Lionel Messi says he deserves a chance to say goodbye to Barcelona fans after winning the men’s Ballon d’Or for a record-extending eighth time.
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Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Sir Bobby Charlton memorial service announced by Man Utd
The service will offer the chance to "say a final farewell to a true legend", Manchester United says.
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Ian Wright blames Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes over Antony incident
Ian Wright feels Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is setting a poor example and has blamed him for Antony kicking out at Jeremy Doku.
United winger Antony escaped a red card for a clash with Doku just minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute in the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.
Gary Neville described the incident as ‘ridiculous and embarrassing’ and felt that United’s loss of discipline was directly related to captain Fernandes.
Wright appears to agree with Neville as he debated Fernandes’ role as United captain with fellow pundit Owen Hargreaves on the The Kelly and Wrighty Show.
Hargreaves started the conversation by saying: ‘You don’t change the captain mid-season. He’s already made his mind up, it just makes it difficult for himself, Erik ten Hag, if he does that.
‘I understand why he did it against Harry Maguire [but] he’s probably their most consistent player, Bruno.
‘But the problem is, back in the day, and we all go back to our day, Roy Keane, Gary Neville, these guys were proper captains, it’s not like that any more, the guys are not going to lead in that way. You want them to but they don’t.
‘[Ten Hag] gave it to Bruno because he’s their most consistent player by a long shot but yesterday [Ten Hag] played him out of position. Why would you play him on the right wing to track back?
‘They got overloaded and he never tracked back once on that right side. Play him as a No.10 and drop another player. I think his frustration came a lot from not having any influence on the game.
‘I understand where the guys are coming from, I don’t disagree to an extent, but he’s still their most consistent player, and you probably give the captaincy to the most consistent guy.
‘I know he looks moody but I think he tried to kick out to show the fans he cares but it doesn’t come across in the right way and it frustrates a lot of people.’
Wright then shared his opinion and said: ‘He does that a lot, he closes down on his own as well, that’s a signal to players who you’re playing with that he’s playing for the crowd, when you see people just going on their own and you don’t see anyone else backing up.
‘You kind of feel like he’s looking out for himself, that’s what you think when someone does that.
‘For you to chase off and try to close down when they’ve got good possession, especially like City or a team like that, you coming out of position pulls somebody else out of position, so actually you’re easier to go through.
‘To try to prove to fans that you’re working hard by doing that is not a good thing.’
Hargreaves added: ‘Wrighty makes a great point, Roy Keane used to do tackles that got the crowd up, Gary Neville used to do tackles that got the crowd up and it would galvanise the team.
‘Now someone goes on their own and it’s, ‘what’s he doing?’.
Wright, meanwhile, added: ‘For Bruno sometimes, he just goes off and they’re not ready. It’s not good for the team.
‘Watching Antony come on and his contribution was to kick out at [Jeremy] Doku like that, but the example of the captain is seeping in. That’s the captain doing it.’
MORE : Jeremy Doku aims dig at Antony after Manchester United’s loss to Manchester City
MORE : Manchester United players unhappy with two Erik ten Hag decisions after Manchester City defeat
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Monday, October 30, 2023
Chelsea investigated by Premier League over ‘secret payments’ in Willian and Samuel Eto’o transfers
The Premier League is investigating ‘secret payments’ made by Chelsea during their deals to sign Willian and Samuel Eto, according to reports.
Chelsea signed Willian for £32 million from Anzhi Makhachkala in August 2013 before Eto’o joined Stamford Bridge from the Russian club a week later.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Chelsea are under investigation by the Premier League for potential financial rule breaches during Roman Abramovich’s reign.
Chelsea’s new owners reported their own club to the Premier League, UEFA and the Football Association after seeing payments to offshore companies, as well as a player’s family, during the £4.25 billion takeover last year.
According to The Times, financial records from the Abramovich era indicate that payments may have been made to ‘Russian entities’ during the deals for Willian and Eto’o.
If found guilty, the club could face a fine or even a points deduction.
In July, Chelsea agreed to pay UEFA €10m (£8.6m) due to ‘incomplete financial reporting’ during the Abramovich era.
