Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi has added another award to his huge collection. He became the first recipient of the MARCA America Award, presented by the Spain-based media company. The award recognises Messi’s championship-laden career — one with a record 46 trophies won for club or country, and at least 56 other awards on the individual level. Also Read: Messi nets brace as Inter Miami clinch Shield “It has been quite the journey,” the Argentine superstar said in Spanish during a moderated question-and-answer session at Chase Stadium, Inter Miami’s home field. “We have experienced so many beautiful things but also complicated moments. In 20 years not everything is beautiful. You cannot win all the time.” For Messi, no title outshines the 2022 World Cup with Argentina that helped cement his legacy among the sport’s greatest players. However, the 37-year-old Messi has won plenty and still feels the drive to continue adding titles. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 October,2024 07:04 AM IST | Fort Lauderdale | AP | PTIErik ten Hag defiantly slammed “fairy tales and lies” about his Manchester United future as the under-fire boss insisted he is not in danger of the sack. Ten Hag is widely believed to be in a fight to save his job after presiding over United’s worst start to a top-flight season since 1989-90. United are languishing in 14th place in the Premier League ahead of Saturday’s visit from Brentford, whose manager Thomas Frank has been linked with replacing the Dutchman at Old Trafford. Without a victory in their last five games in all competitions, Ten Hag’s side have won just twice in seven league matches this term. Another flop against Brentford will pile further pressure on Ten Hag ahead of a tricky week featuring away games at Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in the Europa League and West Ham in the Premier League. But the former Ajax boss is convinced he retains the support of United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe and his coterie of advisors. “Noise is only coming from some of you in the media, creating stories and fairy tales, and bringing lies,” Ten Hag told reporters on Friday. “I told this before the break. Several journalists probably didn’t believe me because I see the reports. But internally, in the club, it’s quiet. Of course, we are discussing, that we are unhappy with the position where we are and how we have to turn the corner.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 October,2024 06:42 AM IST | London | AFPMikel Arteta has revealed Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is nearing a return to fitness after a lengthy injury lay-off and could be fit to face title rivals Liverpool next week. The Norway midfielder has been sidelined with an ankle problem suffered on international duty early last month. Although Odegaard has not played for the Gunners since August 31, Arteta’s side remain unbeaten in the Premier League and are just one point behind leaders Liverpool ahead of Saturday’s game at Bournemouth. The Spaniard said Odegaard would not be ready for this weekend but the situation will be reassessed ahead of next week’s games against Shakhtar Donetsk, in the Champions League, and Liverpool. “I think he’s not going to be fit for this game,” Arteta told reporters on Friday. “Next week will be a different story, but again, in that later stage of rehab where he is at the moment, because he’s doing already a lot of the stuff. I think next week will be crucial to understand how close he is.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 October,2024 06:41 AM IST | London | AFPTitle-holders Mumbai City FC will look to secure their maiden win of the season when they face familiar foes FC Goa as the Indian Super League returns to action after the international break here on Saturday. Mumbai have drawn twice and lost once in the three fixtures until now to be placed 11th in the points table. Goa have five points in four outings. The two teams have had their share of rivalries in the past with the Gaurs dominating the Islanders until 2019-20. However, the tables have turned since then, with Sergio Lobera coming in for Mumbai. They settled for a draw in both of their league-stage clashes last season, while it was the Islanders who prevailed over the Gaurs in the two-legged semi-final. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 October,2024 06:41 AM IST | Margao | PTIReal Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Friday the club’s French striker Kylian Mbappe “seems unaffected to me” after Swedish media reported he is being investigated for an alleged rape during a visit to Stockholm. Mbappe’s lawyer told AFP this week the France captain was “shocked” to see his name linked to the investigation and he will take action for libel. The forward was not selected by France for UEFA Nations League matches after an injury and visited the Swedish capital with a group of people last week. Carlo Ancelotti ‘Kylian’s working every day’ “In this moment [the reports] are speculations, I see him working every day, he is happy, content, he doesn’t seem affected to me at all,” Ancelotti told a news conference. “He’s looking forward to keep on helping the team.” Ancelotti said Mbappe, 25, had been given time off by the Spanish and European champions. “The days off were set for him and beyond that, individuals can choose what they want to do,” explained Ancelotti. Players have free will “I don’t care where players prefer to rest. I went to London for a couple of days and didn’t ask anybody. I also don’t have a travel agency to organise trips for players.” A Swedish prosecutor has confirmed that an investigation has been opened, without naming Mbappe. Mbappe claimed in a post on X on Monday there was a link between the report and a hearing before a French league committee on Tuesday over his bitter dispute with his former club Paris Saint-Germain over what he says is 55 million euros ($60 million) in unpaid wages. “FAKE NEWS !!!!. It’s becoming so predictable, on the eve of the hearing, as if by chance,” he wrote. Mbappe completed a dream move to join Madrid in the summer after seven years at PSG. