tested positive but did not reveal his name.

It it the second game this weekend that has been affected by COVID-19. The matchup between Pittsburgh and Tennessee was postponed because of an outbreak on the Titans; it is now scheduled for Oct. 25.

The Patriots had been planning to fly to Kansas City on Saturday afternoon. Instead, players left the facility to await further instructions. The team said in a statement that the COVID-positive player has entered self-quarantine and that players, coaches and staff who were in close contact with him were tested Saturday morning and all were negative.

-Associated Press 

Barcelona still hoping Messi will stay with the club

MADRID (AP) — Barcelona hasn’t given up on Lionel Messi just yet.

A day after the Argentine great told the club he wants to leave, Barcelona said its restructuring project still revolves around the player.

“We want to rebuild for the future together with the best player in history,” Ramon Planes, the club’s technical director, said Wednesday. “We are not contemplating any departure on a contractual level because we want him to stay. We have to show a huge respect for Messi because he is the best player in the world.”

Planes spoke as Barcelona officially introduced striker Francisco Trincão at an event that had already been scheduled before Messi announced his desire to leave on Tuesday.

“We can’t make this a dispute between Leo Messi and Barcelona because neither deserves it,” Planes said.

Barcelona is trying to avoid an abrupt ending to Messi’s career at the club. His last match with a Barcelona jersey was the embarrassing 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, one of the worst defeats in the player’s career and in the club’s history.

But Messi apparently has already made up his mind, and it seems only a matter of how ugly the termination will get and if Barcelona will get any money out of it.

Dozens of fans protested in front of the Camp Nou late Tuesday calling for the resignation of team president Josep Bartomeu. More protests by fans were scheduled for Wednesday.

“The situation has been uncomfortable for everybody,” Barcelona fan Oriol Aznar said. “This board of directors should have resigned a long time ago. Bad results, bad management. Nothing positive about them. They are destroying the club. It’s normal that Messi wants to leave. They want to end the year with a decent financial balance if they make money out of Messi leaving. But this isn’t the right way.”

Messi’s first contract with the club was signed on a napkin after a lunch between his representatives and club officials nearly 20 years ago, but it was with a burofax — a certified communication method commonly used in Spain, similar to a telegram — that Messi told the club he wants to leave.

There was no phone call or meeting with club officials. Just the burofax.

In it, Messi invoked a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave for free after the end of the season.

But Barcelona said the clause mentioned by Messi expired on June 10, meaning that the player missed the deadline and would have to pay the clause of 700 million euros ($827 million) if he wants to leave before his contract ends in June 2021.

What Messi may contend is that the clause was to expire at the end of the season, which this year was moved back because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The club said it replied to Messi’s burofax saying it wanted him to stay and finish his career with Barcelona.

“Total war!” said a front-page headline by the Sport newspaper on Wednesday.

“Goodbye by burofax,” said the sports daily AS.

Messi was outspoken against club directors throughout the season but has yet to speak publicly since the loss to Bayern.

Former Barcelona playmaker Rivaldo said he was sad to see Messi leaving like this, and that it would be difficult for the club if it didn’t get compensated financially.

“At a complicated time like this, with the current crisis, it would be a drama for Barcelona to lose its biggest star without getting anything in return,” he said. “This is probably the biggest dispute between the parts right now, so I don’t expect a quick exit, especially after the exchange of burofaxes between them yesterday.”

Associated Press

Brazil police end Neymar rape probe over lack of evidence

SAO PAULO – Police in Brazil probing rape allegations against football superstar Neymar have closed the case due to a lack of evidence, the Sao Paulo attorney general's office said Monday (Tuesday, Manila time).

The police decision will be sent to prosecutors on Tuesday, which will have 15 days to evaluate the case, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office told AFP.

A final decision on the case will be made by a judge.

Neymar has vehemently denied allegations he raped a Brazilian woman in a Paris hotel in May.

The ugly affair, which has dominated headlines and conversations in the soccer-mad country for months, overshadowed Brazil's preparations for the Copa America.

Hosts Brazil went on to win South America's showcase tournament without their star player, who was injured in a friendly before the opening match.

source: philstar.com