Brazilian footballer arrested, Charged with Attempted Murder for nearly killing referee
Sao Paulo player William Ribeiro attacked Rodrigo Crivellaro after he awarded a foul against him on Monday
Sport Club Sao Paulo player William Ribeiro attacked Rodrigo Crivellaro after he awarded a foul against him on Monday.
A Brazilian footballer has been charged with attempted murder after kicking a referee in the head during a lower league match.
Sport Club Sao Paulo player William Ribeiro attacked Rodrigo Crivellaro after he awarded a foul against him on Monday.
The match against Guarani was suspended in the second half and Crivellaro was taken to hospital.
The referee was later released from hospital while Ribeiro has been sacked.
The club said the incident, which happened in the year of their 113th anniversary, was “one of the worst in its history” and that they are evaluating what further action to take.
Sport Club Sao Paulo are based in the city of Rio Grande, 200 miles south of the state capital Porto Alegre, and play in the second division of the Rio Grande do Sol state championship.
Guarani won the restarted match 1-0 a day later, the state football federation said.
Koeman’s woes compounded as Atletico Madrid beat Barcelona Again
Suarez did not celebrate his goal as a sign of respect to his former club
Reigning champions Atletico Madrid went level with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga and inflicted further damage on Ronald Koeman‘s struggling Barcelona with a deserved win in Spain’s capital.
Thomas Lemar scored the opener, finishing well at the end of a move involving Joao Felix and Suarez.
Suarez then slotted in against his former club to put Atletico in charge.
Antoine Griezmann also featured against his former club as a late substitute as Atletico basked in their superiority.
For all the woe surrounding Barca this season, this loss was actually their first in La Liga – but it leaves them eighth in the table on 12 points, five behind Diego Simeone’s side, who are second only on goal difference but have played a game more than rivals Real.
Prior to this, Barca had three wins and three draws to their name, with back-to-back chastening 3-0 losses in the Champions League doing most to harm Koeman’s position at the club.
Barca had chances on Saturday, especially at 1-0, with Philippe Coutinho volleying an effort just wide and Frenkie de Jong just inches away from converting from close range following Memphis Depay’s header across goal.
Coutinho also had a great chance to get the visitors back into the game in the second half but saw his shot from inside the box saved by Jan Oblak.
Despite having much more of the ball, Barcelona were second best at the Wanda Metropolitano, falling to a defeat that may well test president Joan Laporta’s assertion from earlier on Saturday that Koeman would continue at the club regardless of the result in Madrid.
“It’s important and well done for his part – because if everything isn’t clear in this sense, then it’s difficult to work and have the kind of calm you need to try to make the changes we are trying to implement,” Koeman said after Saturday’s game.
“We know how it is from today moving forwards… We spoke last night on the phone and then again this morning.”
Barca now have a two-week break from action for internationals, with their next fixture at home to Valencia on 17 October.
“There’s a solution [to what is happening], but it can’t be done overnight,” added Koeman. “We have to work hard, give time to the youngsters and get back our injured forwards.”
Just In: Chelsea midfielder Kante tests positive for coronavirus
Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante has tested positive for the coronavirus and is isolating for 10 days.
The France World Cup winner will miss Chelsea’s Champions League match at Juventus on Wednesday and the English Premier League match against Southampton on Saturday.
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said he did not know the percentage of his squad that has been vaccinated against COVID-19. Tuchel has been vaccinated.
Arsenal Defeats Tottenham 3-1 To Complete A Miserable September For It’s London Rival
Arsenal tore Tottenham apart with three goals in the opening 34 minutes in a 3-1 victory on Sunday that extended its early-season recovery and completed a miserable September for its north London rival in the Premier League.
The goals from Emile Smith Rowe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka completed a third successive league win for Arsenal which lost its opening three games.
In a reversal of fortunes, Tottenham has now lost three in a row in the league after opening with a trio of successes.
The opener came in the 12th minute after Martin Odegaard spread the ball wide to Saka, whose low cross reached the unmarked Smith Rowe to sweep into the net.
Arsenal pounced on the counterattack in the 27th with Smith Rowe squaring for Aubameyang to add the second goal.
Things would get even better for the Gunners as Saka got on the scoresheet.
