Manchester City, the dominant force in English football for over a decade, finds itself once again under the Premier League's microscope. This time, however, the allegations are not about intricate financial dealings or sponsorship controversies, but something seemingly more mundane: breaches of kick-off timing regulations. Recent reports confirm that City has been hit with a substantial fine of £1.08 million for delaying kick-offs and re-starts on nine separate occasions during the 2024/25 season. While a million-pound fine might seem like a drop in the ocean for a club of City's financial might, these sanctions underscore a deeper tension within the Premier League – a battle between sporting integrity, commercial interests, and the relentless demands of a global broadcasting behemoth. This isn't merely a trivial matter of punctuality. It speaks to the meticulous choreography of modern football, where every second is accounted for, and every deviation from the schedule has...
Another round of EURO 2024 groupings was completed on Tuesday.
Here's a recap of the action from day 12.What happened? π.
However, things slowed in Group C, where England's 0-0 draw with Slovenia was enough to send both teams through, while Denmark also advanced after generating an identical score line with Serbia.
Player of the day! π₯
It wasn't just the Borussia Dortmund midfielder's near-post finish that helped Ralf Rangnick's team defeat the Netherlands in Berlin.
Sabitzer was omnipresent on the Olympiastadion pitch and earned his crowning moment in the 80th minute, propelling Das Team ahead of favourites France.
Moment of the day! π
Josip IliΔiΔ made a substitute appearance for his country, marking the end of a rigorous recuperation process.
The Maribor forward suffered two episodes of mental health troubles that prompted him to retire from the sport he loved as recently as 2022.
IliΔiΔ, now 36, made a late cameo in KΓΆln for his first participation at this summer's event, bringing his career full circle.
Photo of the day: πΈ
Stat of the day π
67% - Two-thirds (18/27) of all own goals scored in UEFA European Championship history have occurred in the last two editions, with 11 in EURO 2020 and seven so far in #EURO2024. Blunder.
England, however, will have to wait until Wednesday to find out who they will face in the tournament's final 16, which will also include Group C rivals Denmark and Slovenia.
What they said: π£️
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk stated, "We lacked energy. We talked about it during halftime. This is unintelligible during a finals tournament. I do not have an answer for this at the present. We all need to do much more since this is horrible. If we want to win something at the European Championship,
something has to change immediately."
Marcel Sabitzer said on Austria's surprising victory: "If you beat the Netherlands and win the group, you can't be that horrible. The most important thing for us was to move forward, which we accomplished. Now we need to calm down, clear our brains, and then continue assaulting. Football is a fast-paced sport with plenty of ups and downs. I believe that is normal. The question is, how do you cope with it?"
What happens next? ⏭️.
Ukraine and Belgium will face off in Stuttgart, while Slovakia and Romania will compete in Frankfurt.
Things are a little more certain in Group F, where an already qualified Portugal faces Georgia, while the Czech Republic and Turkey face off.
Comments
Post a Comment