crystal palace – Artifex.News https://artifex.news Stay Connected. Stay Informed. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:36:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 https://artifex.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/cropped-cropped-app-logo-32x32.png crystal palace – Artifex.News https://artifex.news 32 32 Parkinson’s Law, Butterfly Effect, and the beautiful chaos of deadline day https://artifex.news/article71419459-ece/ Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:36:00 +0000 https://artifex.news/article71419459-ece/ Read More “Parkinson’s Law, Butterfly Effect, and the beautiful chaos of deadline day” »

]]>

The biggest (read costliest) deadline-day move came as Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez swapped Chelsea’s royal blue for Manchester City’s lighter shade.
| Photo Credit: X@ManCity

Every deadline day is an opportunity to remember Parkinson’s Law.

C. Northcote Parkinson’s 1955 satirical observation that work expands to fill the time available for its completion was validated once again as English clubs squeezed every last second of the clock before the Premier League summer transfer window closed at 3.30 a.m. IST on Wednesday.

The biggest (read costliest) deadline-day move came as Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez swapped Chelsea’s royal blue for Manchester City’s lighter shade.

The £125 million deal came after the London outfit had reportedly set an August 14 deadline for the player it valued at £120 million. In the end, Man City got its man, and Chelsea pocketed a tidy profit on a player it bought for £107 million in 2023.

Chain reaction 

Waiting until the very last moment is risky business, especially when the whole ecosystem relies on a delicate chain reaction.

A player’s transfer from one badge to another doesn’t just affect the two clubs involved. The ripple effect of that one signature may disrupt or open avenues for other teams and players in the ecosystem, setting off or cancelling a slew of incomings and outgoings by virtue of the original transfer.

In other words, Ray Bradbury’s Butterfly Effect, too, assumes utmost significance in the world of football. 

Ask Chelsea, and it will tell you how it came close to signing Monaco’s Lamine Camara as Fernandez’s replacement, only for the French club to renege on the deal because of striker Folarin Balogun’s proposed departure to Everton bringing in enough cash to the club. In a late twist, Balogun chose not to move to Merseyside, a decision that left all three of Chelsea, Monaco and Everton unhappy and blindsided!

Lyon’s Malick Fofana was at the centre of one of the most dramatic deadline day transfers.

Lyon’s Malick Fofana was at the centre of one of the most dramatic deadline day transfers.
| Photo Credit:
INSTAGRAM@Malick Fofana

Multiple suitors

Lyon’s Malick Fofana was at the centre of one of the most dramatic deadline day transfers. After Arsenal reportedly decided not to spend big on the Belgian winger, Sunderland and Crystal Palace entered the fray. According to reports, Fofana had two private jets waiting for him at Lyon airport, one set for Sunderland, and the other for London. While Palace initially thought it had successfully hijacked Sunderland’s agreement with Fofana, the player ultimately decided to ply his trade at the Stadium of Light.

The 2026-27 Premier League deadline day had it all: a record-shattering transfer, two private jets on a runway, and a collapsed multi-club domino chain.

After all, what is deadline day without some chaos and manic buying?



Source link

]]>
FIFA WORLD CUP | Japan and Sweden ready to joust with qualification on the line https://artifex.news/article71142447-ece/ Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:39:00 +0000 https://artifex.news/article71142447-ece/ Read More “FIFA WORLD CUP | Japan and Sweden ready to joust with qualification on the line” »

]]>

Sweden’s Alexander Isak, right, celebrates with Viktor Gyokeres after he scored to put Sweden up 3-1 during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Sweden and Tunisia in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday, June 14, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

Group F remains delicately poised heading into the final round of matches in the FIFA World Cup, and neither Japan nor Sweden will feel entirely comfortable when they meet at the Dallas Stadium here on Friday (June 26) early morning India time.

Both still control their own destinies, but the margin for error is considerably narrower. Japan arrives with momentum after Hajime Moriyasu’s side produced one of the performances of the tournament in a 4-0 demolition of Tunisia.

Ayase Ueda was the standout performer, scoring twice and providing an assist, while Daichi Kamada continued his fine tournament form by netting Japan’s quickest-ever World Cup goal.

Kamada has already scored twice in the competition, bettering his returns (no goals in 28 appearances for Crystal Palace) from an entire season of Premier League football.

