Football News: Review Of The Day 7th February 2020

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Review of the Day

Contracts

Veteran centre-forward Jimmy Briand has signed an 18 month contract with Girondins Bordeaux.

Brighton & Hove Albion's Dutch midfielder Davy Propper has extended his contract until 2023.

Yunis Abdelhamid has extended his deal with Stade Reims until 2022.

Ben Liddle has signed a new two and a half year deal with the option for a further 12 months with Middlesbrough.

Scott Burgess has signed a 2 year contract extension with Port Vale.

Transfers

Former Rangers and Celtic striker Kenny Miller has announced his retirement from playing at the age of 40.

Sampdoria have loaned Lorenco Simic to Dunajska Streda.

Free agent former Everton and Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson has signed for Salford City.

Philadelphia Union forward Cory Burke has joined SKN St. Polten on loan.

Fiorentina have sent Maximiliano Olivera to FC Juarez of the Mexican Liga MX on loan.

Derby County have agreed a pre-contract with FC Groningen defender Mike te Wierik to sign the 27 year old in the summer.

Injury Round-Up

Josh McEachran has been ruled out of action for at least 6 months after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament against Coventry City on Tuesday. The former Brentford and Chelsea midfielder joined Birmingham City in the summer. Also ruled out is Jacques Maghoma, who is out for 6 weeks with a quad injury.

Blackburn Rovers have lost German international midfielder Lewis Holtby to a lateral ligament injury. The 29 year old is likely to be out for the rest of the season.

Ricky van Wolfswinkel has returned to full training with FC Basel seven months after he began treatment for a brain aneurysm. The condition was discovered in August after the former Norwich City striker had scans following a concussion.

Managerial Changes

David Moyes has added Kevin Nolan and Paul Nevin to his coaching staff at West Ham United. Nolan was previously a captain of the club before going on to player-coach roles at both Leyton Orient and Notts County. Nevin was on England's coaching staff until June 2019. Moyes said: "Both have a wealth of experience in the game. I'm sure they will make a very positive contribution between now and the end of the season. Kevin obviously knows the club very well having played here previously, while Paul's coaching pedigree is excellent. It has taken some time to finalise the coaching staff, but I wanted to make sure I brought in the right people to help us, and both Kevin and Paul are fantastic additions."

Disciplinary Charges

Leeds United's director of football Victor Orta and their head of media and communications James Mooney have both been handed one-match stadium bans by the FA. Both admitted the charges against them, which occurred in the tunnel at half-time during Leeds 3-2 win over Millwall. Orta has also been fined £2,000 and Mooney £700.

Prem Reverts To European Transfer Window

After two seasons of mistakenly believing everyone else would do as they did, the Premier League has voted to revert back to the European transfer window closing date. This summer that means that the window will shut on Tuesday 1st September at 5pm BST, as the 31st of August is a Bank Holiday in the UK.

MLS Agrees New CBA

A potential players' strike in Major League Soccer has been avoided after the Major League Soccer Player Association agreed a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with Major League Soccer itself. The old agreement expired on 31st January, but the two managed to agree on a new one that will cover five full seasons. MLS commissioner Don Garber announced: "This agreement addresses key strategic priorities for the league and our players while also retaining the basic player compensation structure that has been the foundation for the growth and stability of Major League Soccer." The new agreement allows teams more flexibility in spending their budgets, as well as allowing players to receive revenue generated through media agreements and having increased free agent opportunities. MLS salary budgets will receive increased investment, as will General Allocation Money (GAM) and performance bonuses, allowing clubs to spend around $3m a year more by 2024. Under the previous CBA only players over the age of 28 and with 8 years of service were able to enter free agency. The new agreement lowers the age to 24 and five years of service.

Lowe Believes No Need Of Break

The manager of Plymouth Argyle, Ryan Lowe, has said that clubs in League One and Two do not need a winter break. Lowe said: "If we were to have two weeks off now when you're in a rhythm I wouldn't like it; I'd want to keep going. It's like when a game gets called off and you're in a rhythm, it's not nice. And at our level anyway people can't afford to go to Dubai for four or five days or America or Barbados or wherever it may be. At our level, especially League One and League Two, it should just stay the same. There's no point. I wouldn't go to my chairman and ask him for some money to go on a warm-weather break. We're League Two players, I don't think it's needed. We've got a fully fit, healthy squad, we do the right things, we do everything properly, there's no reason for us to venture off to Spain for four or five days."

Bolton Bring In A Phoenix

Macclesfield Town's director of football Tobias Phoenix has left the club to take a role as Bolton Wanderers' head of football operations. Phoenix was brought in while Sol Campbell was in charge at the Silkmen. Bolton are currently bottom of League One, 17 points adrift of safety.

Violence And Racism Mars Football

Wolverhampton Wanderers fan Josef Smith has been banned for four years after he aimed monkey gestures at Chelsea's striker Tammy Abraham. Wolves have also said the 40 year old will be "banned indefinitely from Molineux stadium and all Wolves fixtures".

Bournemouth have given one of their fans a lifetime ban after he admitted chanting racist abuse during a fixture at Tottenham Hotspur in November. A court also imposed a 3 year football banning order on the teenager.

In France Saint-Etienne have condemned the violence which marred Wednesday's Ligue 1 match at home to Marseille. There were clashes between rival sets of supporters outside the ground and kick-off was delayed for 15 minutes. Police decided not to allow the Marseille fans into the ground, instead using tear gas and water cannons to separate the fighting fans before putting the Marseille fans back on busses and sending them home without watching the game.

Premier League clubs have agreed that anyone banned by a single club will be banned by all 20 clubs if they have behaved in an "unacceptable" manner towards players, supporters, club employees or match officials. A Premier League statement read: "Following recent events, the 20 clubs committed to introducing a league-wide ban for anyone banned by their club for discriminatory, abusive or violent acts. Unacceptable conduct towards players, fans, club employees or referees will not be tolerated by the Premier League or its clubs."

Written by Tris Burke February 06 2020 22:17:44