Ronald Koeman does not agree with Gerard Pique s claim that referees favour Real Madrid over other LaLiga sides.
Pique this week quoted a former referee who, according to the Barcelona defender, said 85 per cent of officials in Spain s top flight were from Madrid.
In an interview with Post United, Pique said: How are they not going to whistle in favour of Real Madrid? Even unconsciously, how are they not going to give more for one side than the other?
Pique added last season, when Madrid won the title, was the most absurd refereeing experience ever .
En route to the championship in 2019-20, Zinedine Zidane s side earned a joint-high 11 penalties and conceded a joint-low two.
But Koeman disagrees with his centre-back, who reportedly could be …
Manchester City are keeping close tabs on Sampdoria midfielder Pedro Obiang, .
With the current season likely to turn into a major failure, the Citizens are eager to heavily reinforce the squad over the summer.
They are already searching for potential targets and Il Corriere dello Sport claims City are stepping up their interest in Pedro Obiang.
Roberto Mancini watched the player in action in Sampdoria’s 3-1 win over Roma last weekend and was very happy with the impact the talented midfielder made during the match.
Samp’s €7 million valuation of the midfielder is well within City’s price range, although they could face a stiff competition from Napoli, who are also keen.
Pedro Obiang, 20, joined Sampdoria from Atletico Madrid in 2008 and d…
With the likes of La Liga and the Bundesliga getting back underway on Friday night, we are treated to a handful of heavyweight affairs from across the continent.
Ahead of a stacked Friday schedule, we have found a couple of contests that are worth keeping an eye out for.
19:30 RB Leipzig vs Stuttgart
Opening the 2023/24 campaign with what they would have billed as a missed opportunity last weekend as they slumped to an action-packed 3-2 defeat at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig will be desperate to claim an immediate response here. Looking to grab their first Bundesliga victory at the second attempt on Friday night, Marco Rose’s men will be excited to make a return to the Red Bull Arena.
Once again gaining a string of plaudits last season a…
Sepp Blatter s lawyer has confirmed his client will appeal the eight-year ban from football activity handed down by FIFA s Ethics Committee last month.
Outgoing FIFA president Blatter and UEFA chief Michel Platini received lengthy suspensions following an investigation into a payment of $2million from world football s governing body to the former France international in 2011.
The men were found to be in breach of FIFA Code of Ethics articles relating to offering and accepting gifts and other benefits; conflicts of interests; loyalty; and general rules of conduct .
Blatter and Platini were provided with the written reasons behind the judgement on Saturday, a necessary step prior to the launch of any appeal.
Platini s legal representatives were quick to ann…
Ukraine coach Mikhail Fomenko will bear past failures in mind as he looks to end his country s disastrous play-off record by reaching Euro 2016.
A 2-0 victory in the home leg against Slovenia – courtesy of goals from Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Seleznyov – put his side in full control of the tie ahead of Tuesday s second leg in Maribor, but the nation have been here before.
Ukraine lost a play-off against the same opponents as they failed to reach Euro 2000, with this match taking place 16 years to the day after that loss, as well as losing two-legged ties to reach the 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
The most recent failure was a memorable collapse against France. After winning the home leg 2-0, they crumbled to a 3-0 loss in Paris four days la…
Atletico Madrid have been linked with a surprise move for Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy, according to the Mirror.
The La Liga winners, who last week clinched the Europa League after beating Marseille 3-0 in the final are on the lookout for a new forward with star man Antoine Griezmann expected to move on, while Fernando Torrres is also moving on.
They are considering a move for Vardy, who has been in fine form for the Foxes and has been selected for England’s squad for this summer’s World Cup finals in Russia.
The thirty-one-year-old made forty-two appearances in all competitions for the Foxes last season, scoring twenty-three goals – just one less than he managed in their 2015/16 title winning campaign.
He has scored seven goals in twenty…
Tite used the attitude of Cleveland Cavaliers icon LeBron James as the blueprint for the atmosphere and philosophy he wanted to develop in his Brazil squad.
Brazil turned to Tite after their humiliating group-stage exit at the Copa America Centenario in 2016 spelled the end for Dunga, who sidelined stars like Thiago Silva and Marcelo during his second spell in charge of the national team.
Former Corinthians boss Tite recalled Marcelo for his first match in charge away at Ecuador in a World Cup qualifier, while Silva – the captain during the Selecao s ill-fated 2014 World Cup campaign – returned to the fold at a later date.
In a bid to bring his team closer together as a unit, Tite used basketball superstar James as an example of the environment he wanted to c…
According to The Telegraph, is set to leave Liverpool this summer in search of a new club. The 25-year-old first burst onto the scene with Bournemouth during a two-year spell down south, before eventually switching to Burnley where he really made a name for himself as a hard-working goalscorer for the Clarets. He soon attracted the attention of bigger clubs, with Liverpool eventually landing his signature back in 2015.
Unfortunately, in that time Ings has really struggled to replicate the kind of form that he showcased at Turf Moor, and while nobody can deny his work rate, it still doesn t seem like it s enough as Ings prepares to move somewhere that ll provide him with first-team football.
One of the biggest issues behind his time at Anfield has been his injury proble…
After his third incredible assist of the night, Kevin De Bruyne s raw emotion spilled out in an outburst part-gladiatorial and part, well… odd.
This is our house, our house! This is our house! he exclaimed repeatedly, pointing at the Etihad Stadium turf after Sergio Aguero put Manchester City ahead on aggregate for the first time in a helter-skelter Champions League quarter-final.
Unfortunately for De Bruyne and City, Fernando Llorente snuck in through the back door before Aguero triggered the hyper-sensitive alarm that is VAR, meaning Raheem Sterling s apparent last-gasp winner was ruled out.
The heartache continued in that weekend s Premier League rematch as the Belgium midfielder hobbled out of a knife-edge 1-0 win – a result pivotal in them claiming back…
Mohamed Salah scored the only goal of the game to give Egypt a much-needed Africa Cup of Nations victory against Guinea-Bissau at the Roumde Adjia Stadium on Saturday.
The Liverpool star struck a precise volley midway through the second half to secure his side s first points of the tournament.
The Pharaohs breathed a sigh of relief late on, though, when an apparent equaliser from Mama Balde was ruled out after a lengthy VAR check for a foul by the goalscorer on Omar Kamal.
Salah had struggled to make an impression in Egypt s opening defeat against Nigeria after being played down the middle, but the 29-year-old was back in his favoured position on the right side here and gave a hint that it could pay off in just the second minute as he received the ball in sp…