Japan's Ayase Ueda, left, and Daichi Kamada celebrate after the former scored the second goal during the World Cup Group F soccer match against Tunisia in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, Saturday, June 20, 2026.

Japan’s Ayase Ueda, left, and Daichi Kamada celebrate after the former scored the second goal during the World Cup Group F soccer match against Tunisia in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, Saturday, June 20, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
AP

With four points and a superior goal difference, Japan knows a draw will guarantee a place in the knockout rounds.

Sweden’s journey in this World Cup, however, has been more turbulent. Graham Potter’s side opened with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Tunisia but was brought crashing back to earth by a big defeat against the Netherlands. It was Sweden’s heaviest World Cup loss since the 5-2 reverse to Pele’s Brazil in the 1958 final.

Despite the setback, Sweden remains well placed on three points. Another point could be enough to secure progression, depending on results elsewhere.

Its greatest source of optimism remains up front. The partnership of Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak has the potential to emerge as one of the most dangerous attacking combinations, while Anthony Elanga’s lively cameo and goal against the Dutch could earn him a larger role.

Sweden's forward Anthony Elanga scores his team's first goal during the 2026 World Cup Group F football match against Netherlands at the Houston Stadium in Houston on June 20, 2026.

Sweden’s forward Anthony Elanga scores his team’s first goal during the 2026 World Cup Group F football match against Netherlands at the Houston Stadium in Houston on June 20, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
AFP

Japan will be without attacking midfielder Takefusa Kubo, who is nursing a knee injury. Sweden, meanwhile, may consider changes in midfield after the Netherlands defeat, with youngster Lucas Bergvall pushing for a starting berth.

Japan has been remarkably consistent in the last 12 months. The Samurai Blue have lost only once in 14 matches, scoring 26 goals while conceding just eight.

Sweden, meanwhile, had reached the quarterfinals, in Russia, eight years back, but has already suffered two heavy losses — 5-1 against the Dutch and 3-1 to Norway — in its six matches this year.

With qualification at stake, Dallas could witness one of the fiercest contests of the final group-stage round.



Source link

]]>
Manchester United Lose To Crystal Palace, Spurs Ease Pressure On Ange Postecoglou https://artifex.news/manchester-united-lose-to-crystal-palace-spurs-ease-pressure-on-ange-postecoglou-7619149/ Sun, 02 Feb 2025 18:01:01 +0000 https://artifex.news/manchester-united-lose-to-crystal-palace-spurs-ease-pressure-on-ange-postecoglou-7619149/ Read More “Manchester United Lose To Crystal Palace, Spurs Ease Pressure On Ange Postecoglou” »

]]>





Manchester United slumped to another meek home defeat as Crystal Palace won 2-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday, while Tottenham eased the pressure on Ange Postecoglou by beating Brentford 2-0. Jean Philippe-Mateta was Palace’s hero with both goals in the second half as United suffered a fifth defeat in their last six home league games. Victory takes the Eagles above the Red Devils in the table as Oliver Glasner’s side climb to 12th. Three consecutive wins for United had lifted the mood around Old Trafford but it was back to square one for Ruben Amorim after another home display lacking in creativity and riddled with defensive lapses.

Amorim‘s decision to start without a natural striker backfired with both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee left on the bench.

Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo started in a centre-forward role after scoring in a 2-0 victory over Romanian side FCSB in midweek.

The England international’s scuffed strike came back off the post in United’s best effort of a bright opening before their attacking threat fizzled out.

Palace have lost just one of their last seven league games to recover from a miserable start to the season.

The visitors missed the creative spark offered by Eberechi Eze for the first hour as an injury meant he was only fit enough for a cameo appearance off the bench.

But Eze made an instant impact as from his free-kick Maxence Lacroix’s header came back off the bar and into Mateta’s path to fire home.

Worse was to follow for United as Lisandro Martinez had to be stretchered off with what appeared a serious knee injury.

Palace showed no mercy to secure the three points when Daniel Munoz charged through the middle of the home side’s defence and unselfishly squared for Mateta to knock in his sixth goal in five games.

– Spurs ease relegation fears -Spurs eased fears they could be dragged into a relegation battle as Postecoglou’s injury-ravaged side kept a rare clean sheet to see off Brentford.

The Bees were left to rue a number of missed chances against Tottenham’s makeshift defence with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero again absent.

Brentford also lent the visitors a helping hand with the opening goal.