A statement from Chelsea read: ‘These allegations pre-date the club’s current ownership. They concern entities that were allegedly controlled by the club’s former owner and do not relate to any individual who is presently at the club.
‘Chelsea FC’s ownership group completed its purchase of the club on May 30, 2022. During a thorough due diligence process prior to completion of the purchase, the ownership group became aware of potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions during the club’s previous ownership. Immediately following the completion of the purchase, the club proactively self-reported these matters to all applicable football regulators.
‘In accordance with the club’s ownership group’s core principles of full compliance and transparency the club has proactively assisted the applicable regulators with their investigations and will continue to do so.’
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Major Carabao Cup format change set for next season
The Carabao Cup is set to scrap two-legged semi-finals from next season onwards in a major change to the competition’s format.
Discussions between the Premier League and EFL have been going on for months over changes to the League Cup, currently known as the Carabao for sponsorship reasons, and the FA Cup.
And it seems that a breakthrough has been reached with the Daily Mail reporting that the Carabao Cup will switch to one-legged semi-finals in 2024/25 for the first time in the competition’s 52-year history.
Top-flight clubs have wanted this for many years so as to ease the congestion of fixtures by teams in the Championship, League One and League Two have been opposed due to the financial implications.
But the proposal has been made and will go ahead as long as the Premier League clubs sign off a new funding package toward the EFL worth around £900million over six years.
Additionally, it is said that the EFL have negotiated a clause in their new £935m TV deal with Sky Sports, which enables them to scrap the two-legged semi-final without incurring a financial penalty.
Details for how the new format will work are yet to be finalised, but is is likely that the change will mean that neutral venues could be used for the semis for the first time in League Cup history.
Moreover, it is looking increasingly more likely that third and fourth round replays in the FA Cup will also be scrapped in order to ease congestion.
While big changes, they pale in comparison to what could have happened, as it was reported last year that there was a proposal that clubs competing in Europe would not participate in the League Cup at all, or at the very least they would field their U21s sides.
That appears to be off the table now however, though with the Champions League format changing next season, there are still concerns over the amount of games players play in a single campaign.
The round of 16 for the Carabao Cup takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday night, with notable fixtures including a repeat of last season’s final between Manchester United and Newcastle, as well as the favourites Liverpool travelling to Bournemouth.
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Frank Leboeuf blames Axel Disasi and Noni Madueke for roles in Chelsea defeat to Brentford
Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has pinned the blame for Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Brentford on Axel Disasi and Noni Madueke after their role in the first goal on Saturday.
Chelsea started the game on the front foot against their south-west London rivals but failed to find an opening in the first half.
After the break, Mauricio Pochettino’s side were punished when centre-back Ethan Pinnock found acres of space at the back post to thump home a header before Bryan Mbuemo wrapped up the victory in stoppage time.
The defeat ended Chelsea’s four-match unbeaten streak and continued their barren recent form against Thomas Frank’s side, with the Blues now without a win against Brentford since December 2021.
After impressive performances against Burnley and Arsenal in recent weeks, the pressure is now firmly back on Pochettino with his side languishing in 11th place, but former Blues centre-back Leboeuf believed the blame should be pinned largely on two players.
‘The first goal is initially a mistake from [Marc] Cucurella but it’s then an even bigger mistake from Disasi and Madueke at the far post,’ he said speaking on ESPN.
‘That was bad communication, bad covering, bad everything. It’s crazy.’
Offensively, Chelsea continued to falter with Saturday’s marking the fourth time already this season that they have failed to score a goal in a game.
However, for Leboeuf, Chelsea’s lack of potency going forward is no justification for their defensive errors, with Saturday another game where they should have come away with at least a point.
‘If you cannot score goals, at least in that game you have to draw and keep the clean sheet. It’s possible and not complicated; they proved it in the first half but let it go in the second,’ he added.
‘They played better, and were maybe a bit unlucky, but there are some things that I see that make me think they do everything to not win and sometimes everything to lose the game and that is very annoying.’
Pochettino’s side, however, have a chance to get back to winnings way immediately when they they host Championship side Blackburn in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
MORE : ‘They look lost’ – Arsene Wenger gives damning verdict of Chelsea following defeat to Brentford
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Sunday, October 29, 2023
Brighton 1-1 Fulham: Seagulls 'lost two points' says Roberto de Zerbi
Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi says his side "lost two points" as Fulham fought back from a goal down to draw and leave the Seagulls without a win in four Premier League games.
