Football News: Review Of The Day 17th November 2021

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Review of the Day

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Contracts

Hibernian have given Scottish defender Paul Hanlon a new deal running until 2024.

USL Championship side Phoenix Rising have given a trio players contracts for next season. James Musa, Joey Calistri and Jonathan Levin will all be with the team until the end of 2022 calendar year.

Darren Ferguson has agreed a new deal with Peterborough United which will see him continue as their manager until 2025.

Transfers

Free agent former Aston Villa full-back Neil Taylor is to sign for Middlesbrough on a short-term contract following a trial.

Injury Round-Up

Managerial Changes

Stevenage have asked for permission to speak to Gillingham's manager Steve Evans with regard to the managerial vacancy at the club. Alex Revell was sacked by Stevenage on 14th of November.

Bristol Rovers' CEO Martyn Starnes is to step down at the end of the month. Tom Gorringe, currently the club's commercial director, will replace him.

Hibs have appointed former Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean as their new academy director. He replaces Graeme Mathie, who left in September.

The chairman of the Premier League, Gary Hoffman, is stepping down at the end of January 2022. The 61-year-old is leaving following the backlash from clubs in the league to his decision to allow Newcastle United's new owners to pass the owners' and directors' test, despite the human rights issues linked to Saudi Arabia.

Sweden's Under-21s head coach Poya Asbaghi is the new head coach of Barnsley. The 36 year old had previously been in charge of Dalkurd FF, Gefle IF and IFK Gothenburg before taking over Sweden's youth set-up. Asbaghi leaves Sweden's U21 team top of their group in qualifying for the European U21 Championship, with just one loss in their 7 games.

Disciplinary Charges

The extra 9 point penalty that has been hanging over the heads of Derby County has now been deducted, leaving them on -3points, 18 points from safety as things stand in the Championship table. The club had tried to appeal against a charge for breaching accounting rules but agreed to the appeal being dismissed. They also have a further 3point penalty suspended for breaches of profitablity and sustainability rules.

Zimbabwe are facing expulsion from the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations after the government's Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) suspended the board of its football association. SRC chairman Gerald Mlotshwa said: "This decision has been considered following several incidents of gross incompetence on the part of Zifa contrary to the national interest. We are prepared in many respects for whatever might happen. If Fifa decides to ban Zimbabwean football we are prepared for that. If it does happen we look at it being a short-term measure. Zimbabwean football needs this opportunity just to fix itself - if we are out of international football for a year, two years, that's fine. If we are suspended from Afcon next year we are prepared for that, that is fine, we need to deal with football." The SRC have listed a number of reasons for the suspension which include allegations of sexual harrassment of female referees by technical staff and fraud.

Benin have officially protested over their 2-0 defeat at the hands of DR Congo in World Cup qualifying. Benin claim that Congo made 4 substitutions on four separate occasions during the match, when FIFA regulations only allow for three separate occasions for substitutions to be made.

FIFA will also be reviewing South Africa's defeat at the hands of Ghana in World Cup qualifying after the South Africa Football Association (SAFA) made a formal complaint. SAFA's chief executive Tebogo Mothlante claims that South Africa were "robbed" by "questionable decisions" by the Senegalese officials. Ghana won 1-0 via a controversial penalty with the South Africans only needing a draw to reach the next round of qualifying. SAFA have claimed that they have information that betting irregularities occurred during the game which could explain the result being manipulated, which is the allegation they are making.

Manchester City left-back Benjamin Mendy is facing a further two counts of rape, taking the charges against him to 6 counts of rape and 1 of sexual assault. His trial is due to begin on 24th January 2022.

Police in Manchester have made ten more arrests in relation to the trouble at the May game between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford. They have also released pictures of 36 other men they would like to question over the disorder which saw Greater Manchester Police officers hit with flares, bottles and barriers during a violent protest from United fans which led to the postponement of the match. 18 people have now been arrested over the protests against the Glazer ownership of the Red Devils.

Perez Hits Out At PSG

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has hit out at state-backed clubs, despite being president of one that has benefitted on many occasions from state backing, including the Spanish state stepping in to relieve their debt burden and hand them a brand-new training ground when they hit trouble for spending beyond their means. Perez is now complaining because Paris Saint-Germain rejected their monster offer for Kylian Mbappe in the summer. Perez said: "We try to bring in good players and the best. But you have to have the possibility of playing. Now (if) we give €200 million they wouldn't sell. When the contract finishes is better, but right now there are crazy state clubs and they won't sell you the players. I fight because management is what prevails, it's not money that they give you from the outside. The moment will arrive in which the 30 top clubs in Europe are owned by countries. That is not the start of the European community. I have come here to fight and to fight from the start." The whole whine from Perez is almost as laughable as the reports that Everton are to blame for the transfer not happening as they refused to sell Richarlison to PSG to replace Mbappe. It is not that Richarlison is a bad player, but a replacement for Mbappe?

United Lose Less Off The Pitch

While losses on the pitch under current manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer are growing, off the pitch the picture is looking more healthy thanks to the return of fans raising club revenue by 16.1% to £126.5m. That rise offset the 23% rise in the wage bill, in large part down to the return of Cristiano Ronaldo on nearly £500,000 a week, and reduced operating losses to £10.2m from last year's £27.1m.

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Written by Tris Burke November 17 2021 17:13:54