Hakon Valdimarsson flapped at Son Heung-min’s corner and Vitaly Janelt headed into his own net on 29 minutes.

Yoane Wissa’s header came off the bar as Brentford pushed for an equaliser.

But Spurs picked them off on the counter-attack when Pape Sarr prodded through Valdimarsson’s legs from Son’s pass.

Victory lifts Tottenham to 14th and 10 points clear of the relegation zone.

Second-placed Arsenal start the day nine points adrift of league leaders Liverpool ahead of their blockbuster clash against defending champions Manchester City at the Emirates in the 1630GMT kick-off.

Topics mentioned in this article



Source link

]]>
Ruud Van Nistelrooy Off To Winning Start At Leicester City, Crystal Palace Beat Ipswich Town https://artifex.news/ruud-van-nistelrooy-off-to-winning-start-at-leicester-city-crystal-palace-beat-ipswich-town-7167452/ Wed, 04 Dec 2024 03:04:51 +0000 https://artifex.news/ruud-van-nistelrooy-off-to-winning-start-at-leicester-city-crystal-palace-beat-ipswich-town-7167452/ Read More “Ruud Van Nistelrooy Off To Winning Start At Leicester City, Crystal Palace Beat Ipswich Town” »

]]>





Ruud van Nistelrooy savoured his first match in charge of Leicester with a 3-1 Premier League win over West Ham, while Crystal Palace edged Ipswich 1-0 on Tuesday. Jamie Vardy, Bilal El Khannouss and Patson Daka got the goals as Van Nistelrooy enjoyed a dream start to his new role shortly after his departure from Manchester United. “On a long-term basis we know the performances need to get better. But the spirit and how we want to do things we saw today because, if not, the Premier League is too brutal,” said Van Nistelrooy.

The Dutchman said he had been “astonished” by the number of offers he received after a four-game spell as interim United boss, which included two wins over Leicester.

A lethal finisher in his playing days, Van Nistelrooy watched on approvingly as Vardy opened the scoring after just 99 seconds at the King Power.

The 37-year-old had initially been flagged offside, but a VAR review showed he was clearly on for his fifth goal of the season.

Defeat ramps up the scrutiny of Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui after a seventh defeat in 14 Premier League games.

The visitors enjoyed the majority of possession and had 31 shots to Leicester’s eight but failed to make it count.

“A frustrating night because we deserved much more today,” said Lopetegui. “Normally we have to win this match but we didn’t because we didn’t score.”

West Ham did have a goal controversially ruled out when Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen punched the ball into his own net and was relieved to be awarded a foul due to minimal contact from Tomas Soucek.

Conor Coady also cleared off the line from Crysencio Summerville in the second half.

But Leicester remained a threat on the counter-attack and doubled their lead when El Khannouss coolly stroked home Kasey McAteer’s pass.

Daka then blasted in to make it 3-0 before Niclas Fuellkrug netted a late consolation with his first West Ham goal.

Victory lifts Leicester up to 15th, four points above the relegation zone, and within two points of 14th-placed West Ham.

Guehi defies FA

Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the only goal at Portman Road as Palace won the battle of two more sides at the bottom end of the table.

The Frenchman produced a classy finish from Eberechi Eze’s pass on the hour mark to secure the Eagles’ first away win of the season.

Palace pull three points clear of the bottom three, while Ipswich remain second from bottom and winless at home on their return to the top flight.

However, Palace captain Marc Guehi is now at risk of a suspension after defying a Football Association warning over displaying religious messages.

As part of the “Rainbow Laces” campaign to show support for the LGBTQ+ community, Premier League captains are wearing rainbow-coloured armbands.

Guehi’s armband bore the message “I love Jesus” during their 1-1 draw against Newcastle, prompting the FA to contact Guehi and Palace and remind them of rules forbidding the display of religious messages.

The England defender doubled down on his message with “Jesus loves you” displayed on his rainbow-coloured armband.

“Everyone now is about integration, no discrimination and Marc as well,” said Palace boss Oliver Glasner.

“He has his opinion and we accept and respect every opinion.”

Ipswich captain Sam Morsy, who also caused controversy by opting not to wear the rainbow armband against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, once again wore a regular armband.

His club issued a statement on Monday saying he chose not to wear the rainbow armband due to his religious beliefs.

