A Nations League football match between France and Israel will go ahead as planned in Paris next week despite the clashes that erupted in Amsterdam following a game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax, the French interior minister said on Friday. The game at the Stade de France on Thursday has been identified as a potential flashpoint but Bruno Retailleau said France would not 'back down'. "Some are calling for the France-Israel match to be relocated. I do not accept this," Retailleau wrote on X. "France is not backing down because that would amount to giving up in the face of threats of violence and anti-Semitism," he added. Also Read: Italy fans turn their backs to Israel anthem Retailleau said he had asked Paris police chief Laurent Nunez to take the necessary security measures for the match. A lawmaker from Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) party, Julien Odoul, on Thursday suggested moving the match to the island of Corsica. Violence flared in Amsterdam after a Europa League match on Thursday between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Israeli, Dutch, and European leaders on Friday condemned 'anti-Semitic' clashes and Israel sent rescue planes for its citizens. The mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema said the violence represented an 'explosion' of anti-Semitism that has 'not been seen in a long time', describing 'hit and run' attacks on Maccabi supporters by 'hooligans on scooters'. Meawnhile, Amsterdam's mayor said Friday that the Dutch counter-terror watchdog said there was no concrete threat to Israeli soccer fans after a game that ended with clashes between the fans and protesters. The city's acting police chief said at a news conference that the fans were "willfully attacked." Amsterdam police said Friday that five people were hospitalised and 62 arrested after what authorities described as systematic anti-semitic violence targeting Israeli fans following a soccer match. (With agency inputs)
08 November,2024 06:43 PM IST | Paris | mid-day online correspondentAndrei Alba struck a brace of goals as Hyderabad FC scripted a sensational comeback to beat Kerala Blasters FC 2-1 in a 2024-25 season match of the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Thursday. The hosts started the game brightly and earned an early lead through Jesus Jimenez but a brace from Andrei Alba saw the visitors register their second win of the ongoing season. Meanwhile, Kerala Blasters FC are in a slumber with three consecutive losses. With Kwame Peprah suspended and Noah Sadaoui not fully fit to start, Mikael Stahre turned to his youngsters for this match. He opted to start with two prodigious talents - Mohammed Aimen and Korou Singh on either flank and the wingers paid their coach’s faith with a sensational start. Aimen was the driving force for the hosts in the initial quarter. His direct approach and relentless running caused many problems for Hyderabad FC's backline. Meanwhile, the real damage was done by Korou Singh, at 17 years and 340 days the youngest player to feature in ISL for Kerala Blasters and the third-youngest overall. Despite his young age, the winger showed great maturity from a counter-attack as he lost his marker with ease before finding an on-rushing Jimenez in the box, with a fine low cross. The Spaniard did the rest to hand the team a lead in the 13th minute. Korou became the youngest player to record an assist in the competition. Also Read: After the Mumbai Ranji team omission, Prithvi Shaw begins to work on his fitness Later, Jimenez tormented the Hyderabad FC defense again when he combined with Adrian Luna and slotted the ball into the back of the net only to be adjudged offside. Right after the drinks break, Aimen’s brilliant start to the game was cut short due to an injury as he limped off the field. While Kerala Blasters FC maintained the lion’s share of possession, Hyderabad FC waited for their opportunity. It eventually came in the 43rd minute when Chhunga Hmar made a darting run forward from the left flank before he played Parag Shrivas in space. The fullback got the better of Ruivah Hormipam before squaring to Andrei Alba in space. The Brazilian, who was unmarked at the edge of the penalty area, hammered the ball home to restore parity right before halftime. The second half saw both coaches trusting their foreign reinforcements as Stahre brought on Noah and Thangboi Singto turned to Edmilson Correia. The latter forward almost made an instant impact when he made a darting run past the Kerala Blasters’ backline before getting denied by Som Kumar. However, the visitors took the lead in the 70th minute, completely against the run of play when Alba completed his brace, beating Som Kumar from the spot. Hyderabad FC were awarded a penalty following a counter-attack when the referee pointed towards the spot following a handball by Hormipam. The final ten minutes of the game saw the hosts push for the equalizer but Hyderabad FC held their fort brilliantly to bag maximum points. Kerala Blasters will welcome Chennaiyin FC on November 24 after the international break. On the other hand, Hyderabad FC will lock horns against Odisha FC at home on November 25. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 November,2024 10:36 AM IST | Kochi | IANSCatholic Gymkhana, champions of MFA Second Division, and now promoted to the First Division, will be holding selection trials for the season 2024-25. The first day of the trials will be on Saturday, November 9, at the Karnatak SA ground at 4:30pm and the second day will be on Sunday, November 10, at Goans SA ground, Cross Maidan at 8:30am. Also Read: Erigaisi beats Sarana, rises to World No. 2 Players interested in representing the Catholic Gymkhana team are requested to report for the trials in their playing kit at least 20 minutes before the scheduled time for the registration of names. For details, contact Roy Fernandes (98200 00499) or Gordon D’Costa (9820802524).