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Saturday, October 28, 2023
Mikel Arteta reveals Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard has been ‘carrying a little thing’
Mikel Arteta has revealed that Martin Odegaard has been carrying a small injury issue in recent weeks while he was delighted his rotated Arsenal side did not drop their intensity in Saturday’s win over Sheffield United.
The Gunners closed the gap to Premier League leaders Tottenham back to just two points with a thumping 5-0 victory over the struggling Blades at the Emirates, with Eddie Nketiah bagging a hat-trick.
In the absence of injured frontman Gabriel Jesus, Nketiah was tasked with leading the line and opened the scoring after collecting Declan Rice’s low cross and poking the ball into the bottom corner.
He doubled his tally shortly after the restart, rifling home as United struggled to clear a corner, before completing his hat-trick with a stunning, powerful finish from the edge of the box which arrowed into the top corner.
Nketiah could have had a fourth late on when Arsenal were awarded a penalty but let Fabio Vieira get on the scoresheet, before Takehiro Tomiyasu bagged his first goal for the club in the 96th minute.
Arteta made four changes to his team for the visit of Sheffield United and despite saying pre-match that it was a simple case of ‘refreshing’ the line-up after a tough trip to Sevilla in midweek, he has now confirmed that Odegaard has been dealing with an injury niggle.
Asked about the decision not to play his skipper at all on Saturday, Arteta replied: ‘Obviously we went through all the minutes that everybody has played in the last three weeks and some of them they played an enormous amount of minutes.
‘Martin has been as well carrying a little thing and wasn’t very comfortable in the games. So we have players with enormous quality and we have to trust them, and we believed it was the right day to do so.’
Asked how tough the load has been on Odegaard recently, Arteta continued: ‘I think he has enjoyed a lot the last couple of weeks.
‘They’ve been really good for the team, he’s playing every game. Yes, he had a difficult period with the national team because it was a big blow for them what happened, but this is football and he needs to get on with that and he is a massive player for us.’
Arteta was also pleased that his rotated side did not drop their intensity, saying: ‘Obviously they came from the national teams. We beat City, then they go to the national teams, we then had to go to Stamford Bridge and we did what we did with it at Stamford Bridge.
‘And then you have to go to Sevilla, and that’s a really, really stressful week, with as well what they were experiencing in the last few weeks [with the national teams].
‘So then you can have the tendency to [relax] and go, “OK now we’re going to play at home” and that would have been the worst thing we could have done to compete against this team today.’
MORE : Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta making ‘conscious effort’ to tone down touchline antics
MORE : Arsenal transfer target Pedro Neto sends clear message on his future
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Bournemouth 2-1 Burnley: Vincent Kompany likens VAR delays to 'going to the casino'
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany compares long delays surrounding tight video assistant referee decisions with "going to the casino".
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Friday, October 27, 2023
Italy 0-1 Spain: Jenni Hermoso scores winner for Spain in first match since World Cup win
Jenni Hermoso scores a late winner for Spain against Italy in the Nations League on her return to the squad.
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Rio Ferdinand says two Manchester United players are holding Rasmus Hojlund back
Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United’s wingers are not providing Rasmus Hojlund with the type of service he thrives off and says he is ‘scared’ about their chances in Sunday’s derby.
The Red Devils have struggled for form so far this season and their marquee summer signing, 20-year-old striker Hojlund, is yet to open his account in the Premier League.
But he has netted three in three in the Champions League and Ferdinand feels wingers Antony and Marcus Rashford must go back to basics and do more to provide the towering Dane with the service he requires.
‘I think we need to get to a place where we’re actually playing to our players’ strengths,’ said Ferdinand on his FIVE YouTube channel.
‘You look at Hojlund, he wants the ball crossed. You saw the header he scored in the Champions League, you see the way he attacks crosses.
‘Get the ball wide and cross it! Antony keeps chopping back on his left foot, doesn’t cross it. Marcus doesn’t really cross from that [left] side.