Topics mentioned in this article



Source link

]]>
Liverpool Stay Top Of Premier League As Arsenal, Manchester City Win https://artifex.news/liverpool-stay-top-of-premier-league-as-arsenal-manchester-city-win-6724935/ Sat, 05 Oct 2024 17:59:39 +0000 https://artifex.news/liverpool-stay-top-of-premier-league-as-arsenal-manchester-city-win-6724935/ Read More “Liverpool Stay Top Of Premier League As Arsenal, Manchester City Win” »

]]>





Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 1-0 to remain top of the Premier League as Arsenal and Manchester City came from behind to win on Saturday. City were 3-2 victors over Fulham to stay one point behind Liverpool, alongside Arsenal who saw off Southampton 3-1. Arne Slot has now won nine of his first 10 games since succeeding Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager, but was frustrated that the visitors invited a late onslaught from the winless Eagles. Jota prodded the Reds into the lead from Cody Gakpo’s cross on nine minutes.

The Portuguese international was then guilty of missing two big chances to extend Liverpool’s advantage.

Palace failed to make them pay, but victory came at a cost for Slot as goalkeeper Alisson Becker limped off with a hamstring injury.

“If you score the second you break them mentally,” said Slot. “All the fans kept believing in a result because it was only 1-0, even though in my opinion we were the dominant team.”

Fresh from a dominant win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, Arsenal were expected to sweep aside winless Southampton.

But the Saints shocked the Emirates 10 minutes into the second half when Cameron Archer fired in his first Premier League goal since a summer move from Aston Villa.

The lead only lasted three minutes before Kai Havertz scored for the seventh consecutive home game.

Gabriel Martinelli was introduced after an hour and took just eight minutes to make his mark with a finish on the volley from Bukayo Saka’s cross.

Having set up Arsenal’s first two goals, Saka pounced on a loose ball to score the third himself.

Fulham’s outrageous opener

Rodri‘s season-long absence due to a serious knee injury is expected to be a major blow to City’s chances of retaining the title for a fifth consecutive season.

But it was the Spaniard’s deputy Mateo Kovacic who scored twice to turn the game around for the champions at the Etihad.

The visitors had not lost since the opening night of the season at Manchester United and led thanks to Andreas Pereira’s finish from an outrageous backheel assist by Raul Jimenez.

Kovacic’s deflected effort quickly brought City level before a cleaner strike less than two minutes into the second half made it 2-1.

Jeremy Doku then smashed into the top corner from outside the box to give City a two-goal cushion, which they needed.

Rodrigo Muniz gave Fulham hope on 88 minutes, but City held out for a 17th consecutive win against the Cottagers.

West Ham eased the pressure on new boss Julen Lopetegui by ending a run of three home defeats to start the new season.

Michail Antonio, Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta struck for the Hammers in a 4-1 win over Ipswich, who are still waiting for their first Premier League win 22 years.

There were six goals before half-time as Brentford beat Wolves 5-3 to leave the visitors still rooted to the foot of the table.

Leicester secured their first league win of the season as Facundo Buonanotte’s strike beat Bournemouth 1-0.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag faces a huge match if he is to remain in charge when the Red Devils visit Aston Villa in the pick of Sunday’s action.

Topics mentioned in this article



Source link

]]>
“Arsenal Are Always…”: Ex-Manchester City Star’s Premier League Title Prediction https://artifex.news/arsenal-are-always-ex-manchester-city-stars-premier-league-title-prediction-6612301/ Fri, 20 Sep 2024 16:38:42 +0000 https://artifex.news/arsenal-are-always-ex-manchester-city-stars-premier-league-title-prediction-6612301/ Read More ““Arsenal Are Always…”: Ex-Manchester City Star’s Premier League Title Prediction” »

]]>

Arsenal took four points from Manchester City last season, including a win at home.© AFP




Former Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has predicted Aston Villa to finish in the Premier League top four once again this season. Villa, under Spanish manager Unai Emery, finished fourth in the Premier League last season with 68 points, thus securing Champions League football after 32 years. Emery’s Villa made a winning return to the Champions League, winning 3-0 at BSC Young Boys in Switzerland earlier this week. Wright-Phillips, who is in India for Manchester City’s ‘Champions 4-in-a-row Trophy Tour’, feels there won’t be any changes, as far as the Champions League places are concerned.

