FIFA: Musa Bility rejected as presidential candidate
Liberia's
Musa Bility
has been ruled out as a candidate for the Fifa presidency following integrity checks.
The Frenchman could be added should his ban end before February's election.
Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, Jerome Champagne, Gianni Infantino, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa and Tokyo Sexwale have been approved.
Fifa said it would not comment further on the reasons for Bility's exclusion, which the 48-year-old president of the Liberian Football Association can challenge at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The election is to find a successor to the suspended Sepp Blatter, who is under criminal investigation.
The 79-year-old Swiss announced he would be stepping down in June, with world football's governing body at the centre of a corruption scandal.
Fifa and Swiss prosecutors are investigating a £1.35m "gentleman's agreement" payment made in 2011 for work Platini did as Blatter's adviser nine years earlier.
Both men deny any wrongdoing and are appealing against their 90-day bans.
Who are the Fifa candidates?
(Top, left to right) Musa
Hassan Bility, Jerome Champagne, Gianni Infantino (Bottom, left to
right) Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, Tokyo Sexwale, Michel Platini and
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa
- Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, 39, is president of the Jordan Football Association (Profile)
- Jerome Champagne, 57, is a former Fifa executive (Profile)
- Gianni Infantino, 45, is Uefa's general secretary (Profile)
- Michel Platini, 60, is Uefa president and Fifa vice-president (Profile) (Eligibility not yet confirmed.)
- Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, 49, is Asian Football Confederation president (Profile)
- Tokyo Sexwale, 62, is a South African former government minister (Profile)
Andy White, early Beatles drummer, dies aged 85
Andy White, the
Scottish studio session musician who played the drums on Love Me Do and
other early tracks by The Beatles, has died in New Jersey.
According to his family, the 85-year-old died on Monday following a stroke.White was chosen ahead of Ringo Starr in September 1962 to play drums on the single version of Love Me Do and its B-side, P.S. I Love You.
White, who was born in Glasgow in 1930, is also believed to have played on the album version of Please Please Me.
He could therefore legitimately claim to be one of the so-called "Fifth Beatles", alongside the likes of Pete Best, Stuart Sutcliffe and others.
He went on to tour with Marlene Dietrich, Burt Bacharach and Rod Stewart and perform with the BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra.
In a 2009 interview with a New Jersey newspaper, White revealed he was often called to London's Abbey Road studios in the 1960s.
"I would get a call from EMI and you never knew what you were going to be asked to do," he told The Progress.
Starr, who played drums on earlier versions of Love Me Do, can be heard playing the tambourine on the White recording.
"You could tell it was something different and very special," White told the Daily Record in 2012. "But I didn't know just how special it would become."
In later life White emigrated to the US, where he married the voice-over actress Thea Ruth and became a drumming instructor.
The New York Metro Pipe Band, one of the bands with whom he worked, described him on Facebook as an "all round gentleman".
Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, White's family paid tribute to his "amazing humility and humbleness about his many achievements".
Messi to be tried on tax fraud charges
In a court filing, the judge in charge of the case rejected a request by the public prosecutor to try only the footballer's father.
The pair were accused in 2013 of defrauding the taxman out of 4.16 million euros ($4.69 million) in taxes related to Messi's image rights between 2007 and 2009 through the creation of fake companies in Belize and Uruguay.
It is alleged they ceded the player's image rights to the companies in order to avoid declaring money made from lucrative deals with sponsors in Spain.
No date has been set for the trial, which will take place in Vilanova i la Geltru, the town where the player lives 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Barcelona.
Prosecutors had asked for the case against the four-time World Player of the Year to be dropped as they consider the alleged fraud was carried out by his father, who has managed his son's affairs since he was a child.
They asked for Jorge Messi to be handed an 18-month prison sentence and a fine of half the defrauded amount.
However, lawyers acting on behalf of the tax authorities pleaded for the player also to be tried and for both defendants to face a seven-and-a-half month prison sentence for each individual charge, which could lead to an overall sentence of over 22 months.
In any case, both are unlikely to end up in jail as sentences of fewer than two years are normally suspended for first time offences in Spain.
"There are rational signs that the criminality was committed by both accused parties," the judge said in the filing.
TRIAL AND INJURY WOE
Both father and son at first denied the accusations and laid the blame on a former financial advisor.
However, Jorge Messi subsequently claimed he was in charge of his son's finances and pleaded for charges against the player to be dropped.
Jorge also made a corrective payment of five million euros in August 2013 to cover alleged unpaid taxes plus interest, which should mitigate any sentence.
