Armband
No Uefa hammer for gay supporting German skipper
The German FA has said it will not be punished by UEFA for the rainbow-coloured captain’s armband Germany skipper Manuel Neuer has worn during Euro 2020 in solidarity with gay pride this month. The German Football Association (DFB) said it has received a letter from European football’s governing body stating that a review of the matter has been stopped. “The armband has been assessed as a team symbol for diversity and thus for a ‘good cause’”, the DFB said on Twitter. Normally, the captains of each team at the European Championship are obliged to wear a standard armband issued by UEFA. Former Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, who came out as gay after retiring in 2013 and is now head of sport at VfB Stuttgart, was unimpressed that UEFA were even looking into the armband matter. “Come...
UEFA backs down over Manuel Neuer’s rainbow armband
UEFA has dropped its investigation of Manuel Neuer’s rainbow captain’s armband after declaring that the Germany skipper’s decision to wear it is a ‘team symbol of diversity’. Neuer has worn the armband during Germany’s last two Euro 2020 fixtures to show support for the LGBT+ community during Pride Month, but UEFA launched an investigation to determine whether it could be viewed as a political statement. Had UEFA determined that the armband was a political statement, Neuer could have been prohibited from wearing it in future games and the German FA (DFB) could have faced a fine for the goalkeeper’s actions. The DFB announced on Sunday evening that UEFA had dropped its probe and now views the armband as a “good cause”, though European football’s governing body is facing criticism for its de...
Marcus Rashford penalty gives England win over Romania in Euro warm-up
Marcus Rashford’s penalty earned England an unconvincing 1-0 win over Romania in their final warm-up friendly ahead of Euro 2020 in Middlesbrough on Sunday. However, victory for Gareth Southgate’s men was again overshadowed by booing from supporters as the players took the knee before kick-off. Southgate’s selection will also be questioned as he named an experimental line-up with five players who are not part of his final squad making an appearance at some point in the game. There is still one place up for grabs in Southgate’s 26-man squad, though, due to an injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold. James Ward-Prowse, Ben Godfrey and Ben White were all given the chance to further their case from the start, while Jesse Lingard and Ollie Watkins came off the bench in the second-half. An inexperience...
Arsenal receive positive Martin Odegaard update after ankle injury scare
Arsenal have been left breathing a huge sigh of relief after it was confirmed that the injury suffered by Martin Odegaard while on international duty is not serious. Gunners fans were left concerned on Wednesday night after the in-form Real Madrid loanee appeared to painfully roll his ankle before being substituted at half-time of Norway’s 3-0 World Cup qualifying win against Gibraltar. The absence of Odegaard for any extended period of time would have come as a sizable blow to Arsenal, with the 22-year-old having grown in influence since moving to north London in January and played a critical role in Sunday’s comeback draw against London rivals West Ham, afterwards attracting effusive praise from manager Mikel Arteta. But not only does it seem that Odegaard is now unlikely to miss key upc...
Jurgen Klopp: Mo Salah is happy at Liverpool
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp moved to dismiss speculation over Egypt forward Mohamed Salah’s future saying on Thursday he is happy at the Premier League champions. The 28-year-old gave an interview in Spain last week in which he said Barcelona and Real Madrid were top clubs and “who knows what will happen in the future”. This led to speculation over whether he was seeking a new longer-term contract beyond 2023 or he was upset Trent Alexander-Arnold had been given the captain’s armband for the Champions League group match with Midtjylland. “We do not speak about deals — well, not with you (the media). Why should we start now?” said Klopp at his press conference ahead of Sunday’s game with struggling West Brom. “Mo is in a good mood, always a good moment. He is in really good shape and that ...