Manchester City won an unprecedented fourth Premier League title on the trot, edging Arsenal out by two points (91:89), despite failing to beat the Gunners home and away. Liverpool were a close third with 82 points, in what was Jurgen Klopp’s final season in charge of The Reds.

Wright-Phillips also picked three teams that are likely to go down back to the Championship, the second division of English football league system.

Wright-Phillips, a Premier League winner with Chelsea, has backed Southampton and Ipswich Town, two of three promoted teams this season, to face the drop straight away. For his third and final pick, the 42-year-old reckoned that it would be either Leicester City or Crystal Palace.

“Bottom three is kinda hard. It is harder that what people think. Everton are down right now but if you watch most of their games, especially the last two, you would necessarily say they shouldn’t have lost them. Basically, they’ve given away six points. Unlike last season, they are actually scoring goals. So they are going to stay. Southampton are down. Leicester, they will always surprise you with Jamie Vardy. So, Southampton down. Ipswich, probably, only because they play well but don’t have enough (firepower). They will score less but concede a lot. The last one is between Crystal Palace and Leicester,” he added.

Topics mentioned in this article



Source link

]]>
Chelsea Held By Crystal Palace As Newcastle United Sink Tottenham Hotspur https://artifex.news/chelsea-held-by-crystal-palace-as-newcastle-united-sink-tottenham-hotspur-6467909/ Sun, 01 Sep 2024 15:55:01 +0000 https://artifex.news/chelsea-held-by-crystal-palace-as-newcastle-united-sink-tottenham-hotspur-6467909/ Read More “Chelsea Held By Crystal Palace As Newcastle United Sink Tottenham Hotspur” »

]]>





Chelsea suffered fresh frustration after blowing the lead in a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace, while Newcastle beat Tottenham 2-1 on Sunday. Enzo Maresca‘s Chelsea have won only once in the first three league games of the Italian’s reign after a chaotic close-season. Beaten by Manchester City on the opening weekend, Chelsea powered to a 6-2 win at Wolves last weekend before scraping into the UEFA Conference League group stage after a 2-1 loss at Servette on Thursday. Former Leicester boss Maresca insists his expensive Chelsea rebuild, featuring a host of new signings, is ahead of schedule despite their inconsistent start.

Jadon Sancho‘s loan move from Manchester United was the final piece in Chelsea’s overhaul since last term and the winger was introduced to the crowd before taking his seat in the director’s box next to Blues co-owner Behdad Eghbali.

But Sancho can’t have been impressed by his new team as they failed to kill off Palace after Noni Madueke picked out Cole Palmer and his pass was slotted home by Nicolas Jackson in the 25th minute.

Isak fires Newcastle

Maresca was furious after Palace midfielder Will Hughes avoided a second yellow card for a foul on Palmer.

Looking for their first point this season after defeats against Brentford and West Ham, Palace made the most of that escape to drew level in the 53rd minute.

England midfielder Eberechi Eze unfurled a superb curling finish that flashed past Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez from 20 yards.

Eze’s eye-catching goal and a late close-range miss by Jackson ended Chelsea’s run of 14 successive wins against Palace in all competitions.

At St James’ Park, Wilson Odobert, Pape Sarr and Pedro Porro all wasted good chances for Tottenham in the early stages.

Newcastle took the lead in spectacular fashion in the 37th minute when Lloyd Kelly pulled the ball back to Harvey Barnes, who unleashed a sublime volley into the far corner from 10 yards.

Tottenham equalised in the 56th minute as Newcastle defender Dan Burn accidently diverted the ball into his own net while trying to clear after Brennan Johnson’s cross eluded Nick Pope, who had weakly parried James Maddison‘s shot in the build-up to the goal.

Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali came on for his first Premier League appearance in over 10 months after his ban for breaching betting rules.

The Magpies went back in front in the 78th minute when Jacob Murphy ran onto Joelinton’s defence-splitting pass and laid on a tap-in for Alexander Isak.

Unbeaten Newcastle’s second win in three league games condemned Tottenham to a first defeat this term, with the north London derby against Arsenal next up after the international break.

Liverpool travel to Old Trafford in Sunday’s late game as Reds boss Arne Slot gets his first taste of the bitter rivalry with United.

Hired from Feyenoord to succeed Jurgen Klopp in the close-season, Slot has overseen 2-0 wins against Ipswich and Brentford in his first two games.