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 October,2024 06:40 AM IST | Madrid | AFPIndia striker Bala Devi remembered her late father and dedicated her 50th international goal to him following the team’s 5-2 win over Pakistan in the SAFF Women’s Football Championship opener here. The 34-year-old scored her only goal in the match in the 35th minute, with the other goal-scorers being Grace Dangmei (5th and 42nd min), Manisha Kalyan (17th min) and Jyoti Chouhan (78th min) on Thursday. “This goal is for my father. Though he is no longer with me, I know he would be proud of me today,” said an emotional Bala to AIFF after the win. Also Read: Joga Bonito win women’s beach football title Meanwhile, Jyoti recollected her father’s dream of her playing for India as she netted her debut goal on the international stage. “I am really happy and satisfied with my performance. My father had a dream that someday I would get to wear the Indian colours and score for the country, which I did yesterday,” she admitted. Grace, who scored a brace in the contest, was adjudged the Player of the Match and dedicated the strikes to the “entire team and staff members.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 October,2024 06:40 AM IST | Kathmandu | PTIBengaluru FC earned a slender 1-0 win over Punjab FC, despite being reduced to ten men for a majority of the second-half, in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru this evening. With this win, the Blues have taken a four-point lead at the top of the table. The clean sheet also means Bengaluru FC have now set a new record for most minutes without conceding from the start of an ISL season (481 minutes and counting) overtaking Jamshedpur FC (389 minutes at the start of 2017-18 season). Gerard Zaragoza broke his own record of four clean-sheets that the team created under his watch last season, courtesy of this outcome. A solitary goal from Naorem Roshan Singh was enough to hand Zaragoza’s side their fourth victory of the season. Punjab FC tried their luck mostly from distance, often missing the target. Bengaluru FC’s first positive move came in the 10th minute, when Naorem Roshan Singh found himself at the end of a through ball. But before the full-back could conjure some magic, Khaiminthang Lhungdim came to Punjab FC’s rescue. Ten minutes later, the Blues came up with another chance. Rohit Danu played a pass onto Edgar Mendez's feet. Mendez then laid it off to Roshan. The latter took some extra time on the ball and his shot was successfully blocked by Suresh Meitei. Also Read: Bengaluru continue win streak with 3-0 victory over Mohun Bagan SG Finally in the 43rd minute, the deadlock was broken. Jorge Pereyra Diaz’s cross from inside the 18-yard area itself took a deflection to fall into the path of Roshan. The left-back didn’t hesitate to try his luck and came back with a stunning goal. Nikhil Prabhu tried to restore parity from distance before the half-break. However, his shot was quite some distance from the target. In the 50th minute, the Blues could have found their second goal of the evening. Jorge Pereyra Diaz played in a ball to Sunil Chhetri who laid it off for Alberto Noguera. The Spaniard’s curling effort, meanwhile, wasn’t on target. Bengaluru FC went down to 10 men in the 58th minute after Chinglensana Singh was given his marching orders. Post this, Punjab FC started getting a stronghold of the game. Punjab FC got their best chance of the evening in the 74th minute. Asmir Suljic whipped in a ball into the six-yard area. Roshan Singh failed to clear it properly and the ball fell straight into Mushaga Bakenga’s feet. With a clear sight on goal, the Norwegian hit the crossbar. Bengaluru stood tall in the face of repeated attacks by the Shers and managed to edge out their opponents to remain at the top of the table. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 October,2024 06:34 AM IST | Bengaluru | IANSDetermined Chennaiyin FC came from a goal down to beat NorthEast United 3-2 in an Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 clash at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Thursday, courtesy of a brace from Wilmar Jordan Gil. The Marina Machans played the final few minutes with a man lesser but held firm to register their second win of the season. An eventful first half saw Chennaiyin FC come from a goal down to lead 2-1 at the interval, courtesy of strikes from Jordan Gil (25’) and Lukas Brambilla (36’) after Nestor Albiach (5’) had given NorthEast United the lead. Jordan Gil doubled his tally early in the second half (51’), while Alaeddine Ajaraie scored a late consolation for the hosts (89’) after Laldinliana Renthlei was sent off. Head coach Owen Coyle made one change to the line-up that started the match against Hyderabad FC two weeks ago, with forward Jordan Gil coming in for his first start of the season. The starting XI also featured Lalrinliana Hnamte and Farukh Choudhary, fresh from their appearances for the Indian football team over the international break. The hosts took the lead early on in Guwahati on the breakthrough Nestor. The Marina Machans bounced back, however, and turned the screw on their opponents, especially through the lively Brambilla, who tested his luck