‘Get past your full-back, or get a yard, and put the ball in the box! And he’ll attack it.’
United host City at Old Trafford and can actually close the gap to their rivals to just three points with a win despite their lacklustre start to the season, though Ferdinand is not holding out much hope for an upset.
‘I’m scared, man, I’ve got to be honest. I’m scared,’ he continued.
‘I’m fearful, I’ve got to be honest with you. Your heart is telling you, “Maybe we can nick something and defend, defend, defend” but we’re miles off it if you look at it in terms of where City are and where we are.
‘The one positive I take going into the game is the way that the game ended the other day [against Copenhagen], I don’t think it could have ended any better for our team.
‘Harry Maguire scored the winner, but also Andre Onana making that save in the final seconds of the game and you saw the way the team was around Onana and that euphoria hopefully travels into the next game.
‘Whereas if we’d won that game 1-0 and just won it, scraped through it, you’re going into the derby on a bit of a low ebb, but hopefully a bit of confidence grew from that.
‘I don’t think it’s going to be enough confidence, but you’d like to think we’re in a better place given where that game finished.’
MORE : Pep Guardiola hits back at Facundo Pellistri over dig at Manchester City
MORE : Manchester United in talks with FA over controversial Alejandro Garnacho post, confirms Erik ten Hag
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Thursday, October 26, 2023
Man Utd: Andre Onana defends Alejandro Garnacho's use of gorilla emojis on social media
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana says no action should be taken against Alejandro Garnacho for using gorilla emojis in a social media post.
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Wednesday, October 25, 2023
‘Simplify your game’ – Louis Saha sends message to struggling Manchester United star Marcus Rashford
Former Manchester United star Louis Saha believes Marcus Rashford needs to stop ‘overthinking’ if he is to end his bad run of form.
Rashford was United’s Player of the Year last season after scoring a career best 30 goals and making 11 assists across all competitions.
But so far this season, it has been a very different story, with the England forward recording just one goal and three assists in 12 games.
Though the Red Devils as a whole have been struggling, the 25-year-old’s drop off in form is hard to avoid and some have even suggested that he spend some time on the bench while he gets back into the groove.
There is confidence that he will find his shooting boots soon – not least from manager Erik ten Hag and teammate Rasmus Hojlund – and Saha also believes he can get back to his ‘unstoppable’ best – if he takes onboard the follow advice:
‘In Marcus Rashford, I see a player with tremendous quality – there’s no doubt about that. The only thing that’s holding him back is overthinking,’ the former forward told Paddy Power.
‘He has a tendency to think too much and that’s the problem he has at the moment. It sounds very simplistic but it’s not. He’s got great energy levels, he’s very physical and the volume of his runs are his main strengths.
‘He’s not helped by Manchester United’s slow tempo. Players take too many touches, and it takes too long to get the ball out wide to Rashford’s feet. Half a second is a massive amount in a game, and it provides the defender with too much time to close him down, forcing him to play it backwards.
‘We want to see Rashford committing and not worry about making mistakes. He needs to attack, try and cross the ball, shoot at goal and be happy if he wins a corner.
‘It’s very simplistic but that’s the reality for Rashford right now. He needs to simplify his game and put all his energy into the things that work. I’m confident he’ll get back to it because when he does, he’s unstoppable.’
United certainly need their talisman to get firing, with one of their biggest games of the season up next: the Manchester derby at Old Trafford.
Rashford scored the winner in this fixture last season and in total has scored five goals in 18 games against Manchester City.
MORE : Ajax target Arsenal assistant manager after missing out on Manchester United coach
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Barcelona 2-1 Shakhtar Donetsk: Ferran Torres stars in Champions League victory
Barcelona's Ferran Torres scores one goal and assists another as his side hold off Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.
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Chelsea loanee David Datro Fofana apologises for reaction to being subbed off in Champions League clash
Chelsea loanee David Datro Fofana has apologised following a clash with his Union Berlin manager after being substituted in the side’s Champions League defeat to Napoli on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old moved to Germany on a season-long loan in the summer but his spell with the Bundesliga side has not gone entirely to plan so far.
Fofana has been given plenty of chances to impress, making 11 appearances in all competitions so far and racking up 567 minutes of action, but has yet to register a single goal or assist.