Slot’s fellow Dutchman Erik ten Hag is already under pressure at United after their 2-1 defeat at Brighton last weekend.

Topics mentioned in this article



Source link

]]>
Ivan Toney-Less Brentford Get The Better Of Crystal Palace https://artifex.news/ivan-toney-less-brentford-get-the-better-of-crystal-palace-6366269/ Sun, 18 Aug 2024 17:38:41 +0000 https://artifex.news/ivan-toney-less-brentford-get-the-better-of-crystal-palace-6366269/ Read More “Ivan Toney-Less Brentford Get The Better Of Crystal Palace” »

]]>

Brentford got their Premier League season off to a flying start with a 2-1 over Crystal Palace.© AFP




Brentford shrugged off the absence of Ivan Toney to get their Premier League season off to a flying start with a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday. Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa got the goals for the Bees, who had left out England international Toney over speculation surrounding his future. Toney has less than a year left to run on his contract with the London club and is attracting interest from Saudi clubs after his role in helping England to the Euro 2024 final. Brentford boss Thomas Frank said pre-match his side had shown last season they can cope without Toney — who missed much of last term due to a betting ban.

Marc Guehi did captain Crystal Palace despite the interest in him shown by Newcastle.

The England defender had an outstanding Euros but a moment to forget for Brentford’s opening goal.

Mbeumo raced onto Wissa’s pass and cut inside Guehi before firing into the far corner.

Palace ended last season in sensational form under Oliver Glasner and will feel hard done by not to have earned at least a point.

Eberechi Eze had a brilliantly executed near post free-kick harshly ruled out for a foul by Will Hughes when the score was still level at 0-0.

A bright Palace start to the second half was rewarded when Ethan Pinnock turned Daniel Munoz’s header into his own goal.

Seconds later, Odsonne Edouard slotted home Eze’s pass only to be denied by a marginal offside decision.

Instead it was Brentford who grabbed the vital third goal.

Dean Henderson could only parry Nathan Collins’ shot straight into the path of Wissa, who bundled home.

Eze was twice denied by Mark Flekken in the closing stages but Brentford held out for an impressive three points.

Champions Manchester City begin the defence of their Premier League title later on Sunday with a trip to face Chelsea in Enzo Maresca‘s first match in charge of the Blues.

Topics mentioned in this article



Source link

]]>
Bayern Munich Sign France Winger Michael Olise From Crystal Palace https://artifex.news/bayern-munich-sign-france-winger-michael-olise-from-crystal-palace-6057706/ Mon, 08 Jul 2024 05:07:29 +0000 https://artifex.news/bayern-munich-sign-france-winger-michael-olise-from-crystal-palace-6057706/ Read More “Bayern Munich Sign France Winger Michael Olise From Crystal Palace” »

]]>

Michael Olise has signed a contract with Bayern Munich till 2029.© X (Twitter)




Bayern Munich have signed French forward Michael Olise from Crystal Palace, the German giants announced on Sunday. German magazine Kicker reported Bayern paid a release clause of 70 million euros ($75 million) to the Premier League club to secure Olise’s services on a five-year deal. Olise, 22, completed a medical in the Bavarian capital on Sunday. “It’s a great challenge, and that’s exactly what I was looking for,” Olise said. “I want to prove myself at this level and play my part in ensuring that we win as many titles as possible with our team in the coming years.”

Born in London, Olise has represented France’s youth teams and will play for Les Bleus under coach Thierry Henry at the Paris Olympics in August.

Olise scored 10 goals and provided six assists in 19 Premier League games last season for the London club.

He is Bayern’s second major arrival of the summer after Japan defender Hiroki Ito who arrived from Stuttgart.

Bayern finished third behind champions Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart last season, breaking a streak of 11 straight Bundesliga titles.

Other than England captain Harry Kane, who scored 36 goals in 32 Bundesliga games, Bayern struggled for goals last season, with only Jamal Musiala (10 goals) reaching double figures.

“We want new impetus in our team, new energy, new ideas -– that’s what players like Michael Olise stand for,” Bayern sporting director Max Eberl said in a statement.

“We’re very much looking forward to having him here. He will enrich our game.”

Bayern are also reportedly close to finalising a deal for Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha, while Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah and RB Leipzig forward Xavi Simons are also on their shopping list. 