The player's defence team will present evidence in court that will show that prosecutors were right to recommend that the case against him be dropped, the company that manages Messi's image rights, Leo Messi Management, said in a statement.
Messi, 28, is the fourth richest sportsman in the world, according to Forbes magazine, which estimates he earns almost $74 million a year.
He is widely expected to add a record fifth Ballon d'Or for the world's best player to his collection on January 11 after leading Barca to a treble of Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey titles last season.
However, the trial is just the latest blow for the Argentine, who will be out of action for another six weeks with knee ligament damage suffered in Barca's 2-1 win over Las Palmas on September 26.
The injury has also forced him to miss the start of Argentina's World Cup qualifying campaign at home to Ecuador on Thursday.
On the pitch, Barca have struggled without their talisman as the Catalans squeezed past Las Palmas and Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 before losing 2-1 at Sevilla on Saturday.
Meanwhile, a separate investigation is being carried out in Barcelona that could lead to another tax fraud case against Messi related to a number of charity matches in aid of his foundation which were played in South America in 2012 and 2013.
Messi is just one of a number of high profile footballers in Spain under scrutiny from the tax authorities for the management of their image rights.
His Barcelona and Argentina teammate Javier Mascherano will also face trial on October 29 far failing to declare 1.5 million euros by ceding his image rights to companies he owns in Portugal and the United States.
Source:Supersport.com
Hearts to land Liberty ace
Hearts of Oak are close to getting the signature of Liberty Professionals defender Edwin Frimpong Manso. The player was one of the Dansoman side's bright spots in the recently-ended First Capital Premier League. “I’m in advanced talks with Hearts of Oak and the deal is almost done, we are only putting final touches to paperwork,” Manso told Starr FM.
Formerly of Wa All Stars and Asokwa Depotivo, he was excited at the chance to feature for the once all-conquering Accra giants. Although they finished fourth at the end of the campaign, Hearts generally had a disastrous campaign from start to finish.
Manso's style comprises all action play in the centre-back role as well as rugged tackling. His aerial prowess is also worthy of note. His lineage is not bad either, as the player is the son to popular football coach ball, Stephen Frimpong Manso.
The elder Frimpong Manso was a key member of the famous Ghana side that came second at the 1992 African Cup in Senegal.
Source:Supersport.com
Allardyce named Sunderland manager
Sam Allardyce was named as the new manager of Premier League strugglers Sunderland on a two-year contract on Friday.Allardyce, who spent a season as a Sunderland defender in the 1980s, takes over from Dick Advocaat, who resigned last weekend after a draw against West Ham left his side second bottom of the top-flight table.
The 60-year-old will be returning to the north-east after previously managing his new club's bitter rivals Newcastle.
He will be the first man ever to take charge of both Sunderland and Newcastle, who fittingly provide the opponents for Allardyce's first home game in charge on October 25 following his maiden match at West Bromwich Albion on October 17.
Allardyce had taken a break from football after leaving West Ham at the end of last season, but he has been persuaded to return to management at the Stadium of Light despite Sunderland's woeful form this season.
Refreshed after a lengthy holiday in Spain, Allardyce refuted reports that he had initially spurned Sunderland's advances and said he is looking forward to the challenge of hauling his team away from the relegation zone.
"I have enjoyed my break from football and now I'm raring to get back. I met with (owner) Ellis Short and we spoke at length about the club and his ambitions and I knew I wanted to be part of that," Allardyce said.
"I hope to be able to help to bring the stability and success that everyone wants.
"Of course it's a challenging job, but it's something I have experience of in the past.
"I'm looking forward to working with the players and of course I will be relying on the help of the Sunderland supporters, whose tremendous passion I have experienced first-hand. I can't wait to get started."
Sunderland are yet to win a Premier League match this season, losing five of their eight games, and Allardyce arrives with morale at a low ebb following the acrimonious end of Advocaat's brief reign.
Investment
Having saved Sunderland from relegation with a dramatic escape last season, Advocaat had hoped to revitalise the club with major investment from Short, but the Irish-American tycoon was unable to provide the required funds, prompting the Dutch coach to quit.
Allardyce could prove the ideal appointment in the circumstances, given his track record at Bolton, who he turned into a Premier League mainstay from unpromising materials, and West Ham, who were never in danger of relegation after he lead them to promotion from the Championship in 2012.
With his fondness for long-ball tactics, Allardyce has proved a polarising figure throughout a managerial career spanning for than 25 years.
Despite mostly positive results, he endured abuse from West Ham fans who felt his style of play betrayed the club's perceived reputation as footballing purists.