His frustrations continued on Tuesday night as Union Berlin were beaten 1-0 by Italian champions Napoli and things boiled over when he was withdrawn in the 70th minute.
As he headed to the dugout, Fofana walked straight past manager Urs Fischer without making eye contact and snubbed his offer of a handshake, with the Swiss coach visibly annoyed by the reaction.
When he took his place on the bench, Fofana was raging and even appeared to break down in tears, with a number of his team-mates coming over to calm him down while sporting director Oliver Ruhnert even had to speak to him.
Fofana has now apologised to Fischer, his team-mates and supporters for his reaction to being subbed off and says he was just desperate to help the team try and get back into the match.
‘Following my behaviour during my exit from the field, I wanted to apologise to the club, the coach, my team-mates and the supporters,’ said the young striker on social media.
‘This gesture was not intended and in no way does it represent my attitude, all this was generated as a result of frustration because I wanted to continue helping the team to obtain a positive result.
‘We will continue to work and come back even stronger in the championship and in this great competition.’
Union Berlin boss Fischer played down the incident afterwards, saying: ‘There will be a talk. But I find it strange that this is the first question I get after such a great game from us.’
Fofana is still waiting for his first goal involvement and thought he had finally bagged an assist against Napoli after an excellent run down the right wing, only for the move to be pulled back for an offside.
MORE : Cole Palmer ‘sorry’ for throwing a bottle at Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino
MORE : Chelsea interested in Aaron Ramsdale after falling down Arsenal pecking order
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England players 'can't please everyone' - Esme Morgan on fans' demands
England defender Esme Morgan says players should not be "made to feel bad" for being unable to meet every request from fans who wait to meet them after games.
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Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Inter Milan 2-1 Red Bull Salzburg: Alexis Sanchez scores in Champions League
Alexis Sanchez scores his first goal since returning to Inter Milan as his side edged past Red Bull Salzburg in Group D in the Champions League.
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Arsenal explain why Thomas Partey misses Champions League clash with Sevilla
Arsenal have issued an injury update on Thomas Partey after the midfielder was a surprise absentee from the matchday squad for the Gunners’ Champions League clash with Sevilla.
The Ghana international has been returning from a groin injury but played in both of his nation’s recent friendlies against Mexico and USA and was an unused substitute in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea.
He was thought to be fit and available for the trip to Seville on Tuesday evening and was pictured in training with the rest of the squad on Monday.
But he was not included in the 23-man squad at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, with Arsenal confirming that he misses the match with a ‘muscle injury’.
The full extent of Partey’s injury – and whether it is a reoccurrence of his groin issue – is not yet known, with Mikel Arteta expected to provide an update on the midfielder after the match.
Early suggestions are that the 30-year-old has picked up a fresh thigh injury which was sustained during Monday’s session.
His absence sees Jorginho retain his place at the base of Arsenal’s midfield three, alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.
Arteta has only made one change from the team that drew against Chelsea, with Takehiro Tomiyasu replacing Oleksandr Zinchenko in the starting XI, while Aaron Ramsdale returns to the bench.
At Stamford Bridge, Arteta was forced to leave Fabio Vieira out of the matchday squad for ‘tactical reasons’ with Emile Smith Rowe preferred, but both players make the bench in Seville with Uefa allowing 12 subs.
Arsenal are next in action on Saturday afternoon at home to Sheffield United in the Premier League, with Partey now a significant doubt for that match.
They then have a busy run of fixtures until the next international break, facing West Ham in the Carabao Cup in a week’s time before travelling to St James’ Park and then hosting Sevilla and Burnley.
MORE : Mikel Arteta has created an ‘impossible’ situation for Aaron Ramsdale at Arsenal, says Rio Ferdinand
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Robert Lewandowski: Ilkay Gundogan mocks Barcelona team-mate over failed Blackburn move
Ilkay Gundogan jokes that Robert Lewandowski could have been a Ballon d'Or winner by now if a proposed move to Blackburn early in his career had gone ahead.
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Monday, October 23, 2023
Sevilla v Arsenal: David Raya likely to remain in goal for Gunners
David Raya is expected to remain in goal for Arsenal's Champions League game against Sevilla at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Tuesday.
