Wakil Twitter bersetuju untuk berjumpa dengan Manchester United dan badan anti-diskriminasi Britain, Kick It Out, dalam usaha rangkaian media sosial itu menyekat lebih banyak kecaman berbaur perkauman.
Menurut laporan agensi media asing, Pegawai Eksekutif United bersedia bertemu dengan Twitter selepas pemain tengah dari Perancis, Paul Pogba, menjadi mangsa kecaman susulan kegagalan menjaringkan penalti ketika seri 1-1 dengan Wolverhampton, awal pagi Selasa.
Rakan sepasukan, Harry Maguire turut menggesa Twitter dan Instagram supaya mengambil langkah proaktif dalam menyekat kecaman sedemikian.
Turut mengulas, Pengurus Pasukan Bola Sepak Wanita England, Phil Neville, yang berkata, pemain bola sepak patut memboikot media sosial.
Pogba menjadi pemain bola sepak ketiga menjadi mangsa kecaman berbaur perkauman dalam tempoh seminggu kerana mensia siakan sepakan penalti.
Sebelum ini nasib sama menimpa penyerang Chelsea, Tammy Abraham dan pemain Pasukan Divisyen Dua, Yakou Meite dari Reading.
Menurut satu kajian oleh Kick It Out, ia menerima sejumlah 159 laporan berhubung diskriminasi melalui media sosial pada perlawanan musim lalu.
BARCELONA – Memasuki hari-hari terakhir bursa transfer musim panas 2019, nama penyerang Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Neymar da Silva, masih menjadi salah satu topik panas yang dibicarakan. Pasalnya, Neymar tengah menjadi rebutan tiga klub besar Eropa, yakni Barcelona, Real Madrid, dan Juventus.
Menanggapi situasi tersebut, legenda sepakbola Brasil, Rivaldo, percaya bahwa transfer Neymar bakal rampung sebelum batas akhir bursa transfer musim panas 2019, yakni pada 2 September. Karena, Neymar sendiri telah mengungkapkan keinginannya untuk segera meninggalkan PSG.
Madrid, Barca, dan Juve sejatinya tengah berlomba untuk mendapatkan Neymar. Pihak PSG sendiri pun mengaku tidak keberatan untuk melepas pemainnya tersebut jika ada tawaran yang menarik minat mereka. PSG pasalnya tak ingin menyimpan duri dalam daging dengan berlama-lama mempertahankan Neymar.
Selain karena Neymar yang sudah tidak betah ebrada di PSG, pemain termahal di dunia itu pun kini dibenci oleh para fans Les Parisiens. Maka dari itu, melepas Neymar dan mendapatkan uang besar atau pemain bintang lainnya bakal menjadi solusi terbaik untuk PSG.
“Dengan Neymar yang ingin meninggalkan PSG, penting bahwa transfer selesai sebelum hari batas waktu di akhir bulan. Setelah semua yang terjadi, akan sulit baginya untuk bertahan di Prancis. Dia akan mendapatkan semua penggemar yang melawannya dan tidak pernah mudah dicemooh oleh penggemar klub Anda sendiri,” ucap Rivaldo, menukil dari Express, Kamis (22/8/2019).
“Yap, Neymar memiliki kepribadian yang cukup untuk ditangani jika perlu, dan membuktikan nilainya, karena ia adalah pemain hebat,” pungkas Rivaldo.
SKUAD negara mahu menggunakan kesempatan beraksi di laman sendiri dengan menuai sebanyak mungkin pingat emas dalam Kejohanan Berbasikal Lebuh Raya Para Malaysia 2019 sebagai persiapan menghadapi Sukan Para ASEAN 2020, Januari depan.
Kejohanan Berbasikal Lebuh Raya Para Malaysia 2019 membuka tirai hari ini dengan skuad negara menurunkan barisan terbaik untuk mengutip jumlah maksimum emas.
Selain menjadi medan persiapan bagi menghadapi Sukan Para ASEAN 2020, kejohanan itu berupaya membantu atlet kebangsaan dalam usaha mendapatkan mata kelayakan ke Sukan Paralimpik 2020.
Setakat ini, Malaysia sudah meraih tiga emas menerusi Najib Turano bagi acara C4 lelaki dengan catatan 28 minit 37.204 saat manakala Yusof Hafizi Shaharuddin mengungguli saingan C1 lelaki dengan masa 19:35.011s.