Thomas Partey stole the ball off Harry Kane and Arsenal again broke behind the Spurs defense with three passes. Smith Rowe found Saka, who ran into the box and was challenged well by a backtracking Kane, only for the loose ball to roll back into the path of his England teammate. Saka then finished low past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Tottenham gave itself a chance to make an unexpected comeback as Son Heung-min turned in a cross from Sergio Reguilon in the 79th. But there would be no recovery for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
Former French Midfielder Samir Nasri Retires From Football
Former France international Samir Nasri has announced his retirement from football, Naija News reports.
The 34-year old announced his decision on Sunday on Canal+, a media outlet where he is now a pundit.
Nasri came through at Marseille and transferred to Arsenal in 2008, spending three years at Emirates Stadium before he joined Manchester City.
At Manchester City, Nasri won two English Premier League (EPL) titles, a League Cup and a Community Shield.
He joined Sevilla on loan in 2016/2017 and seemed to have revitalised his career in La Liga, though the move was not made permanent.
A short spell in Turkey with Antalyaspor followed, but Nasri mutually terminated his contract in January 2018, before he received a six-month ban from football by UEFA.
This was for breaching WADA rules in December 2016 by receiving an intravenous drip of 500 millilitres of water containing nutrients.
Nasri returned to play with West Ham on a short-term contract in 2018/2019, playing five league games in total.
He linked up with ex-Manchester City teammate Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht the following season, though it was another ill-fated spell and he was released in 2020.
Nasri impressed at Arsenal, scoring 18 league goals and setting up a further seven across during his three seasons at the club, though injuries often kept his appearances down.
He never quite lived up to the billing at Manchester City, though he did help the club to their first-ever Premier League crown in 2011/2012.
In 2013/2014, he scored seven goals and created as many as Manuel Pellegrini’s side clinched the title.
His appearances dwindled later in his Manchester City career, and he played just 12 times in the league in his final full season at the Etihad Stadium.
Nasri started on only four occasions before he was loaned out by Pep Guardiola in 2016.
BREAKING! Anthony Joshua defeated By Oleksandr Usyk: how it unfolded and how the world reacted
Round-by-round analysis of how Usyk outclassed Joshua, plus what the boxing world said about the defeat
Anthony Joshua could not deal with the skilful Ukranian
Oleksandr Usyk shocked Anthony Joshua on Saturday night, defeating the heavyweight champion by unanimous decision to take his belts.
The Ukranian outperformed the Briton for the majority of the fight, showing off the skills that allowed him to dominate the cruiserweight division but going up in weight.
Here is how Joshua lost his belts – and what the reaction was to the defeat:
Round 1
Usyk settles well and lands a couple of lefts while Joshua fails to connect with anything of note.
Round 2
Joshua struggles to cope with the movement of the Ukranian who lands a couple of straight lefts, sneaking the round.
Round 3
Usyk lands a left hook which rocks Joshua. The champion became unsteady on his feet before roaring back with a right hand of his own. Another roound to the challenger.
Round 4
Joshua manages to close the space quicker in this round but still cannot land any combinations. The champion edges the round.
Round 5
Usyk’s movement slows down a touch and AJ makes it count, landing a crunching body shot which brings out a grin from the Ukrainian – the Briton’s best punch of the fight. The round ends with both fighters standing and trading in the middle of the ring.
Round 6
The two fighters exchange blows but Joshua begins to dominate the centre of the ring, working behind his jab.
Round 7
No question about the winner of this round. Usyk is back to his best in the seventh, delivering a couple of telling blows, including a jab-left hand combination which had Joshua stumbling across the ring. A couple of supremely timed counter-punches from Usyk mean he takes this round at a canter.
Oleksandr Usyk strikes Anthony Joshua
Oleksandr Usyk strikes Anthony Joshua CREDIT: PA
Round 8
Joshua lands a one-two combination which backs Usyk up – but the Ukrainian comes firing back with a couple of lovely left hands of his own. Joshua then lands a powerful upper cut and body shot before the round is out.
Round 9
Usyk’s head movement continues to cause problems. Joshua ends the round with a noticable mark on his eye.
Round 10
An even round with both fighters having their moments. Fatigue starts to set in and the champion’s eye continues to darken.
Round 11
A cagey, hard-fought round but once again the better of the work is executed by the Ukraninan.
Round 12
Usyk’s rapid handspeed on show right to the end as he lands a flurry of punches which rock Joshua. AJ ends the fight in serious trouble up against the ropes.
