PARIS: France brushed off allegations of match-fixing after their 4-1 defeat against Iran sent them into the softest part of the draw at the Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan.
Les Bleus and Iran played an indolent first half before Iran easily prevailed after France conceded a soft opening goal in the second half, triggering angry reactions from other teams.
“Iran and France, coaches and players alike, have disgraced my sport. You are a disgrace to the world,” Thailand coach Miguel Rodrigo wrote on X.
Retired Brazil great Falcao was quoted by French media as saying: “It shows a lack of respect for the World Cup. The match was clearly fixed from the first minute.”
Both France and Iran were already qualified for the last 16 but the result meant that world number 10 France, second in Group F, will take on Thailand, ranked ninth before a potential quarter-final against 13th-ranked Paraguay.
Iran, the world number four, will be up against sixth-ranked Morocco ahead of a possible last-eight clash against world number one Brazil.
“It was Iran’s responsibility to be in charge of the game. The draw is more open for us but our main goal was not to get booked and to avoid injuries,” France coach Raphael Reynaud said.
The French football federation and world governing body FIFA were not immediately available for comment.
France denies match-fixing allegations at Futsal World Cup
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France denies match-fixing allegations at Futsal World Cup
- Les Bleus and Iran played an indolent first half before Iran easily prevailed after France conceded a soft opening goal in the second half, triggering angry reactions from other teams.
Fenerbahce and Rangers win their openers in the revamped Europa League
- Union defender Kevin Mac Allister received a red card in the 74th
- In another early game, Rangers won 2-0 at Malmö
ISTANBUL: Fenerbahce opened the revamped Europa League with a 2-1 home win over Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise with both teams finishing the game with 10 men on Thursday.
Defender Çağlar Söyüncü opened the scoring for Jose Mourinho’s team in the 26th with a half-volley from close range and Christian Burgess’ own goal in the 82nd made it 2-0 for Fenerbahce. Ross Sykes scored in stoppage time for the visitors.
Union defender Kevin Mac Allister received a red card in the 74th and Fenerbahce substitute Bright Osayi-Samuel was sent off in the final minute.
Last season, Fenerbahce eliminated Union in the round of 16 of the third-tier Conference League.
Europe’s second tier is a familiar turf for Mourinho, who led Manchester United to the 2017 title. He took the Fenerbahce job in the offseason. With Mourinho in charge, Roma lost the 2023 final to Sevilla after a penalty shootout.
In another early game, Rangers won 2-0 at Malmö.
The 2022 Europa League beaten finalist didn’t waste time. Nedim Bajrami scored in the opening minute. Ross McCausland scored in the second half.
Rangers lost in the 2022 final to Eintracht Frankfurt. The German club will be in action later Thursday, hosting Czech side Viktoria Plzeň.
In London, Tottenham’s game against Qarabag was delayed 35 minutes because of a travel disruption. Roma play Athletic Bilbao among other remaining late games.
As in the Champions League, the traditional group stage of the Europa League has been replaced with an expanded league phase with all 36 teams competing in a single standings.
Each Europa League team will play eight games against eight different opponents through Jan. 30.
PSG coach Luis Enrique says bigger Club World Cup ‘exciting’
- “Once every four years there’s this new, extremely exciting competition. Everyone wants to go to the Club World Cup,” he said
- The 2025 Club World Cup will be held in the United States from June 15-July 13
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique on Thursday described the expanded Club World Cup, set to feature 32 teams next year, as an “exciting competition” while acknowledging the need to limit player workloads.
“Once every four years there’s this new, extremely exciting competition. Everyone wants to go to the Club World Cup,” he said, amid growing concern from players and coaches alike over the increasing number of fixtures.
The 2025 Club World Cup will be held in the United States from June 15-July 13, with 12 European clubs set to take part in a tournament that has only traditionally involved the six continental champions and host nation.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri warned earlier this month that leading players could go on strike over the number of games they’re being asked to play.
The Spain international is set to miss the rest of the season after suffering ligament damage to his right knee at the weekend.
“Of course those involved must speak,” said Luis Enrique.
“I understand and I agree that the calendar is very busy, particularly that of Manchester City. Ours is less so because we have two fewer teams in our league and therefore four fewer matches.”
“A less hectic calendar would favor everyone,” he added.