Newcastle supporters were equally unhappy with Allardyce's route-one philosophy during his eight-month reign on Tyneside in 2007-08.
Keen to quell potential criticism of Allardyce's appointment, Short said he was certain he has found the right man to save Sunderland from relegation.
"This was a very popular job, proactively sought after by a large number of managers - contrary to much of what has been portrayed. The process was made easier by the fact that Sam was such an obvious choice," Short said.
"The other misconception is that Sam had to be persuaded to join us; nothing could be further from the truth.
"From the very beginning, he understood the importance of this job and showed great enthusiasm for the role and a desire to be part of moving this club forward."
Source:Supersport.com
The Ghanaian Local League
In recent times
the Ghanaian local league has seen some new ‘boys’ playing on par with the ‘old
boys’. Gone are the days where Hearts and Kotoko were the only clubs who had
the prerogative to finish either first or second in the league. In modern
football, history does not really matter. What really matter is what happens
within the 90 minutes on the pitch. Young football clubs in terms of history
and success, like Aduana stars and Berekum Chelsea have shown that the local
premier league can be won by any determined and well organized club. Kotoko and
hearts who hitherto were the dominant forces in the league are now just shadows
of themselves.
The
league
used to attract a lot of attention and support during its heydays.
People from tamale could go to Accra sports stadium to watch a match
between Hearts of oak and Real tamale united. Matches between hearts of
oak and Kotoko especially during
the turn of the millennium under the then Harry Zakour and Herbert
Mensah
administrations were a spectacle to watch. The stadium was always full
with
supporters and fans. Local derbies between Kototo and King Faisal or Kotoko and Ashgold (then
Goldfields) equally spurred our interest.
The league’s
support is dwindling as the years go by and the fear is that a time is coming
where the league will no longer be even patronized by Ghanaians. What happened
to our local league? The problem of the league is like an iceberg where only
the tip is seen however there is more to it. It is poorly organized, poorly
officiated, sponsorship is not forthcoming and it is not well televised.
Firstly the
facilities in this country are either inadequate or poorly maintained. Most of
the clubs do not have a stadium they can call their own. Training pitches for
the various clubs are nowhere to be found. The players train anywhere or
wherever they feel it’s right. The clubs do not have website where any
information about the clubs can be retrieved. Most of the clubs do not have a
unique jersey colour and squad numbers for their players. It is about time
football administrators start running the clubs in a professional manner and
not a one-man-show. Companies are willing to sponsor or support well organized
entities. Players should be maintained and not just sold off because of the
club owners’ selfish gains. Salaries and bonuses should be documented and
signed by both players and administrators. It should not be word of mouth.
Secondly the GFA
(Ghana football association) and PLB (Premier league board) should help draw a policy framework by which the league would be
guided. The framework should include the start and end dates of the league and
be bounded by law so the league can start without anybody placing an injunction
on it, the sponsorship details, broadcasting rights, proper registration of players
and general conduct of clubs and fans.
One may say it’s
the influx of European leagues that have reduced the patronization of the local
league. I beg to differ on that because there was Bayern munich, real Madrid,
Manchester united and a host of other European clubs even in those days when
the local league was well patronized by Ghanaians. It is just poor attitude on
the part of both players and football administrators in recent times. People
think 'juju' is used to run football instead of proper planning and training.
It’s about time
football administrators and players make our local league attractive again.
This is a responsibility we must all share as Ghanaians. This is our league, if
it is organized well it will show in our participation in CAF (Confederations of African football) champions league
and confederation cup. It will even serve as a source of attraction for other
foreign players in Africa. There is no need to point fingers at the GFA or PLB
or even the football clubs. It must be collective efforts in order to galvanize
our local league. God bless our nation and our football league.
BBC One wins channel of the year at Edinburgh TV awards
BBC One has been named channel of the year at the Edinburgh Television Festival's annual awards.
BBC One's Happy Valley picked up the prize for best new programme, following its Bafta Award victory for best drama series earlier this year.A second series of the police drama has just started filming in Yorkshire.
Red Production Company, which made Happy Valley as well as BBC One's Last Tango in Halifax and ITV's Prey, was named production company of the year.
Comedian Frankie Boyle hosted the award ceremony in Edinburgh on Thursday.
The award for best online innovation went to Channel 4's Stand Up To Cancer show.
The winner of the prize for TV moment of the year will be decided by a vote on the festival app, and will be announced at the end of the festival on Friday.