Emas ketiga pula diraih menerusi Nur Faizah Aziz bagi acara C3 wanita selepas mencatat masa 29:11.804s.
Wales captain Ashley Williams has been left out for the squad for the crunch Euro 2020 qualifier against Azerbaijan next month.
Williams, who turns 35 on Friday, is the third most capped Wales player of all time with only Chris Gunter (95) and Neville Southall (92) having made more than his 86 appearances.
But the veteran centre-half, who made his name at Swansea and spent last season on loan at Stoke, has been without a club since being released by Everton in June.
The PA news agency understands Williams has turned down offers from Greece, Turkey, the Middle East and the United States because he wants to continue playing in British football.
Wales manager Ryan Giggs has opted to omit Ashley Williams from his squad (Adam Davy/PA).
Bristol City could complete a move for Williams this week, but Wales manager Ryan Giggs has opted to name a 26-man squad without the player who captained his country against Hungary two months ago.
Aaron Ramsey and Ethan Ampadu both return after the injuries which ruled them out of the Euro 2020 qualifying defeats to Croatia and Hungary in June.
Former Arsenal midfielder Ramsey made his debut for new club Juventus in a friendly last weekend, while Ampadu has moved to Germany this summer after joining RB Leipzig from Chelsea on a season-long loan.
Bournemouth forward David Brooks is sidelined and will also miss the October qualifiers against Croatia and Slovakia after undergoing ankle surgery earlier this month.
But Giggs is boosted by the availability of talisman Gareth Bale, who is suddenly back in favour at Real Madrid after a public fall-out with manager Zinedine Zidane and an aborted move to the Chinese Super League.
Gareth Bale is available for Wales (Joe Giddens/PA).
Bale started Real’s first league game of the season last weekend and claimed an assist in the 3-1 win at Celta Vigo.
The 30-year-old’s influence is sure to be key if Wales are to keep their Euro 2020 qualification hopes alive.
Wales are six points behind leaders Group E leaders Hungary, albeit with a game in hand, and three adrift of Croatia and Slovakia ahead of Azerbaijan’s visit on September 6.
Three uncapped players – Swansea defender Joe Rodon, Bristol City midfielder Joe Morrell and Wigan striker Kieffer Moore – are included in a squad that also takes on Belarus in a Cardiff friendly on September 9.
There is no place for Newcastle defender Paul Dummett or Schalke’s former Manchester City winger Rabbi Matondo.
Wales squad: Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Danny Ward (Leicester), Adam Davies (Stoke), Connor Roberts (Swansea), Chris Gunter (Reading), Chris Mepham (Bournemouth), James Lawrence (Anderlecht), Tom Lockyer (Charlton), Joe Rodon (Swansea), Neil Taylor (Aston Villa), Ben Davies (Tottenham), Ethan Ampadu (RB Leipzig, on loan from Chelsea), Joe Allen (Stoke), Matthew Smith (QPR, on loan from Manchester City), Will Vaulks (Cardiff), Jonny Williams (Charlton), Aaron Ramsey (Juventus), Joe Morrell (Lincoln, on loan from Bristol City), Harry Wilson (Bournemouth, on loan from Liverpool), Daniel James (Manchester United), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Sam Vokes (Stoke), Tom Lawrence (Derby), Ben Woodburn (Oxford, on loan from Liverpool), Kieffer Moore (Wigan), Ryan Hedges (Aberdeen).
JAKARTA – Pelatih Persija Jakarta, Julio Banuelos, yakin Macan Kemayoran akan mampu kembali ke habitat aslinya di klasemen Liga 1 2019. Kemenangan besar 3-0 atas Kalteng Putra pada pertandingan yang berlangsung di Stadion Madya, Jakarta, Selasa 20 Agustus 2019, sore WIB, jadi awal kebangkitan Persija.
Tambahan tiga poin membuat Persija keluar dari zona degradasi karena kini mereka berada di posisi 15 dengan koleksi 12 poin. Posisi itu sejatinya tidak cukup baik untuk Persija yang juara Liga 1 musim lalu tetapi jika bisa mempertahankan performa seperti itu maka poin-poin selanjutnya bisa didapatkan.
Peningkatan performa Persija tampak dari kukuhnya lini pertahanan mereka saat melawan Kalteng Putra. Clean sheet yang dicatatkan Persija di pertandingan itu menunjukkan perbaikan yang dilakukan terhadap pertahanan Persija yang sebelumnya kerap kebobolan gol di menit akhir.