Man United stunned 1-1 by Dutch club Twente in revamped Europa League
- United has won just three of seven games in all competitions this season and Wednesday’s draw came after a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday
MANCHESTER, England: Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag questioned his players’ killer instinct after they were held to a 1-1 draw by his old club FC Twente in the revamped Europa League on Wednesday.
Sam Lammers capitalized on a mistake by Christian Eriksen in the second half at Old Trafford and raced away to fire an equalizer for the Dutch underdog.
“You saw that was the game of their life. They fought for every yard and we didn’t,” Ten Hag said. “99 percent is not enough, You have to give 100 percent. You have kill the game. You have to finish it off.”
Eriksen had put United ahead with a stunning first-half strike but was caught in possession by Lammers, whose goal secured an unexpected point for the visitors.
Ten Hag had spoken before the game of his affection for the team he supported as a boy in the Netherlands and represented as a player. He said it was “not nice to have to hurt something you love.”
Instead it was United fans left in pain, despite Eriksen seemingly putting the home team on course for victory.
United has won just three of seven games in all competitions this season and Wednesday’s draw came after a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday.
Eriksen swept United ahead in the 35th with a first-time shot into the top corner. Connecting with a loose ball just inside the box, the playmaker didn’t break stride as he whipped his effort past past Twente goalkeeper Lars Unnerstall with power and precision.
With one fist clenched, he ran to the corner to celebrate in front of the home fans.
But it was Twente’s supporters left cheering the loudest after Lammers’ goal in the 68th when beating Andre Onana at his near post.
“There’s a lot of football (still to play) when you (are) one up and the game takes more than 90 minutes,” Ten Hag said. “And you have to fight until the end and score the second goal.”
Like the Champions League, the second-tier Europa League has a new format and 36 teams instead of 32. It features a league system in which each team plays eight games against different opponents through January, replacing the old group stage.
Lazio cruises, Osimhen assists
In a clash between the Turkish and Greek champions, Galatasaray beat PAOK 3-1. Victor Osimhen, who moved from Napoli to Galatasaray earlier in September, made his presence felt. The Nigeria striker’s goalbound header was deflected by defender Abdul Rahman Baba into his own net early in the second half. Giannis Konstantelias equalized on a rebound before Osimhen set up Yunus Akgün to net the winner. Mauro Icardi added a stoppage-time goal.
Lazio cruised past Dynamo Kyiv 3-0. Boulaye Dia struck twice and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru added one. Both teams ended the game with 10 men.
Real Sociedad, struggling in La Liga, got a goal from Ander Barrenetxea at Nice but the home team salvaged a 1-1 draw thanks to Pablo Rosario’s goal late in the first half.
Another team struggling domestically, Bundesliga’s Hoffenheim took home a point from Denmark in a 1-1 draw with Danish Superliga’s leader Midtjylland. Darío Osorio put the hosts ahead late in the first half before substitute Max Moerstedt leveled it in the final minute.
In Brussels, Anderlecht struck twice in the span of five minutes in the second half on the way to a 2-1 victory over Ferencváros. Yari Verschaeren scored on the hour and Kasper Dolberg added the second from the spot.
Slavia Prague scored in each half for a 2-0 win at Bulgaria’s Ludogorets.
Early wins
Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt and Dutch side AZ Alkmaar became the first teams to claim victories earlier on Wednesday.
Jens Petter Hauge’s two goals guided 10-man Bodø/Glimt from a goal down to a 3-2 win over Porto while Troy Parrott netted the winner from the penalty spot for Alkmaar to beat Sweden’s Elfsborg 3-2.
Porto, a two-time champion in Europe’s second-tier league, got an early goal from Samu. Kasper Høgh’s equalized and Hauge netted twice for a 3-1 lead. Porto reduce the deficit to one in the final minute through substitute Deniz Gül.
Alkmaar answered Timothy Ouma’s opener with two goals from Ruben van Bommel on both sides of the interval. Simon Hedlund made it 2-2 before Parrott’s late penalty.
Ahead of a late game between Dynamo Kyiv and Lazio, a group of about 60 Lazio fans were stopped by German authorities in Hamburg after attempting to avoid a police escort and were found to be carrying knives, clubs and other weapons. Fans who were held overnight were banned from attending Wednesday’s game but there were no arrests.