The nominees are:
- Great British Bake Off's "bingate"
- Channel 4's Jon Snow on drugs
- Madonna's fall at the Brit Awards
- Perez Hilton's meltdown on Big Brother
- Paddy Ashdown threatens to eat his hat after shock election exit poll results
- Game of Thrones final moments of season five
- Ken Barlow's speech at Deirdre's funeral in Coronation Street
- The killer is revealed on EastEnders live week
New Justin Bieber song What Do You Mean is leaked online
The new Justin Bieber song has been leaked online a few hours ahead of its official release.
The video for What Do You Mean? has been posted on a number of sites, but keeps being taken down.
The track is produced by Skrillex and is being seen as a more grown up style for the singer.
Radio 1's Annie Mac told Grimmy on breakfast that she was "so excited and his voice sounds incredible. I've heard it and love it".
Check out all the stars who've been backing Bieber's #30Days campaign
He's been whipping his fans into a bit of a frenzy of late.
It features a huge range of celebrities, from Mark Wahlberg to Britney Spears all promoting his new single.
Champions League draw: Arsenal to play Bayern Munich
Arsenal will
face Bayern Munich in the Champions League for the third time in four seasons
after being drawn against the German club in the group stage.
- Group A: Paris St-Germain, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Malmo
- Group B: PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, CSKA Moscow, VfL Wolfsburg
- Group C: Benfica, Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray, Astana
- Group D: Juventus, Manchester City, Sevilla, Borussia Monchengladbach
- Group E: Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, AS Roma, BATE Borisov
- Group F: Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Olympiakos, Dinamo Zagreb
- Group G: Chelsea, Porto, Dynamo Kiev, Maccabi Tel-Aviv
- Group H: Zenit St Petersburg, Valencia, Olympique Lyon, Gent
Lowdown on Man City's opponents
City's fixtures | |
|---|---|
| 15 September: Juventus (H) | 30 September: Monchengladbach (A) |
| 21 October: Sevilla (H) | 3 November: Sevilla (A) |
| 25 November: Juventus (A) | 8 December: Monchengladbach (H) |
Lowdown on Arsenal's opponents
Arsenal's fixtures | |
|---|---|
| 16 September: Dinamo Zagreb (A) | 29 September: Olympiakos (H) |
| 20 October: Bayern Munich (H) | 4 November: Bayern Munich (A) |
| 24 November: Dinamo Zagreb (H) | 9 December: Olympiakos (A) |
Lowdown on Man Utd's opponents
United's fixtures | |
|---|---|
| 15 September: PSV (A) | 30 September Wolfsburg (H) |
| 21 October: CSKA Moscow (A) | 3 November: CSKA Moscow (H) |
| 25 November: PSV (H) | 8 December: Wolfsburg (A) |
Lowdown on Chelsea's opponents
Chelsea's fixtures | |
|---|---|
| 16 September: Maccabi Tel-Aviv (H) | 4 November: Dynamo Kiev (H) |
| 29 September: FC Porto (A) | 24 November: Maccabi Tel-Aviv (A) |
| 20 October: Dynamo Kiev (A) | 9 December: FC Porto (H) |
What have City done to deserve this?
What about the other groups?
Social media reaction
Did D’banj receive ‘BJ’ on stage in South Africa?
At the club, where D’banj thrilled fans in South Africa by performing some of his classic tunes and his latest hit song, ‘Feeling The Ni**a’, the Kokomaster went quite raunchy on stage.
Despite the fact that D’banj’s rumoured South African boo, Bonang Matheba was present at the event, D’banj gave an impressive performance and got massaged in some sensitive places in return.
A photo of a female fan with her mouth in D’banj’s private area is currently causing a frenzy online.
If it comes off as what it looks, it would not be the first time D’banj with a woman on stage but he has never gone this far.
The World's Highest-Paid DJs: Electronic Cash Kings 2015
The fact that he’s the world’s top-earning EDM act—tying the record for annual earnings by a DJ, which he set last year—is almost a footnote. Harris HRS +2.60% is once again the top name on our Electronic Cash Kings list, nearly doubling the total of second-ranked David Guetta, who pulled in $37 million. Not bad for a guy who’s roughly a decade removed from being a supermarket stockboy in a remote town in Scotland.
“The rise of dance music has been astronomical … I happened to be in the right place at the right time,” he told FORBES.
Harris and Guetta are followed on the list by Tiësto. Though the Dutch DJ is one of the older names on the circuit, he played over 100 dates in our scoring period and out-earned twentysomething whippersnappers from Avicii (No. 6, $19 million) to Zedd (No. 8, $17 million).