How the boxing world reacted to Joshua’s defeat
Former British heavyweight champion Dillian Whyte accused Anthony Joshua of lacking ambition after he lost his heavyweight titles in a crushing defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk claimed a stunning unanimous decision win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after the judges scores of 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113 confirmed a dominant victory.
“I said if Joshua tried to box he was always going to lose,” Whyte told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“If he had come out and bullied him and pushed the pace and let his hands go he could have knocked him out in the first even round.
“But he came out and was being too negative he seemed like a gun shy fighter. You are the bigger man, have a go.
“I don’t know, he lacked ambition in the ring there tonight.
“The first round, Usyk landed the first strong blow and Joshua was a negative fighter. He got tagged with a left and he was worried the whole time.”
Whyte will next face Otto Wallin on October 30 at the O2, but vowed he would have a “shoot-out” with Usyk if ever given an opportunity.
He added: “I have to go through Wallin first, after we will see.
“But I tell you what, I will not be losing to an overall decision like that, I can tell you that now.
“I will go out and I will have a shoot-out – if I get knocked out, I get knocked out, but I will have a shoot-out, I am not getting out boxed over 12 rounds like that, no chance.”
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said the camp were “gutted” at the defeat and admitted Joshua got the fight wrong.
“We have obviously been here before, but this time we are here against a pound-for-pound great fighter,” Hearn said.
“The (Andy) Ruiz defeat was difficult to take because it was a shock to the system.
“This is one we knew could happen if he didn’t get it right, and he didn’t get it right.
“I don’t think AJ boxed a great fight tonight, Usyk boxed an excellent fight.
“It was all the things we worried about in the fight before, the over-thinking, trying to stand and box with him, and he took too many shots early.
“Usyk went through the gears and was a bit more aggressive than I thought he was going to be. He was the deserved winner tonight”
Carl Froch, the former super-middleweight world champion, felt Usyk was worth his victory.
He said: “All the boxing purists who know the game, we always knew Oleksandr Usyk could out-perform AJ, out-box him and beat him on points.
“I don’t think any of us knew he could do it in such a manner. Towards the end, he took control, then started to beat him up when he didn’t need to.
“That was a boxing match and a proper fight, which in the end Oleksandr Usyk was in control of. He deserves every credit.
“Anthony Joshua did his part, he tried to box with him and work the body at time, but it wasn’t enough, he simply wasn’t good enough.”
Former lightweight champion Anthony Crolla heaped praise on Usyk.
“AJ has brought some of the most special nights in British Boxing history. Tonight he lost to a very special fighter. A once in a lifetime fighter,” Crolla wrote on Twitter.
“I’m not going to be going home tonight, crying about it,” Joshua said. “Because this is war. I can’t sulk. That is wasting time.”
And there will be a rematch.
“Oh, 100% … 110%,” Joshua said.
Joshua later tweeted: “Keep positive even if the world’s crumbling in front of you! London I love you & thank you each and every time.”
After the fight Usyk said via a translator on Sky Sports: “This means a lot for me. The fight went the way I expected it to go. There were moments when Anthony pushed me hard but it was nothing special.
“I had no objective to knock him out because my corner pushed me not to do that. In the beginning, I tried to hit him hard but then I stuck to my job.”
Liverpool, Brentford reach stalemate in six-goal thriller
Yoane Wissa scored a late equaliser as Brentford held Liverpool to a draw in a thrilling encounter at the Brentford Community Stadium.
Wissa’s dinked finish over Alisson rescued a point for the hosts, who matched Jurgen Klopp’s team for long spells and created enough opportunities to claim all three points.
Ethan Pinnock had given Thomas Frank’s side a deserved early lead, poking home from close range after Ivan Toney flicked Sergi Canos’ low cross into the defender’s path.
Diogo Jota brought the visitors level just three minutes later, rising unmarked to head Jordan Henderson’s looping cross into the corner from the edge of the six-yard box.
Mohamed Salah’s 100th Premier League goal for Liverpool put the Reds ahead for the first time in the match, only for Vitaly Janelt to equalise once more after Pontus Jansson had rattled the crossbar.
Curtis Jones restored the visitors’ lead with a long-range drive that took a wicked deflection off Kristoffer Ajer on its way in, but Brentford and Wissa had the last word.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino Plays Down Decision to Substitute Lionel Messi in PSG Win
Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino defended his decision to take off Lionel Messi as the former Barcelona man made his home debut in Sunday’s Ligue 1 game against Lyon. Messi was outstanding in the first half at the Parc des Princes but began to fade from the game after the break and was replaced by Achraf Hakimi for the final quarter of an hour with the score 1-1 at the time. PSG won 2-1 with a stoppage-time headed goal by substitute Mauro Icardi. “Everyone knows we have great players, a squad of 35. It is my decision. We can only have 11 players on the field at one time,” Pochettino said.
