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...
France's all-time leading goal scorer is now the most capped player in national team history.
Eugénie Le Sommer (35) earned her 199th cap for Les Bleues against Iceland on Tuesday, surpassing Sandrine Soubeyrand for the most appearances in UEFA Nations League history.She replaced Marie-Antoinette Katoto (26) in the 79th minute of a game played at the Marie Marvingt Stadium in Le Mans.
Katoto scored one of France's three goals on the day, with Sandy Baltimore (25) and Khadidiatou Diani (29) contributing to a narrow 3-2 victory.
Laurent Bonadei's side now leads the Group 2 table, having collected six points from two matches.
The long-time striker for Olympique Lyonnais Féminin now has more career caps and goals (94) than any other player in French men's and women's team history.
Le Sommer is one of only three women's players to have won eight UEFA Champions League titles and is the competition's third-highest scorer, with 50 goals.
The Grasse-born attacker missed their 4-2 friendly defeat to reigning world champions Spain due to injury and hasn't started for Les Bleues since a 2-1 friendly victory over Nigeria in November, when she scored her most recent goal for the national team.
She is six goals away from reaching the century mark for the national team, having scored 37 more than Les Bleus' record goalscorer, Olivier Giroud (38). Her 199 caps are 54 more than Hugo Lloris' record for the men's team.
On April 4, France will face Switzerland in matchday three of the Nations League campaign, and Le Sommer has the opportunity to reach 200 international caps.
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