Skrillex and Steve Aoki round out the top five, tied at $24 million apiece, the highest figure of any American DJs on the list. The former played more than 95 shows during our scoring period while the latter tallied 216 shows, down from 277 gigs last year. Both are among a surprising number of DJs who run their own record labels—OWSLA for Skrillex, Dim Mak for Aoki.
“At the end of the day,” says Aoki, “I want to have as much flexibility as possible on the economic side … When we think about how to maintain and sustain the culture, we ultimately make more money.”
That total has soared in recent years. Over the past 12 months, the top ten DJs took in $274 million, more than double the $116 million total for the top ten in 2012. But the pace is slowing. After a 108% increase from 2012 to 2013, the number grew 11% from 2013 to 2014, and only 2.5% from 2014 to 2015.
Part of the reason: as the market for EDM acts become more saturated, fees aren’t rising at the rate they were a few years ago. And many DJs are engaging in a costly arms race to pack their shows with visual effects to distinguish themselves from their rivals. That means the genre whose practitioners need little more than a USB drive and a pair of CDJs now often put 30-40% of their fees toward production.
“The cost that comes with taking responsibility for your appearance, and for your shows, and for your company … it’s a whole different level,” says Afrojack, who ranks 10th with $16 million in earnings.
Afrojack is one of seven foreign-born DJs among our top twelve—and one of three from the Netherlands—but the highest paid electronic acts aren’t such a diverse group in other ways. There isn’t a single female on the list; only sister duos Nervo and Krewella come close.
Indeed, there are more up-and-coming DJs of all stripes vying to step into the top tier, including near misses for this list including Alesso, Hardwell, Armin Van Buuren, DJ Snake and the former members of Swedish House Mafia.
They’ll undoubtedly keep trying to find new ways to raise their profiles—but dating the world’s biggest pop star is one option that appears to be off the table for all but one DJ.
Stonebwoy presents BET award to American Embassy
The artiste won the Best International Act: Africa at the 2015 edition of the awards in the United States in June this year.
Stonebwoy presented his award to the United States representatives when he honoured an invitation sent to him by the embassy.
The dancehall artiste, together with his management, met with Sarah Shabbir, the Cultural Attaché and Sara Veldhuizen Stealy, the Press Attaché and some other officials of the embassy on Tuesday.
Speaking in exclusive interview with Hitz FM, Stonebwoy explained that the invitation by the embassy was to congratulate him for winning the award.
“I’m humbled by this invite and it’s a great pleasure meeting up with these prominent people,” he said.
The ‘Baafira’ hit singer revealed that, the meeting was also used to discuss ways to promote Ghanaian music and how to collaborate with the embassy to empower the youth in Ghana.
UEFA Champions League group stage draw
The UEFA Champions League group stage draw threw up a reunion for José Mourinho while Paris Saint-Germain will meet Real Madrid and Juventus face Manchester City and Sevilla
Chelsea manager José Mourinho will return to Porto, with whom he won the UEFA Champions League in 2004, while Paris Saint-Germain are up against Real Madrid in Group A. In Group D, meanwhile, last season's runners-up Juventus will face Manchester City as well as 2014/15 UEFA Europa League winners Sevilla. The holders, Barcelona, take on Bayer Leverkusen, Roma and BATE Borisov.
FULL FIXTURE LIST
2015/16 UEFA Champions League group stage draw
Group A: Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Malmö
Group B: PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, CSKA Moskva, Wolfsburg
Group C: Benfica, Atlético, Galatasaray, Astana
Group D: Juventus, Manchester City, Sevilla, Borussia Mönchengladbach
Group E: Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Roma, BATE Borisov
Group F: Bayern München, Arsenal, Olympiacos, Dinamo Zagreb
Group G: Chelsea, Porto, Dynamo Kyiv, Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Group H: Zenit, Valencia, Lyon, Gent
| 2015/16 UEFA Champions League match calendar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stage | Dates | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First qualifying round, first leg | 30/06–01/07/15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First qualifying round, second leg | 07–08/07/15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Second qualifying round, first leg | 14–15/07/15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Second qualifying round, second leg | 21–22/07/15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Third qualifying round, first leg | 28–29/07/15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Third qualifying round, second leg | 04–05/08/15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Play-off round, first leg | 18–19/08/15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Play-off round, second leg | 25–26/08/15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Group stage, matchday one | 15–16/09/15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Group stage, matchday two | 29–30/09/15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Group stage, matchday three | 20–21/10/15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Group stage, matchday four | 03–04/11/15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Group stage, matchday five | 24–25/11/15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Group stage, matchday six | 08–09/12/15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Round of 16, first leg | 16–17/02/16 and 23–24/02/16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Round of 16, second leg | 08–09/03/16 and 15–16/03/16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Quarter-finals, first leg | 05–06/04/16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Quarter-finals, second leg | 12–13/04/16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Semi-finals, first leg | 26–27/04/16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Semi-finals, second leg | 03–04/05/16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Final (San Siro, Milan) | 28/05/16
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lionel Messi wins UEFA Best Player in Europe award
Lionel Messi beat Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez to win the Best Player in Europe award for the 2014/15 season. It’s Messi’s second Best Player prize after he also won in 2010-11 and he succeeds Ronaldo, who claimed the trophy last year. Messi’s gong comes after helping Barca to success in La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, with the UEFA Super Cup coming in the new season. The award came after the conclusion of the draw for the Champions League group stages, where Messi and Suarez's defending champions side Barcelona drew Bayer Leverkusen, AS Roma and BATE Borisov while Ronaldo's Real Madrid - winners the season before that in 2013-14 - were set with Paris Saint-Germain, Shaktar Donetsk and Malmo.
