Sports

Rashford Apologises for Missing Penalty, Says No Apology for Who He Is

Published

3 years ago

July 13, 2021

Eric

Marcus Rashford has apologised for missing a penalty in the Euro 2020 final shootout, but says he “will never apologise for who I am” after receiving online racist abuse.

Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka’s social media pages were flooded with racist comments after their penalty shootout misses, leading the FA to release a statement condemning the “disgusting behaviour”.

England manager Gareth Southgate also condemned the abuse, saying it is the antithesis of what the national team’s values are and the “togetherness” that the squad has shown.
“During the long run-up I was saving myself a bit of time and unfortunately the result was not what I wanted. I felt as though I had let my team-mates down. I felt as if I’d let everyone down.

“A penalty was all I’d been asked to contribute for the team. I can score penalties in my sleep, so why not that
one?

“It’s been playing in my head over and over since I struck the ball and there’s probably not a word to quite describe how it feels. Final. 55 years. 1 penalty. History. All I can say is sorry. I wish it had gone differently.”

Rashford praised the England squad for building such a strong bond during the tournament, as they became the first England team to reach a major final since the 1966 World Cup winners.

He added: “Whilst I continue to say sorry, I want to shout out my team-mates. This summer has been one of the best camps I’ve experienced and you’ve all played a role in that.

“A brotherhood has been built that is unbreakable. Your success is my success. Your failures are mine.”

As well as racist abuse on his social media feed, Rashford’s mural in the Manchester suburb of Withington was defaced.

However, it was subsequently covered with messages of support, a picture of which he also placed on his Twitter feed, along with kind letters he has received from fans.

Sports

CAF Crowns Ademola Lookman As African Footballer of the Year

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2024

Eric

Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman, has been named the CAF Footballer of the Year for the past year.

Lookman was announced as the winner at an elaborate event in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday night.

The Atalanta star won the prize ahead of Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy and South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

It has been an incredible year for Lookman, who became the first player to score a hat-trick in the Europa League/UEFA Cup final since 1975, netting the three goals within 26 minutes against Bayer Leverkusen.

Lookman was included in the Team of the Year for the Europa League, and ended the season having had a direct hand in 18 top flight goals for La Dea.

The 27-year-old was ranked the 14th best player during the Ballon d’Or gala on October 28.

Sports

Panel Clears Mbappe of Rape Allegation

Published

2 weeks ago

December 13, 2024

Eric

The Swedish Prosecution Authority announced today that the inquiry into rape allegations against French footballer Kylian Mbappé has been closed due to a lack of sufficient evidence to proceed.

This is according to multiple reports on Thursday morning.

The allegations had drawn international attention, casting a shadow over the football star’s career.

Mbappé, who had consistently denied the allegations, has yet to make an official statement regarding the decision

His legal team had previously emphasised his commitment to due process.

Mbappe was “linked to rape investigation in Sweden” and that he intended to reserve any explanations for the Swedish justice system “if necessary,” according to his lawyer, Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard.

“He prioritises providing his explanations, if required, to the Swedish judiciary,” Canu-Bernard told AFP, while strongly condemning “media allegations suggesting that Kylian Mbappé had commented on the events of his trip to Stockholm.”

The case, which began earlier this year, involved accusations stemming from an alleged incident in Stockholm. The prosecutor’s decision not to press charges marks the end of months of scrutiny and speculation.

Sports

Man United Engage van Nistelrooy on Interim Basis As Ten Hag Gets the Boot

Published

2 months ago

October 28, 2024

Eric

Manchester United have announced the termination of Erik ten Hag’s contract after two-and-a-half years in charge at Old Trafford, with Ruud van Nistelrooy set to take interim charge.

The Dutchman was dismissed following a 2-1 defeat to West Ham, which left United sitting 14th in the Premier League table.

A club statement said: “Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager.

“Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.

“We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.

“Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the team as interim head coach, supported by the current coaching team, whilst a permanent head coach is recruited.”