“I only think about the best decision in each game, for each player, just as every coach does.
“We are here to make decisions. Sometimes people will be happy with them, sometimes they won’t be.”
Messi appeared to reject Pochettino’s hand as he walked past his coach towards the Paris bench.
Sluggish Messi fails to deliver as PSG draw at Brugge
Lionel Messi’s main task at Paris St-Germain will be to help deliver an elusive Champions League, but for all the fanfare surrounding the Argentina star’s first start it proved a frustrating evening as the club began their European campaign with a draw at Club Bruges.
Messi struck the crossbar but struggled to make a serious impact on his full debut and it was instead Ander Herrera who netted the opener after great work down the left from Kylian Mbappe.
Hans Vanaken scored a deserved equaliser before the break to get the 29,000-seater Jan Breydel Stadium rocking.
Messi was carded for a second-half foul and Mbappe replaced after 51 minutes as PSG found it difficult to break down the energetic hosts, who may feel they could have won the game themselves.
Deal of the day
PSG struggled to deal with the home side’s aggressive pressing throughout and needed goalkeeper Keylor Navas to tip Charles de Ketelaere’s well-struck effort over the crossbar to keep them level.
Messi breaks Pele’s record as highest goal-scorer in South America
Messi began to find more space as the Belgian side tired late on but the 34-year-old was unable to unpick the Bruges defence, leaving boss Mauricio Pochettino to ponder how to get the best out of his all-star front three.
“We need time to work for them to build an understanding,” said Pochettino. “That’s been clear and we’ve said that in recent days. We still have to create a team.”
This was Messi’s 150th appearance in the competition and, for a player so synonymous with Barcelona, it felt surreal seeing him line-up for the first time in Europe in the white away strip of PSG.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner arrives in Paris to complete a lavishly-assembled forward line including Neymar and Mbappe that will be expected to bring much-desired European success to the French capital.
Things started smoothly as Mbappe teed up Herrera for his first Champions League goal – though it was his fourth of the season in all competitions for PSG – before the blockbuster cast was split up when the French forward had to be replaced early in the second half.
PSG fans have so far had to watch their new number 30 from afar, with Messi’s only previous appearance since signing for the club coming as a substitute away at Reims in Ligue 1.
Coincidentally, 30 was the number donned by Messi when he was handed his Champions League debut for Barcelona by Frank Rijkaard as a shaggy-haired 17-year-old in December 2004, a game that saw the already-qualified visitors lose 2-0 at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Seventeen glittering years later – and though the legs may not be as fresh – the diminutive 34-year-old boasts the same crispness of thought and magnetic touch that led Ronaldinho – once a PSG star himself – to declare Messi his heir at the Camp Nou.
The ‘Little Flea’ has since collected four European titles, 10 La Ligas and most recently a Copa America to go with his individual accolades, but that did not make life any easier for Messi and PSG in their opening Group A match against Bruges.
Messi first burst into life on the edge of the Bruges area after 22 minutes, jinking into space and sliding a pass through to Mbappe, who saw his effort palmed away, and soon after the Argentine came within inches of his first PSG goal after curling an effort against the crossbar.
But those moments of customary magic came either side of a deserved leveller for the hosts, with captain Vanaken arriving late to steer in Eduard Sobol’s cross.
No player has netted more Champions League goals for one club than Messi’s 120 for Barcelona and with 20 minutes remaining he went close to opening his account for Paris St-Germain when he tested goalkeeper Simon Mignolet with a left-footed strike.
Messi picked up a booking for a mistimed tackle, and he and Neymar, who last won the Champions League together in 2015, were well dealt with by the Belgian champions’ backline, with Scotland defender Jack Hendry putting in a particularly impressive performance.
The final whistle was met by roars from the home crowd, who continued to celebrate as Oasis tracks were belted out over the stadium tannoy on a memorable night for the club.
Resilient Liverpool come from behind To Trash Old Rival AC Milan 3-2 At Anfield
Report as Liverpool claim opening-night win in Group B; Tomori own goal puts Liverpool ahead before Mo Salah misses pen, but Rebic and Diaz give Milan shock lead at half-time; Salah and Henderson on target in second half to secure win for Liverpool
Jordan Henderson’s superb finish gave Liverpool a 3-2 victory from behind over AC Milan in a thrilling opening-night clash in Champions League Group B.