08 November,2024 07:47 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentKylian Mbappe has been left out of the France squad for their upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Israel and Italy. Coach Didier Deschamps insisting the absence of the Real Madrid superstar “is for the best.” Also Read: Musiala helps Bayern win 1-0 It is the second successive France squad from which the national team captain has been absent after he also missed the October double-header against Israel and Belgium. “I have spoken with him and I have made the decision for this get-together because I think it is for the best,” Deschamps told reporters at a press conference in Paris. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 November,2024 07:39 AM IST | Paris | AFPA second-half Jamal Musiala goal got Bayern Munich back on track in the Champions League with a 1-0 home win over Benfica on Wednesday. Also Read: Gunners groaners! Struggling in Europe after back-to-back losses left them outside the knockout places, Musiala broke through the stubborn Benfica defence, heading in a Harry Kane assist. Bayern were dominant in possession but carved out few clear-cut chances, lacking fluency in front of a silent home crowd, who refused to sing out of respect after the death of a fan who attended the team’s 1-0 win over Benfica. Despite the win, Bayern still have work to do in Europe, with this season’s Champions League final on home soil. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 November,2024 07:37 AM IST | Munich | AFPMikel Arteta surveyed the wreckage of Arsenal’s controversial Champions League defeat at Inter Milan and insisted his spluttering side will emerge from the rubble to salvage their troubled season. The Gunners crashed to a 0-1 loss in San Siro on Wednesday, adding to the growing sense of turmoil around a team that was expected to mount a strong challenge for European and domestic silverware. Calhanoglu on target Arsenal dominated for large periods against Inter, but were left to rue a controversial penalty in first-half stoppage time when Mikel Merino was adjudged to have handled. Hakan Calhanoglu converted the spot-kick and Arsenal were unable to muster an equaliser as they fell to a second successive 0-1 defeat after Saturday’s Premier League loss at Newcastle. Also Read: Jurel shines, Rahul falls early v Oz ‘A’ Mikel Arteta Arteta launched a staunch defence of his players, claiming they were denied by refereeing mistakes rather than their own failings against Inter. “The worst thing is the result, because of the performance and attitude we showed against one of the best teams in Europe in their stadium,” he said. “It’s extremely frustrating because there were two decisions against us. If their one is a penalty then we should have one when Mikel Merino is punched in the head. Of all the big games we have played in Europe, this was the best I have seen from my team in the last two years.”. The Gunners have won just two of their last six games in all competitions, with those victories hardly impressive against Shakhtar Donetsk in Europe and second-tier Preston in the League Cup. Arteta’s team are languishing in fifth place in the Premier League, already seven points behind leaders Liverpool ahead of Sunday’s crucial London derby at Chelsea. Odegaard returns as sub Hampered for weeks by the absence of captain Martin Odegaard — who finally returned from injury as a late substitute against Inter — Arsenal have looked a shadow of the vibrant team that took last season’s title race to the final day of the season. Odegaard’s creativity and tenacious pressing has been sorely missed, while Arteta has also had to deal with injuries to Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber, as well as a rash of red cards that cost him the services of Declan Rice, William Saliba and Leandro Trossard. As if their on-pitch travails weren’t concerning enough, Arteta has seen his trusted sporting director Edu make a shock exit from the Emirates Stadium. Edu, who has a agreed a deal in principle to accept a similar role at Nottingham Forest, resigned at the start of this week after overseeing a major revamp of Arsenal’s squad since joining in 2019. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 November,2024 07:35 AM IST | London | AFPArmando Sadiku and Iker Guarrotxena scored a goal each as FC Goa registered back-to-back wins at home as they edged past Punjab FC 2-1 in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season at the Fatorda Stadium on Wednesday night. Asmir Suljic handed Punjab FC the early lead before the likes of Sadiku and Guarrotxena registered their names on the scoresheet for Goa to secure their third win of the ongoing season. The visitors took the early initiative in the game with Suljic netting in back-to-back games. Despite a few personnel changes, Panagiotis Dilmperis’ men were quickly off the blocks. They were rewarded for their persistent attacks when Suljic scored in the 13th minute. It was an excellent cross from Nihal Sudheesh, who lost Boris Singh on the left flank before drilling in a low cross. It was intended for Luka Majcen, who left it for the onrushing Suljic which surprised the FC Goa backline. The Bosnian made no mistake in recording the first strike of the night. Also Read: Barcelona rout Red Star Belgrade in Champions League The Gaurs showed great retaliation to the early goal. Their urgency to equalise increased as they pushed bodies forward to