Balotelli to follow Italian Air Force rules on Milan loan, including no weird haircuts
Liverpool outcast Mario Balotelli has rejoined AC Milan just one season after he left San Siro for Anfield.
The 25-year old has returned to Milan on a season long loan deal after a muted showing at Liverpool last season in which he scored just one premier league goal.
However joining the Rossoneri this time round will come with strict rules.
The chief executive of AC Milan, Adriano Galliani, is committed to having Balotelli follow the rules and guiding principles of Italy’s Air Force. This is because the striker is famous for his notorious behaviour, his errant ways and uncooperativeness.
The new rules for Balotelli include a ban on smoking, nightclubs and out-of-the-world hairstyles.
His social media accounts will also be closely monitored as will his drinking habits. Appearing to training on time will be a priority as never before because of Balotelli’s record with punctuality. In effect, anything that will portray the club in a bad light will not be tolerated at Milan.
It appears Mario is ready to stick to some laid down rules for the first time as in his first interview after joining Milan, he said:
“I am happy to be back. I don't have much to say because I just need to train and prove myself...I am very motivated but I need to work hard and talk less...I just want to get back to work and have a good season, I have to work and that is it."
Many are those who believe the move to Italy is the last opportunity for Mario to prove his worth and increase his chances of a recall for the national team.
Balotelli has not featured for the Azzurri’s since last year’s World Cup in Brazil.
YouTube Gaming site ready for launch
YouTube is to launch its spin-off platform for video gamers at 18:00 GMT on Wednesday evening.
YouTube Gaming is a dedicated app and website focusing exclusively on gaming content, with a greater emphasis on live steams.The video sharing giant told the BBC it wanted tackle a "fragmented" experience for the gaming genre.
One expert said YouTube was "fighting back" against rivals such as Twitch and Daily Motion.
Billions of hours
"We wanted to create a one-stop shop for all gaming content," YouTube's head of gaming Ryan Wyatt told the BBC.
"At the moment there is a fragmented experience. People go to different places for live content, and YouTube for video on demand.
"We have amazing gamers that don't live stream yet. Now they have that opportunity."
Competition
Hundreds of thousands of people visit Twitch daily to watch live steams of other people playing video games.
YouTube said it had redeveloped its live streaming function for its gaming app, but confirmed that live broadcasts would be subject to its standard copyright checks.
The company's Content ID system will terminate broadcasts if "third-party content" such as music is detected, a feature absent on Twitch.
"There is tension that has arisen over copyright claims on YouTube," said Steve Bailey, games analyst at IHS Technology.
"But some game developers see YouTube as a positive PR opportunity and embrace it. Those that have been very defensive have received bad press."
Discoverability
"This is a way to focus on gaming videos, aggregate them, but YouTube doesn't change. You can still watch gaming videos on YouTube."
Mr Wyatt said the new live streaming platform could have wider uses in the future.
"We created a live platform that will benefit all of YouTube," he said. "I can picture sports, beauty tutorials, live cooking streams."
Gaming is not the first topic to get a specialist offering from YouTube. The site is trialling a music service called Music Key, and has also launched a curated app for children in the US.
"Gaming is a specialist topic but YouTube is a generalist outlet," he said. "Establishing a new platform means it can skew the features to better suit gamers," said Mr Bailey.
"Competitors such as Daily Motion and Twitch will continue to emerge and YouTube has to keep up."