once from close range and twice from distance. Also Read: Adding international flair, Elsinho's arrival bolsters Chennaiyin FC's defensive core After a period of sustained pressure, Jordan Gil powered a bullet header past Gurmeet Singh in goal from an inswinging Connor Shields corner in the 25th minute. Eleven minutes later, after Michel Zabaco fouled Ryan Edwards in a clash-of-captains inside the box, Brambilla stepped up to give CFC the lead from the spot–which they subsequently preserved till the break, courtesy of a smart stop from Samik Mitra to deny the in-form Alaeddine Ajaraie. Six minutes after the restart, Jordan Gil grabbed his second of the night. Showing plenty of awareness and finesse to chest down a pass from Laldinliana Renthlei, before firing past Gurmeet from close range. Confusion by the corner flag saw Dinliana receive his second yellow card in the 83rd minute, forcing Chennaiyin FC to play the final minutes with a man less. Despite a late concession through Ajaraie, the Marina Machans stood resolute to take all three points. Chennaiyin will now look to build on this result when they face FC Goa in Chennai on October 24. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 October,2024 01:38 PM IST | Guwahati | IANSDavid Beckham is hopeful that minority owner Jim Ratcliffe will turn Manchester United’s fortunes around, but says it will take time to return to the “good old days.” British billionaire Ratcliffe’s INEOS took charge of the club’s football operations earlier this year but United have had an underwhelming start to the new campaign as they look to build on last year’s FA Cup success. Beckham said on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast that the club had needed change and a “fresh perspective”. “I really like Jim. He really cares about what he wants to do and what he wants to create. So, hopefully, things will change, but these things take time. I think we have been quite patient,” he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 October,2024 07:07 AM IST | London | AFPKylian Mbappe, linked by media to being the target of a rape investigation in Sweden, is to keep any explanations for Swedish justice, “if necessary”, his lawyer said on Thursday. “He retains primacy of his explanations, if necessary, to the Swedish justice system,” Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard told AFP. Lawyer denies allegations The lawyer denounced the “media allegations suggesting that Kylian Mbappe spoke about the events of his trip to Stockholm.” Canu-Bernard added that the 2018 World Cup winner was “at ease” because “he has done nothing wrong.” French daily Le Parisien and RMC Sports both reported on Thursday the France and Real Madrid striker had consensual sex with a young woman during the trip last week. Mbappe, the two news outlets reported, has messages from the woman “with a very positive tone”, telling the tale of a happy meeting and consensual relations. Le Parisien added it could not confirm the complainant in the rape case was the woman who wrote those messages. Two nights in Stockholm? As discomfort in his left thigh kept him out of France’s squad for Nations League games, Mbappe chose to go to Stockholm with a group of friends, arriving on October 9 and departing on October 11. Reports in several Swedish media say they visited a restaurant and a nightclub. Once the group had left Sweden, a woman went to police to allege she was the victim of a rape. On Monday, after Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet became the first media outlet to reveal that a rape probe had been opened, Mbappe slammed the report as “fake news” on his social media and alleged there was a link between the accusations and his financial dispute with former club PSG. A hearing into the case was held on Tuesday. “It’s becoming so predictable, the day before the hearing as if by chance,” Mbappe said on X. A Swedish prosecutor confirmed that an investigation has been opened, without naming Mbappe. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 October,2024 07:07 AM IST | Paris | AFPCathedral & John Connon (Fort) will battle Bombay Scottish (Mahim) in the boys U-16 final of the Ahmed Sailor MSSA inter-school football tournament after they charted out contrasting routes in their respective semi-final matches at the St Francis D’Assisi ground, Borivli on Thursday. In the first semi-final, Cathedral withstood a strong second half comeback from Chatrabhuj Narsee School (CNS, Kandivli) before beating them 5-4 via via tie-breaker after the scores were locked 1-1 at the end of regulation time. Cathedral went into the lead in the third minute through Veer Kedia, who neatly finished past the advanced CNS custodian following a neat fine pass by skipper Rian Uniyal. Also Read: Scottish flourish to enter MSSA U-16 Div I summit clash However, CNS regrouped and fought back gamely to restore parity deservingly in the second half through Riddhiman Singh. Rian once again turned out to be the chief architect of Cathedral’s triumph by converting a penalty and also making two crucial saves in the tie-breaker, where he replaced their original first choice goalkeeper. Apart from Rian, the other scorers for Cathedral were Rayess Surti, Akshaj Singh and Aditya Desai, while CNS netted through Samit Mandhare, Anirvinya Sarkar and Riddhiman Singh. In the second semi-final, Bombay Scottish cruised to a 4-1 win over St Joseph’s Secondary (Orlem). St Joseph’s went into the lead through Jesse Bhobe in sixth minute lead but thereafter it was all Scottish underlined their class as wingers Reuben Thomas and Hriday Haria struck a brace each to complete the win.
18 October,2024 07:07 AM IST | Mumbai | Neeraj AnandADVERTISEMENT