Topics mentioned in this article



Source link

]]>
Sunny Singh Gill Set To Become First Referee Of Indian Descent In Premier League https://artifex.news/sunny-singh-gill-set-to-become-first-referee-of-indian-descent-in-premier-league-5205938/ Sat, 09 Mar 2024 11:03:09 +0000 https://artifex.news/sunny-singh-gill-set-to-become-first-referee-of-indian-descent-in-premier-league-5205938/ Read More “Sunny Singh Gill Set To Become First Referee Of Indian Descent In Premier League” »

]]>


Sunny Singh Gill was standing at the proverbial career crossroads one year ago. He had the option to continue as a prison officer or concentrate on carrying forward his family’s rich footballing legacy by chasing his refereeing dream. Cut to 2024, the 39-year-old will script history at Selhurst Park on Saturday when he becomes the first Indian-origin and British South Asian to referee in an English Premier League fixture (Crystal Palace vs Luton). “This weekend I’ll be proud to see Sunny Singh Gill taking to the pitch as the first South Asian to referee a Premier League match,” said British PM Rishi Sunak, addressing an awards ceremony organised by the Asian Media Group (AMG) earlier this week.

“It is a reminder of the incredible contribution of South Asian people to our economy and our society. It’s a reminder too of the values we share: hard work, family, education and enterprise. There is so much for us to celebrate,” he said.

It will not be the first time that a member of the trailblazing Gill family claims a slice of history though. Sunny’s father Jarnail Singh was the first turbaned referee in the history of English League football (EFL). He officiated 150 matches between 2004 and 2010.

“Football has always run in the family,” Sunny said.

His brother Bhupinder was the first Sikh-Punjabi to serve as a Premier League assistant referee when he ran the line during the Southampton versus Nottingham Forest game last year.

“Me and my brother grew up loving the game and like most young kids, we just wanted to play but in our household, it was a bit different because when we were going to primary school, we knew our dad was going out to referee on a weekend,” he told EFL last year.

“There were times he was a fourth official in the Premier League and our friends would say they saw him on Match of the Day!” But it was not refereeing that he dreamed of as a child. Like umpteen children in Britain, Sunny too aspired to play football professionally.

“I remember when I was nine years old we went to watch Arsenal play Everton, that was our first Premier League game,” Sunny said.

“Dermot Gallager was the referee and dad was the fourth official. At that age you don’t really think about being a referee.

“I remember looking around Highbury and watching Ian Wright for Arsenal thinking, ‘wow, this is what I want’.

“We took a picture on the pitch underneath the goalposts and all I thought about was how amazing it would be to score a goal there, not give a penalty there or something!” He was scouted by Queens Park Rangers but was released soon after the trials at the club’s youth academy. But his passion for football remained intact.

It wasn’t until watching his father referee a game between Wolves and Burnley in front of 35,000 fans that Sunny understood what his calling was.

“After watching him walk out of the tunnel that day that’s when I thought, ‘yeah, I want to be a referee’. I was a little bit older and more realistic and I knew what it was like to go through that matchday routine as a referee.” At 17, Sunny took charge of his first Sunday League. But the teenager found it difficult to handle footballers on the field and went on a five-year hiatus from officiating.

“I got put off it. Part of it was because I wanted to play football with my friends, but also I was only 17 and refereeing was hard.

“Players behave in a certain way, I was young, perhaps a little bit immature and I didn’t have the man-management skills to cope with that.” An encouraging chat with his father put him back on the path of refereeing.

In April 2021, Sunny (fourth official)and Bhupinder (assistant) became the first pair of British South Asians to officiate in the same Championship match and in November last year, he became the first South Asian since his father to referee a Championship game.

Alongside officiating in the EFL, Sunny also worked at Feltham Prison and Young Offender Institution. Fatigued, he eventually gave up the latter to focus on training as a referee.

“It was tough, doing full-time shift work during the week then going off officiating at the weekends, you have to think how it will affect your life but I knew it was what I wanted to do.

“I asked my family to just stick with me because I knew it would be worthwhile one day when I could have a professional career in football and I did.” It hasn’t been an easy journey for Sunny who now wants to realise his dream Premier League dream and scale greater heights.

“It’s been a lot of hard work training away from the pitch, improving in every department with the help of the PGMOL and my coaches.

“I now want to set more goals and fulfill my dream of becoming the first South Asian to referee in the Premier League.”

Topics mentioned in this article



Source link

]]>