Football News: Review Of The Day 21st February 2020

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Review of the Day

Transfers

Ajax's former Newcastle United midfielder Siem de Jong has signed for FC Cincinnati on a free transfer.

Rayo Vallecano have taken Spanish winger Juan Villar on loan from Osasuna.

Barcelona have spent over £16m on Danish former Middlesbrough flop striker Martin Braithwaite from CD Leganes.

Sevilla's Portugese defender Daniel Carrico has signed for Chinese Super League side Wuhan Zall.

£2.7m has been paid to take teenage Argentine winger Ignacio Aliseda to Chicago Fire from Defensa y Justicia.

Southend United have signed Patrik Gunnarsson on a 7-day emergency loan. The teenage goalkeeper has arrived from Brentford to provide cover due to injuries to Harry Seaden and Mark Oxley, which left the club with just 18 year old Callum Taylor as club keeper.

Injury Round-Up

Andreas Christensen could be available to play at the weekend after seeing a specialist. The Danish defender suffered a broken nose in the defeat to Manchester United and has gone to Milan to have a mask fitted to protect him ready for the game against Tottenham Hotspur.

Disciplinary Charges

Malaga's Qatari owner Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani has been removed as president of the Spanish club for 6 months by a Spanish regional court. Al Thani is facing a series of charges, including misappropriation of funds and a judicial administrator has been brought in to run the club while the court case takes place. The court case was brought against him by a group of minor shareholders in the club, which has faced financial difficulties since Al Thani bought the club in 2010 and embarked on a spending spree. The team are currently playing in the Spanish second tier after being relegated in 2018 and have been hit by a number of fan protests against the owner this season.

Another Qatari is also in trouble, as Paris Saint-Germain's president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been charged by Swiss prosecutors, accused of inciting criminal mismanagement in connection with allegations against Jerome Valcke. Valcke, in his role as FIFA General Secretary, is alleged to have "exploited his position" and is charged with accepting bribes, criminal mismanagement and falsification of documents. It is related to the TV rights for World and Confederation Cup tournaments between 2018 and 2030. Al-Khelaifi, who is chairman of the BeIN media group, is said to have given Valcke rent-free accomodation in an Italian villa that Al-Khelaifi owned. Another bribery complaint lodged against Al-Khelaifi was dropped after FIFA reached an "amicable agreement" with with him at the end of January. Al-Khelaifi is on UEFA's executive committee as one of the two European Club Association's delegates.

Rondon Eyes Prem Return

Former Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion striker Salomon Rondon has said that he would like to return to Newcastle, where he spent last season on loan, referring to their stadium, St James' Park, as his "jungle". Rondon also said: "To be honest, last season was the best I've ever had," Rondon said in the interview with The Athletic. "Not just because I scored goals, but because everything around me was so right, from the school of my children to the city, the people, my family being happy. I was working really hard in every training session to be in the team and I did everything properly for that. I was playing. Everything was perfect." Rondon is currently in China playing for Dalian Professional under the man who signed him for Newcastle, Rafael Benitez.

Posh New Stadium Being Built

Peterborough United's owners have reached agreement with the council to find suitable land to build a new ground to be completed ahead of the 2022/23 season. Posh have played at London Road since they were set up back in 1934, but they feel restricted by its capacity of just 15,314. Their new stadium is planned to be a 20,000 all-seater ground. Part-owner Stewart Thompson said: "We have identified a site for a new stadium. It was vitally important for us as owners to spend time talking with supporters about our long-term vision for the football club."

Everton Appoint Stadium Contractors

While Peterborough have just started down the road of getting a new stadium built, Everton's has also moved a step closer as they appoint construction firm Laing O'Rourke to build their one at Bramley-Moore Dock on Liverpool's waterfront. Work is just awaiting approval of the final plans now, which is expected to be given this year.

Hasenhuttl Disagrees With Proposed VAR Changes

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has suggested the offside law may as well be scrapped altogether if Arsene Wenger's plan comes into effect. Wenger wants to change the law from the current state, which rules a player offside if any part of his body that he can score with is offside. Instead Wenger has suggested that a player should be considered onside if any part of his body he can score with is onside. Hasenhuttel is not happy with the idea saying: "The only rule that really works in VAR is the offside. And we want to change this? I don't know why. It's the only black-and-white decision which is always right or wrong. The rest is subjective. If we change it the way he wants to do it we can stop playing offside because it won't work any more. It will change the game massively in my opinion. The only thing that really works well at the moment is the decision about offside. And everything else we must discuss more."

UEFA Apologise Over Ticket Gaffe

UEFA have apologised after "a couple of hundred" fans in England were sold tickets to Euro 2020 by mistake. They had put a batch of tickets back on sale after the original buyers failed to pay for them on time and accidentally included some that were not for sale. A UEFA statement explained: "Tickets became available due to the failure of supporters to pay on time for tickets they had previously ordered. These tickets were subsequently sold. However, due to a technical error, for a short period of time a small number of tickets which were not for sale were made available for purchase. Fans who purchased those tickets received a cancellation email and no charge was made to their credit cards."

Allegri Dismisses PSG Rumours

Former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has denied that he is in talks with Paris Saint-Germain over replacing Thomas Tuchel, as Tuchel has come under increasing pressure. Allegri has dismissed the rumours though saying: "I'm not talking about my future, I am not speaking about my future as I do not know what it holds. I will be back at the end of the season even though I am getting used too well to holidays. I have to come back. I don't know my future yet."

Written by Tris Burke February 20 2020 20:49:45