Pertahanan kukuh akan mendukung serangan Persija yang sejatinya sudah tajam. Gol-gol yang diciptakan Persija atas Kalteng Putra dibuat Heri Susanto (12’), Marko Simic (49’) dan Sandi Sute (94’). Satu gol yang dibuat Simic di pertandingan itu membuat ia kini sudah mengoleksi 11 gol di Liga 1 2019.
Menilik pada fakta itu maka Persija sudah menunjukkan perbaikan dari sisi performa. Konsistensi jadi sesuatu yang mesti dipertahankan Macan Kemayoran agar posisinya di klasemen terus menanjak. Pasalnya, Persija belum sepenuhnya lepas dari ancaman degradasi.
“Tim pelatih sangat puas dengan seluruh pemain yang tampil maksimal dan kami yakin dengan kemampuan yang kami milik. Kami akan kembali ke tempat yang semestinya di klasemen,” ujar Banuelos, seperti yang dikutip dari laman resmi Persija, Rabu (21/8/2019).
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does not believe Manchester United’s spot-kick situation needs addressing despite Paul Pogba’s penalty miss costing his side victory at Wolves.
Fresh from opening their Premier League campaign with an impressive triumph against Chelsea, United hit the road looking to avoid a third Molineux loss in five months.
Solskjaer’s side were vastly improved from those 2-1 losses in the FA Cup and Premier League earlier in the year, but it could have been even better than Monday’s hard-fought 1-1 draw.
Anthony Martial put Manchester United in front (Nick Potts/PA)
Ruben Neves’ stunner cancelled out a fine Anthony Martial opener and eyebrows were raised when Pogba stepped up to take the spot-kick he won, rather than last week’s penalty scorer Marcus Rashford.
Rui Patricio saved the France midfielder’s thumping effort – his fourth failed penalty since the start of last season – and United great Gary Neville questioned why there had been an on-pitch discussion about the taker.
“This is a Manchester United penalty, this is not tombola,” the former defender said on Sky Sports of that conversation, but Solskjaer downplayed the issues after confirming both Pogba and Rashford are the designated penalty takers.
Asked whether he needed to address penalties, Solskjaer said: “Not at all.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does not feel the issue of penalty takers needs addressing (Nick Potts/PA)
“The two of them are confident and good penalty takers and I’ve been in that situation myself, gone up and missed a penalty for Norway.
“When there’s two names there, it’s the one who’s the most confident and Paul has scored so many before, so absolutely no problem.
“It doesn’t have to be (one taker), no.
“Because sometimes in a game you do grow in confidence. Sometimes ‘I don’t want to take it today because I had a bad day’.
“Absolutely no problem with players walking up and saying, ‘this is mine’.”
Pogba pulled his shirt over his head at the full-time whistle, knowing this was a great opportunity to win at upwardly mobile Wolves.
“First half today was very much ours I felt,” Solskjaer said of the United performance.
“Then the first 10-15 (minutes) of the second half was poor and then we got back into the game again, so I am very pleased.
Paul Pogba showed his disappointment at full-time (Nick Potts/PA)
“They’ve learnt today. They gave a couple of sloppy transitions away, counter-attacks, because we passed it – we were too eager to play the pass through.
“Sometimes one extra pass before we play the killer pass… but we’re improving all the time and we will improve a lot because the boys want to learn, want to improve, which is evident from the first game to now. We’ve only improved.”
Wolves counterpart Nuno Espirito Santo was pleased to see his side emerge from this hard-fought encounter with a point, especially given they are juggling the opening Premier League fixtures with Europa League exertions.
Neves was among nine changes from the win against Pyunik last week and scored an exquisite leveller to send Molineux wild.
Ruben Neves beat David De Gea with a fine finish (Nick Potts/PA)
But elation temporarily turned to frustration as referee Jon Moss pointed to his ear as the video assistant referee checked the goal, with chants of “f*** VAR” echoing around the ground before the equaliser was given the green light.
“It was a very, very good goal,” Nuno said. “Ruben kicked the ball well, put it out of the reach of the goalkeeper. Just there, spot on. Very good kick.”
Quizzed about the amount of time it took to award it, the Wolves boss said: “That’s what is worrying me.
“What I am afraid of is will we will be afraid to celebrate a goal? This is energy at Molineux, the sound, this atmosphere – we cannot lose, we cannot lose.
“They have to find a solution for it. Please do it.”