support Sadiku. They came close to scoring a couple of times before it all worked out in the 22nd minute when Ayush Chhetri and Sahil Tavora worked out off a tight space in midfield before the latter played it to Iker Guarrotxena in an advanced position. The Spaniard delivered a deft pass to play Sadiku through on goal. With plenty of work to do, the Albanian showed his goal-scoring prowess as he slotted it past Ravi Kumar and a horde of Punjab FC defenders to level the scores. The final quarter of the first half was quite chaotic as both teams were vulnerable in defence. Punjab FC almost had the lead ahead of the break when Suljic combined with Majcen and the latter was through on goal. But FC Goa custodian Hrithik Tiwari stood in the Slovenian’s way. Unlike the first period, it was the hosts, who had the better start to the second half as they took the onus in the 49th minute when Guarrotxena found a way past Ravi Kumar, following a fast counter-attack, to hand FC Goa a crucial lead. The goal forced Dilmperis to increase the attacking panache as he made structural changes to fit in Mushaga Bakenga from the bench. Punjab FC kept pushing for the equaliser to salvage something from the game but Manolo Marqeuz’s men held their lines brilliantly to thwart the danger and register a second successive win in the ISL. After the international break, Punjab FC will return home to face NorthEast United on November 23 whereas FC Goa will be in action when they face Kerala Blasters away from home on November 28. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 November,2024 01:21 PM IST | Margao (Goa) | IANSRobert Lewandowski struck twice as in-form Barcelona thrashed Red Star Belgrade 5-2 to stay in the upper echelons of the Champions League group table on Wednesday. The veteran striker climbed to 99 career goals in the competition, while Inigo Martinez, Raphinha and Fermin Lopez also netted as Barcelona won comfortably in Serbia. After thrashing Bayern Munich 4-1 in their prior European outing, Hansi Flick's side followed that up with a seventh straight victory across all competitions. In that winning run Barcelona have scored at least three times in each game and were similarly lethal at the Rajko Mitic stadium. "Obviously we are doing things very well, and many of them are being seen and reflected in our play, but there are certain things that I can tell you, as a defender, we're suffering in," said Barcelona centre-back Martinez. "When the team drops (in focus) that little bit in the end... if we can improve that, I think we can be a great team and now we can enjoy this victory." Also Read: Revisiting greatest ODI knock: Glenn Maxwell's unbeaten 201 vs Afghanistan Fit again after injury, Frenkie de Jong started a match for the first time since April for Barcelona but Flick mostly selected his regular first choice side. The German coach operates with an extremely high defensive line that has frustrated Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in recent weeks and after four minutes Red Star had a goal ruled out for offside. Timi Elsnik broke in behind the defence and finished but had strayed beyond the last defender. Barcelona took the lead after 13 minutes with Martinez heading home superbly from Raphinha's dangerous free-kick. The Brazilian winger should have scored the second himself but lashed wildly over after a sensational ball from Lamine Yamal sent him racing in on goal, and also hit the post directly from a corner kick. Red Star surprised La Liga leaders Barca by hitting back in the 27th minute when Silas got the better of the offside trap and clipped a finish past the onrushing Inaki Pena. Gerard Martin, starting at left-back in place of Alejandro Balde in a rare rotation from the coach, was to blame for playing the Congolese forward onside. Racking up goals Barcelona nudged their way in front shortly before the break when Lewandowski reacted quickest to finish the rebound after Raphinha's low drive hit the post. The 36-year-old wasted a fine chance to add another when Raphinha teed him up but was able to bundle home his second from point blank range after 53 minutes when Jules Kounde's cross found him. It was the Polish striker's 19th goal of the season in all competitions across 16 matches, and his fifth in four European games. Only former Barcelona great Lionel Messi and Real Madrid icon Cristiano Ronaldo have scored more in the competition's history than Lewandowski, one short of a century. Raphinha stroked home the fourth with a low effort from the edge of the box after more good work by Kounde, with Flick soon bringing him and Pedri off for a rest. Barcelona's 17-year-old centre-back Pau Cubarsi was forced off after sustaining a cut just below his eye from a high boot, on a rare negative note for the Catalans. Kounde completed a hat-trick of assists by cutting the ball back to substitute Fermin Lopez to slot the team's fifth goal past Marko Ilic. Milson pulled another goal back for the hosts with a fine curling finish past Inaki Pena to offer slight consolation to the hosts. Lopez hit the bar with a fine effort of his own in the final stages but despite angling for more, Barcelona finished with five goals for the fourth time this season. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 November,2024 01:17 PM IST | Belgrade | AFPSubstitute Angel Correa scored a dramatic winner with the last kick of the game as Atletico Madrid snatched a 2-1 victory away to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, kickstarting their Champions League campaign and casting a large cloud over the French club's European hopes. It looked as if the game at the Parc des Princes would end in a draw after Warren Zaire-Emery's early opener for PSG was quickly cancelled out by Nahuel Molina in the first ever meeting of the clubs. PSG have been let down by their finishing in the Champions League all season and that was the case again here as they failed to convert a host of chances, but Atletico did not look like winning it until Correa struck in the 93rd minute. The Spaniards would have been the happier of the two teams with a draw, especially as goalkeeper Jan Oblak had been forced into several second-half saves. Having lost back-to-back matches against Benfica and then Lille, the win puts Atletico back on track to at least make the play-off round of this new-look Champions League, with the league phase now at the halfway stage. "Today PSG played better but we had the extra force that we lacked against Lille," said Atletico coach Diego Simeone. "We came here missing five players, we conceded a goal early on, but the team did not collapse." The evening was also notable for the pre-match unfurling by PSG fans at one end of the stadium of an enormous banner in support of Palestinians in Gaza. "War on the pitch but peace in the world," said the banner, which also featured a Lebanese flag. That may lead to disciplinary action from UEFA, but that will probably be the least of PSG's worries now. Also Read: Who is Olympian Virdhawal Khade, India’s fastest swimmer suspended for misconduct? 'Inexplicable' They may be top of Ligue 1 but in the Champions League last season's semi-finalists have just four points, despite playing three of their four games so far at home. Having edged Girona 1-0 on the opening matchday and then lost 2-0 at Arsenal, the French champions have since drawn at home to PSV Eindhoven and now lost to Atletico. They face a tough assignment next away to Bayern Munich and still have to play Manchester City, meaning their hopes of finishing in the top 24 places and qualifying at least for the play-off round must be in doubt. "Without any doubt," coach Luis Enrique admitted, adding that he felt the defeat was "inexplicable" and "unfair". "I don't think anyone who saw this game could say it was a fair result," he said. "With the run we are on I can't guarantee that we are going to qualify." Luis Enrique's side will need to quickly improve in front of goal having now scored just three times in their last six Champions League matches, a run stretching back to last season's semi-final against Borussia Dortmund. Atletico were missing two key defenders here in Jose Maria Gimenez and Robin Le Normand. Clement Lenglet therefore started at centre-back and he was at fault as PSG went ahead in the 14th minute. Lenglet dithered on the ball in his own box and was dispossessed by Ousmane Dembele. He set up Zaire-Emery and the 18-year-old took his time before coolly clipping the ball over Oblak and in. However, Atletico were level just four minutes later when a ball into the box by Giuliano Simeone came off a PSG defender and fell for Molina to fire in. Atletico were then more than happy to soak up PSG's pressure, and the hosts could not find a second goal despite ending the game with almost 70 percent possession and 22 attempts. Oblak excelled in the second half with notable saves twice from Bradley Barcola, as well as one from a Marquinhos header and another to deny Achraf Hakimi. Then came the third minute of injury time, in which Lee Kang-in was denied by the Atletico goalkeeper and Hakimi failed to convert the follow-up. Atletico then broke downfield and the ball came to Correa who stroked a shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma to leave the PSG fans stunned. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 November,2024 10:11 AM IST | Paris | AFPCristiano Ronaldo helped fire Al Nassr to a crushing 5-1 victory against reigning Asian champions Al Ain in the AFC Champions League Elite on Tuesday. The Portuguese star, without a goal in his past three appearances for the Saudi Arabian side, netted the second of the hosts’ goals at Al Awwal Park in Riyadh. Also Read: Lille, Juventus settle for 1-1 draw Right on the half hour, Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Essa failed to hold a routine long-range drive from former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, leaving Ronaldo to pounce on the rebound to tap home. The win maintained Al Nassr’s unbeaten start to the rebranded AFC Champions League Elite, lifting them to third in the 12-team West Asia table. Saudi counterparts Al Hilal and Al Ahli sit above them. The top eight reach the knockout phase. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 November,2024 07:48 AM IST | Riyadh | AFPCanada’s Jonathan David was again on target as Lille continued their good run in this season’s Champions League by holding Juventus to a 1-1 draw in northern France on Tuesday. Having upset the odds to beat both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in their last two outings, Lille were on course for another famous victory when David put them ahead on 27 minutes. Also Read: Diaz nets hat-trick as Liverpool spoil Alonso’s return to Anfield That was his fourth goal in the Champions League this season, but two-time European champions Juve drew level through a Dusan Vlahovic penalty on the hour mark. Thiago Motta’s Juventus were looking to bounce back from a 0-1 loss at home to VfB Stuttgart in their last outing and are level with Lille on seven points halfway through the league phase. Next up for Juve is a tough trip to Aston Villa and a home game against Manchester City, but one more win for the Italian giants should be enough for them to at least qualify for the play-off round. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 November,2024 07:46 AM IST | Lille (France) | AFPADVERTISEMENT