Liverpool burst out of the traps and were 1-0 up early on through Fikayo Tomori’s own goal from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross (9), before Mo Salah saw his penalty saved by Mike Maignan (14), his first miss in 17 for Liverpool.
But Milan produced two goals out of thin air as Ante Rebic’s tidy finish (42) and then former Man City man Brahim Diaz’s tap home (44) from two similarly blistering breaks stunned Anfield going into half-time.
Salah made up for his penalty miss with a leveller just after the break (48), poking home Divock Origi’s clever chip over the defence, and Jordan Henderson completed Liverpool’s own comeback with an exquisite half-volley from 20 yards (69) from a cleared corner.
The result, paired with Atletico’s 0-0 draw against Porto, puts Liverpool on the front foot in a tricky Group B, with Porto next up away from home on September 28. Jurgen Klopp’s side are unbeaten in all competitions this season, and unbeaten in 14 overall.
It was Anfield’s first European night with supporters in attendance since the start of the pandemic, while seven-time winners AC Milan were back in Champions League action for the first time in seven years.
But it was a rude awakening initially for the Italians as Liverpool camped in Milan’s defensive third from the first minute; Andrew Robertson and Diogo Jota missed early half-chances, and they took the lead through brilliant combination play between Alexander-Arnold and Salah.
Having played a one-two with Salah around an unsuspecting Rafael Leao, Alexander-Arnold skipped his way into the box on the right, looked to centre, and saw the ball deflect off Tomori and over goalkeeper Maignan for an own goal.
It should have been 2-0 moments later as Liverpool were awarded a penalty for a handball from Ismael Bennacer as he blocked Robertson’s cross, but Salah’s blasted penalty was saved by Maignan down the middle, before the Milan stopper reacted well to tip away Jota’s headed rebound at close range.
Liverpool made four changes to the side that beat Liverpool as Virgil van Dijk was benched alongside Thiago and Sadio Mane, while Harvey Elliott was out injured.
Joe Gomez came in for his first start since November, Divock Origi got his first start since January, while Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita came into midfield.
AC Milan made three changes to the side that beat Lazio on Sunday as Simon Kjaer, Ismael Bennacer and Alexis Saelemakers came in for Alessio Romagnoli, Sandro Tonali and Alessandro Florenzi. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was out injured, while Olivier Giroud was on the bench.
Milan then settled slightly as Liverpool moved to a lower gear, but the chances continued to flow as Joel Matip headed a good opportunity at Maignan, and Salah’s snap-shot from the edge of the box was tipped away brilliantly by the busy goalkeeper.
But such is the nature of Champions League football, one moment of quality turned the game on its head. Milan equalised from nowhere as Leao’s pass split Matip and Joe Gomez to find Rebic, who wrapped his foot around the ball to finish low past Alisson.
And just 110 seconds later it was 2-1 as Rebic was released again by Leao on the left of the box. This time he squared for Theo Hernandez, whose shot was blocked on the line by Robertson, only for Diaz to tap home again with the Liverpool defender failing to get back to his feet in time.
Liverpool’s fans and players went into half-time wondering how their dominance was not reflected in the scoreline.
But they were let off the hook seconds after the restart as Simon Kjaer converted at the back post from a Jordan Henderson error at a corner, only for the offside flag to correctly go up, and it was soon 2-2.
Mo Salah scores Liverpool’s second goal
Receiving the ball on the edge of the box from Salah, Origi scooped the ball over the Milan back line for the Egyptian, who composed himself before pushing the ball past Maignan, staying just onside.
AC Milan retreated again, and Liverpool huffed and puffed before getting their third midway through the second half through an unlikely source.
From a half-cleared corner, Henderson’s first-time half-volley from the edge of the box was struck superbly, flying into the bottom left corner for only his second Liverpool goal since the end of the 2019/20 season.
The one-goal lead was still fragile as sub Olivier Giroud headed off target, while Alisson just cleared ahead of Milan’s front line from a corner, but Liverpool held on.
This wasn’t quite Istanbul in 2005, but the victory and comeback was a show of character from a Liverpool side reverting to type following an topsy-turvy 2020/21 season, and a classic European night will contribute heavily to the feeling of normality at Anfield.