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Mikel Arteta drops hint over whether David Raya or Aaron Ramsdale will start Arsenal vs Sevilla
Mikel Arteta has suggested that David Raya will keep his place in goal for Arsenal’s Champions League clash at Sevilla.
That’s despite his costly performance during the 2-2 draw at Chelsea last Saturday, where the 28-year-old again looked shaky in-between the sticks and was at fault for the Blues’ second goal.
The goalkeeper has been under constant scrutiny since moving to the Emirates on loan from Brentford, with many baffled by Arteta’s decision to sign him and select him ahead of Aaron Ramsdale.
Raya has started seven of the Gunners’ last eight games, including both of their Champions League fixtures, but given the recent errors there is a chance he will be dropped in favour of Ramsdale.
The England international missed the Chelsea clash – where Arsenal fans chanted for his return – due to the birth of his son, but Arteta has confirmed he has travelled to Sevilla and is in the squad for Tuesday night’s UCL match.
But the manager still has great confidence in his fellow Spaniard, saying that while he has the option to rotate his keepers he won’t off the back of one bad game.
‘Errors are part of football and mistakes happen, from defenders, from strikers and from goalkeepers for sure,’ Arteta said in his pre-match press conference on Monday evening.
‘For sure not [realistic to expect a change every time]. We will see tomorrow with the line-up.
‘All the players available have chances to play and I’m sure that I will not take a decision based on an only action [of the game].’
Asked if Raya was struggling with the spotlight on him, Arteta replied: ‘I haven’t seen that. If I am fair, I haven’t seen that at all.
‘That’s the pressure of playing in big clubs where you have to win and you have to be at your best, and you have someone next to you who is pushing you every single day.
‘If we go player, by player, position by position, you will tell me what’s happening at left-back, what happens with the holding midfielder. You asked Jorginho a question already and Gabriel Jesus is here, there’s another question on that.
‘That’s the debate. That’s the beauty of the game as well. The fact that you have other options as well is going to make those talks more frequent.’
MORE : Copenhagen player reveals warning from Manchester United star ahead of Champions League clash
MORE : Mauricio Pochettino says ‘the owner would kill me’ if he didn’t play Chelsea duo against Arsenal
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Copenhagen player reveals warning from Manchester United star ahead of Champions League clash
An FC Copenhagen player has revealed that Hannibal Mejbri has warned him to ‘not kill Manchester United’s players’ when the two teams meet in the Champions League.
United play Copenhagen at Old Trafford on Tuesday night in what is a must-win game for the home side after their lost their opening two UCL fixtures.
Erik ten Hag’s side’s difficult start to the season goes beyond their Premier League form, having lost 4-3 at Bayern Munich and 3-2 to Galatasaray, results that leave them bottom of their group.
On paper, the matches against the Danish champions will be their easiest but given the last few months anything could happen.
Elias Achouri is certainly hoping to cause an upset, with the Copenhagen forward relishing the chance to not only play against a European giant but against an international teammate in the form of Hannibal.
The pair are friends through the Tunisian national team and the 24-year-old revealed the warning the United starlet has given him ahead of the match.
‘It will be a huge moment for me, one of the greatest in my career,’ Achouri told Tipsbladet.
‘I need to stay focused and not let it get into my head. I’m professional and I’m going to Old Trafford to help the team and get a great result for the club.
‘I told Hannibal that we are going to win the match. I think we are going to exchange shirts after the match because he is my friend. It is going to be a cool moment for both of us.
‘I called Hannibal after the draw for the group stages and during the international break we talked about the match as well, so it will be exciting.
‘He told me to chill a bit and not kill their players. I told him that I have to or at least give it a try.
‘I know him very well from the national team and both of us grew up in France, so we have a really good connection.’
Midfielder Hannibal has performed well in his four appearances though it remains to be seen whether Ten Hag will trust him to start such an important game as the one on Tuesday night.
MORE : Mauricio Pochettino says ‘the owner would kill me’ if he didn’t play Chelsea duo against Arsenal
MORE : Jamie Carragher makes Aston Villa top four prediction after ‘outstanding’ win over West Ham
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