Euro 2016: Joe Allen ruled out of Wales qualifiers
Joe Allen has
been ruled out of Wales' Euro 2016 qualifier against Israel with a hamstring
injury. Defender Adam Matthews is also out after being injured in Sunderland's 6-3 League Cup win against Exeter.
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale is included having declared his fitness after a toe injury worry.
"When it initially happened [Bale's injury] you're holding your breath a bit, of course," admitted Wales manager Chris Coleman.
"But the scan and the feedback was positive thankfully so I don't think there's going to be a problem.
"There have been constant conversations with both medical teams - there's a very good relationship there - but... it wasn't as bad as first thought."
James Collins, Ben Davies and David Edwards return after missing June's 1-0 win over Belgium through injury.
But Nottingham Forest midfielder David Vaughan has withdrawn for family reasons, while fellow midfielder Joe Ledley has not been playing regularly this season for Crystal Palace.
Allen's Liverpool team-mate and fellow midfielder Jordan Williams, who is currently on loan at League One side Swindon Town, is included and could win his first cap.
"So it's disappointing because we haven't had Emyr Hughes [the Wigan midfielder who has a long-term ankle problem] for a while through injury, who can play in that holding position like Joe.
"We've lost David Vaughan also, so with natural holding players it's been a bit tough."
Wayne Hennessey's inclusion should see the Crystal Palace goalkeeper win his 50th international cap against Cyprus in Nicosia.
Wales have a three-point lead at the top of Euro 2016 qualifying Group B with four games remaining.
Wins in both games against Cyprus at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and Israel at Cardiff City Stadium could be enough to seal Wales' place at a major finals for the first time since 1958.
"This period of my career is my biggest. I know what the dangers are," Coleman said.
"You can feel it around the country: the belief is there, the excitement is there, the anxiety. The pressure is massive but this is what we've always wanted."
The top two sides from each group qualify automatically for the Euro 2016 finals in France, with Wales holding a five-point lead over third-placed Israel going into September's games.
Israel will be without star striker Omer Damari for their game on 6 September, as the 26-year-old Red Bull Salzburg player has been ruled out with a broken foot.
Damari has five goals in this campaign, making him joint top scorer in the section with Wales' Bale and Bosnia-Hercegovina striker Edin Dzeko.
Wales squad:
Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Danny Ward (Liverpool, on loan with Aberdeen), Owain Fon Williams (Inverness Caledonian Thistle); Defenders: Ashley Williams (Swansea City), James Chester (Hull City), James Collins (West Ham United), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Chris Gunter (Reading), Neil Taylor (Swansea City), Adam Henley (Blackburn Rovers), Ashley Richards (Fulham); Midfielders: Andy King (Leicester City), Joe Ledley (Crystal Palace), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Jordan Williams (Liverpool, on loan with Swindon Town), David Edwards (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Shaun MacDonald (AFC Bournemouth); Forwards: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading), Sam Vokes (Burnley), Simon Church (MK Dons), David Cotterill (Birmingham City), Tom Lawrence (Leicester City, on loan with Blackburn Rovers).Petr Cech shows his class but Arsenal still need to strengthen
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers claimed victory for
either side at Arsenal would deliver an early psychological advantage in the
battle for places in and around the top of the Premier League.
In a thriller at the Emirates that belied its goalless scoreline, Arsenal and Liverpool traded blows from first whistle to last without either being able to land the decisive shot to put down a marker against a close rival.
How the scoreline remained blank was a mystery amid madcap defending, brilliant goalkeeping, rattled woodwork and two halves divided between Liverpool's supremacy for the first 45 minutes and Arsenal's recovery after the break.
It was hugely entertaining - if flawed - fare and left plenty for Rodgers and his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger to pore over after a frenetic 90 minutes.
Redemption time for Petr Cech
Petr Cech's 39th minute point-blank save
from Christian Benteke was the pick of the saves he made
Petr Cech's £10m arrival from Chelsea ticked every box for Wenger. He solved a goalkeeping problem by luring a world-class goalkeeper away from a clearly reluctant Jose Mourinho as Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich showed his softer side by rewarding Cech for his service, and loyalty when replaced by Thibaut Courtois last season, by allowing him to join a rival.
It seemed the perfect signing for Arsenal - and then West Ham United happened.
Cech was at fault for both goals in Arsenal's shock home defeat in their opening game, misjudging a free-kick as Cheikhou Kouyate scored, then going down too slowly when Mauro Zarate added a second.
The rush to suggest Arsenal may have erred in signing Cech was as unedifying as it was hasty - and this high-quality keeper and model professional put matters right in a game that contained 34 shots and no goals.
Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech on Sky Sports |
|---|
| "When you start with a new club and everything goes wrong, you need to bounce back and this is what I tried to do. |
| "Today was one those games where I was in the right place at the right times and helped the team overcome a difficult moment in the first half." |
From the opening seconds the old command was on show and it needed to be, making a stunning save from Liverpool striker Christian Benteke when he seemed certain to score, then showing great elasticity at 33 to turn Philippe Coutinho's shot on to the post.
Cech's handling was sure and he gave an air of reassurance to a vulnerable defence robbed of first-choice central pairing Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny through illness and injury.
This was exactly what Wenger brought Cech to do - give reassurance, experience and quality when Arsenal are under the cosh, make the big saves when needed. The errors of West Ham seemed an age away.
Cech made eight saves in all, only the fourth time he has made eight or more stops in his Premier League career.
It was said he would save Arsenal 10 points a season with his mere presence alone when he signed. It is fair to say he delivered the first two of that tally on Monday.
Liverpool exorcise another ghost
Philippe Coutinho twice hit the woodwork
against Arsenal
When Liverpool's season went into sharp decline in April, one of the starting points was a 4-1 thrashing at Arsenal, where they were completely outclassed by an Alexis Sanchez-inspired Gunners.
The campaign ended with the Merseysiders conceding a half-dozen in the league for the first time in 52 years when they were thrashed 6-1 at Stoke City.
Liverpool's fans vented their fury at manager Rodgers and his players at the Britannia Stadium and there was even speculation the manager would lose his job before an end of season review saw him receive continued support from owners Fenway Sports Group.
The Stoke humiliation was avenged with a 1-0 win on the opening day of this season and it was a much improved Liverpool that took one point and could have had three from Arsenal on Monday night. Quite a difference in a matter of months.
Rodgers will have been pleased at how his reshaped Liverpool side have adapted to the new season, with seven points from three games and an equally pleasing statistic of three clean sheets.
Christian Benteke may not have scored
against Arsenal but he has allowed Liverpool to take a more direct
approach
It is early days but there is cause for cautious optimism in a side that is now more direct thanks to the presence of £32.5m striker Christian Benteke, while still sticking to their manager's passing principles.
Liverpool's possession figure of 34% was the lowest under Rodgers in the Premier League but it did not stop them creating a host of chances, especially in the first half.
Arsenal were hit on the counter attack with pace with Benteke as the spearhead and Coutinho acting as both creator and marksman, the little Brazilian twice hitting the woodwork.
Liverpool are a team in transition, getting used to life without their iconic former captain Steven Gerrard, but if they want to lay their hands on a sign of progress these two improved results at Stoke City and Arsenal are a good starting point.
Wenger must strengthen Arsenal
Arsene Wenger says Arsenal's start to the
season has been "very average"
It is the old refrain from Arsenal fans as they urge Wenger to go the extra mile in the transfer market. And it is easy to understand their frustration.
After a fine end to last season that saw Arsenal ensure Champions League qualification again and retain the FA Cup by taking Aston Villa to the cleaners with a 4-0 win at Wembley saw optimism levels rise to their highest for years.
And why not as Wenger made what many saw as the signing of the summer in Cech? There was, however, surely the need for more. The platform was in place and the time was ideal to add the crucial building blocks.
A start to the season even the eternal optimist Wenger describes as "very average" points up the need to strengthen the squad in key areas - but will he meet the wishes of the fans?
Olivier Giroud is a good striker but the suspicion remains he is just short of the highest class, especially against the close rivals Arsenal will need to eclipse if they are to challenge for the title.
Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud had five
shots on goal against Liverpool with two on target (in green), two blocked (in
yellow) and one off target (in red)
Arsenal desperately need a class striker to deliver power and goals, not only to aid Giroud but offer another focal point for the more diminutive Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Danny Welbeck is on his way back from injury but he has never been a prolific goalscorer.
Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, long linked with Arsenal, has made it plain he is staying at the Bernabeu so Wenger's options are limited but he will face criticism if he fails to address this one and his side fall short of goals.
Paris St-Germain's Edinson Cavani is another possibility and a powerful midfield man would not go amiss to take some of the load off youngster Francis Coquelin, who will be charged with a very heavy responsibility this season as things stand.
So will Wenger move in the market?
He was not showing huge enthusiasm for doing so after the Liverpool game - but those Arsenal fans who are starting to despair already will hope for a repeat of the business that saw him pluck Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid for £42.4m on deadline day two years ago.
If he does not and Arsenal falter, then those voices of criticism will get louder.
Goalkeepers' union
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