Man Utd boss Ralf Rangnick suggests scrapping Carabao Cup December 23, 2021 Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has suggested that English football should scrap the Carabao Cup to ease the burden on players. Concerns about player welfare have been heightened by a raft of Covid-19 postponements, which will mean fixture congestion – and an intensified workload – in the coming weeks. “England is the only league in [...]
Premier League calls off Watford and Leeds Boxing Day games December 23, 2021 The Premier League has postponed two Boxing Day fixtures – Wolves v Watford, and Liverpool v Leeds United – due to Covid-19 outbreaks. Watford and Leeds requested their games be called off after being left short of players by Covid-19 cases and injuries. The Premier League said it hoped its early decision would minimise disruption [...]
Ed Warner: Sport must be proactive in protecting its stars from abuse December 23, 2021 If you see me reaching for the remote to watch BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2022, you know what to do. I was delighted that our gold medal winning GB Wheelchair Rugby team was nominated for the Team of the Year last weekend, alongside an illustrious bunch of trophy winners from other sports, [...]
‘Zombie clubs’ on rise as Covid doubles football teams in distress December 22, 2021 Football finance experts have warned of a rise in “zombie clubs” as a result of Covid-19 restrictions slashing teams’ income. The number of English clubs in financial distress doubled from 17 to 34 in the six months after stadiums closed in March 2020, a new report by insolvency firm Begbies Traynor found. Derby County and [...]
Man City stars Grealish and Foden warned by Guardiola over night out December 21, 2021 Manchester City stars Jack Grealish and Phil Foden have been warned about their behaviour after being dropped by manager Pep Guardiola. Guardiola left Grealish and Foden on the bench for the Premier League leaders’ 4-0 win over Newcastle United on Sunday after the pair were pictured on a night out days earlier. “I pay a [...]
Premier League rejects calls to pause fixtures amid rising Covid-19 rates December 20, 2021 Premier League clubs have rejected calls to postpone a round of fixtures despite an increasing number of teams being hit by Covid-19 outbreaks. English top-flight teams met today to discuss the potential move after six of 10 games in the division were called off over the weekend. It means the matches scheduled for 28, 29 [...]
Big Sport Quiz of 2021: How much do you remember? December 20, 2021 From teenagers sweeping to Grand Slam tennis titles to England reaching a major football final, an Olympic Games like no other and the introduction of a brand new cricket competition, it has been a hugely eventful year in sport. Off the field it has been just as transformative, with private equity and, increasingly, cryptocurrency and [...]
Former Premier League winner Sergio Aguero announces health related retirement December 15, 2021 Former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has retired from football in a bid to protect his health. The 22-year-old announced the news earlier today and said: “The decision I have made, I have taken it for my health.” The striker signed for Barcelona in the summer but was taken to hospital in late October after [...]
United game postponed as League reports record Covid-19 cases December 14, 2021 Tonight’s game between Manchester United and Brentford has been postponed after a series of positive cases in the Old Trafford club. Yesterday, United closed their training ground in a bid to stop the spread of the virus after a number of players and staff tested positive on Sunday morning after their 1-0 over Norwich in [...]
Champions League last 16 draw: Fiasco hands Liverpool raw deal December 13, 2021 Just when you thought Uefa couldn’t string out its Champions League last 16 draw ceremony any longer, it found a way. The extraordinary mix-up that failed to keep the right teams apart forced the governing body to scrap and re-run a draw that had featured a plum tie pitting Lionel Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain against Cristiano [...]