Dynamo plays its home Europa League games in Hamburg because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Lewandowski helps Liga leaders Barca past Getafe
BARCELONA: Robert Lewandowski continued his fine form and earned La Liga leaders Barcelona a 1-0 win over Getafe on Wednesday.
The Polish forward struck from close range in the first half to maintain Barca’s 100 percent record in the league so far this season with their seventh victory.
Barcelona dominated despite not being able to add to their lead and restored a four-point advantage on Real Madrid, who beat Alaves on Tuesday.
Coach Hansi Flick started Inaki Pena in goal for the stricken Marc-Andre ter Stegen, out for months with a severe knee injury, and brought Marc Casado and Alejandro Balde back into the side.
The reserve goalkeeper, who conceded 32 times in 17 matches across all competitions last season, heard his name chanted supportively by fans behind his goal and saved an early header from Carles Perez.
By contrast his opposite number David Soria’s weak touch on Jules Kounde’s cross led to Barcelona’s opener on 19 minutes, the ball falling perfectly for Lewandowski to finish from close range.
The 36-year-old striker has seven goals in La Liga this season and leads the scoring charts, seemingly rejuvenated under Flick after struggling at times last season.
Teen starlet Lamine Yamal might have doubled the lead moments later when Raphinha played him in, but he nudged inches past the post.
Soria made a good save from Raphinha, who collected the August player of the month award before kick-off, and soon sent another effort skidding wide.
Yamal almost bent home a delicious curling strike from distance before the hour, but Soria tipped it over the crossbar.
The Getafe goalkeeper also palmed a dangerous Raphinha free-kick around the post as Barcelona pushed for a second to put the match to bed.
Spain’s Euro 2024 hero Yamal clipped the top of the crossbar with a vicious effort from distance, as Barca started to grumble about Getafe’s persistently heavy challenges.
Raphinha missed a golden chance in the final stages, heading wide after a clever dart into the box but Barcelona were not punished for their profligacy.
Getafe, 19th, are still winless and wasted a fine chance of their own at the death when Borja Mayoral failed to get a shot away when well placed and free inside the box.
The leaders next travel to face Osasuna on Saturday, before second-place Real Madrid face rivals Atletico Madrid in a derby clash on Sunday.
Son says Spurs team-mate Bentancur ‘almost cried’ over alleged racial slur
- Bentancur was charged by the Football Association earlier this month with an alleged misconduct breach in relation to a media interview on Uruguayan TV
- Bentancur apologized to Tottenham captain Son, who said his team-mate had “made a mistake“
LONDON: Son Heung-min said Tottenham team-mate Rodrigo Bentancur “almost cried” when he apologized over an alleged racist remark about the South Korean.
Bentancur was charged by the Football Association earlier this month with an alleged misconduct breach in relation to a media interview on Uruguayan TV.
The former Juventus midfielder had been asked in June by the host of the Canal 10 show for a Spurs player’s shirt, to which he replied: “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same.”
Bentancur apologized to Tottenham captain Son, who said his team-mate had “made a mistake.”
But because the wording of the charge refers to an “aggravated breach,” he could reportedly be banned for six to 12 domestic matches.
Son, speaking ahead of Thursday’s Europa League home tie against Qarabag, said he could not say much at the moment because of the “FA process.”
“But I love Rodrigo, I love him. We’ve a lot of good memories, we started playing together when he joined (in January 2022),” he said.
“He knew. He apologized straight afterwards when we had holiday. I was at home. I didn’t even realize what was going on. He sent me a long message and you could feel it was coming from his heart.
“When we came back for pre-season, he felt really sorry and he almost cried when he apologized publicly and personally as well. He felt like he was really sorry. We are all human and all make mistakes and we learn from it.”
Son is one of only two players, along with Ben Davies, left at Tottenham from the squad that reached the Champions League final in 2019.
Defeat in Madrid to Liverpool extended the club’s trophy drought and it now stands at 16 years, but the South Korean forward is determined to end the wait for silverware this season.
“Yeah, it’s a dream. There is no hiding this. That’s what we work for,” Son said.
“Obviously, we are looking for another big competition that everybody wants to win. It’s going to be tough, a tough competition, a lot of games and a lot of traveling, which makes it even harder.”
