اعتذر أنطونيو كونتي، مدرب إنتر ميلان، عما بدر منه تجاه أندريا إنييلي رئيس يوفنتوس، في المباراة التي جمعت الفريقين بإياب نصف نهائي كأس إيطاليا.

وتأهل يوفنتوس على حساب الإنتر لنهائي كأس إيطاليا، وأشار كونتي خلال المباراة بإشارة مسيئة بأصبعه تجاه مسؤولي اليوفي، وعقب المباراة أهان إنييلي، مدرب البيانكونيري السابق، إهانة لفظية (طالع التفاصيل).

بدأ الاتحاد الإيطالي لكرة القدم (FIGC) تحقيقًا في الحادث واعترف كونتي بأنه كان مخطئًا في رد فعله بالطريقة التي فعلها.

وقال للصحفيين بحسب موقع “جول” العالمي: “أعتقد أنه من الصواب توضيح ما حدث في ملعب يوفنتوس، الكل شاهد وسمع الحقيقة، هذا مهم بالنسبة لي”.

وأضاف: “يمكن أن نكون لاعبي كرة قدم أو مدربين أو رؤساء، قدوة تعليمية ويجب أن نتذكر ذلك”.

وشدد كونتي: “أنا هنا لأعتذر، لقد قمت بالرد على الإهانات بطريقة خاطئة، كان بإمكاني فعل ذلك بطريقة أخرى، ربما برفع إبهامي بدلاً من إصبعي الأوسط، كان يجب أن أتصرف بشكل مختلف”.

أمضى كونتي ثلاث سنوات في تدريب يوفنتوس، وقادهم إلى ألقاب الدوري الإيطالي في كل موسم، ثم انهارت علاقته مع أنييلي بعد استقالته في عام 2014.

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Some Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to slam Romelu Lukaku after the striker leaked exclusive training data.

The Belgium international’s tweet – which has since been deleted – showed him second only to Diogo Dalot with a max speed of 36.25kph in a pre-season test, as he issued a response to those online who had been calling him slow.

However, perhaps unintentionally, the former Everton man also revealed those who finished at the wrong end of the test, such as Luke Shaw, Scott McTominay and Juan Mata – Mata and Shaw even responded to the incident themselves on Twitter.

Lukaku – who has 42 goals for United – could still leave the club for Juventus as a deal involving himself and Paulo Dybala drags on, but his latest act doesn’t appear to have gone down too well with a section of the Red Devils supporters.

Let’s take a look at how the United fans on Twitter responded to Lukaku’s leak…

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Needless to say, Manchester United were welcomed to China with open arms.

The fans loved to see their idols on the pitch and the Red Devils certainly enjoyed the support throughout their 2019 summer pre-season tour. Shanghai was just a cherry on top.

But after the game against Tottenham Hotspur, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men will move out and start getting ready for the next challenges that await and also for the start of the new 2019/20 Premier League season.

David de Gea was also extremely fond of the fans he encountered in Shanghai and he shared an

/B0TFPqjgEKR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram snap that saw him interact with a rather large group of them at once.

But as the Spanish goalkeeper posted that image, his ex-club teammate, Ander Herrera, rushed to the comment section to throw some banter De Gea’s way.

Herrera asked his friend if he was maybe on a concert of some sort and followed it up with a couple of laughing emojis.

One of Paris Saint-Germain’s summer recruits insinuated that De Gea looked like he was performing on the stage of his own concert and singing instead of just interacting with his fans.

Either way, it was just a tongue-in-cheek comment from a player who clearly isn’t forgetting his friends in Manchester anytime soon.

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West Brom host Reading tonight as the fourth gameweek of the Championship season comes to a climax.

Slaven Bilic’s men are unbeaten in their three games so far this season with two victories and one draw.

Their most recent fixture saw them come from behind to defeat Luton Town on Saturday and the way the outcome panned out surely gave the Croatian plenty to think about going into this fixture.

Summer signing Kenneth Zohore remains goalless having played a part in all three Championship matches whilst three of their deadline day arrivals came off the bench to play their part at the weekend in Charlie Austin, Grady Diangana and Matheus Pereira.

So, will the Croatian stick with a similar lineup or give an opportunity to those that began the game on the bench? Here’s our predicted XI:

West Brom’s back five should remain the same, they are unbeaten after all – that means goalkeeper Sam Johnstone keeps his spot between the sticks with Kyle Bartley and Semi Ajayi at centre-back with young Nathan Ferguson and Kieran Gibbs on either side.

The midfield trio of Filip Krovinovic, Romaine Sawyers and Jake Livermore have impressed this season, all averaging above a passing success rate of 85% or better – not that they have many other options to choose from anyway.

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If any changes are to be made they are likely to be in attack.

Austin is in line for his full starting debut in the Championship after the lacklustre exploits of zero-goal forward Zohore.

He should get support from super-sub Diangana whose performance practically won them the game on Saturday – coming on a half-time, the 21-year-old scored two and earned a WhoScored rating of 8.81.

Matt Phillips who was a favourite under Darren Moore, making 25 starts last season, could make way on the right to facilitate the Hammers loanee.

Though, Kyle Edwards could keep his place on the other side with Chris Willock playing for the under-23s in midweek.

Whilst Pereira looks to be utilised as a backup option for the time being having come off the bench just twice across the Championship and the Carabao Cup.

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In today’s Manchester United transfer roundup we have three of the biggest stories involving the Red Devils to share with you. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly interested in Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon, a Serie A club takes the lead in the race for Nicolas Pepe and United fail in a late approach for Idrissa Gueye.

United make Sessegnon approach

Report: As per Duncan Castles on The Transfer Window Podcast (24/07), Manchester United have made an approach for Ryan Sessegnon. Fulham could be ready to sell but will demand £27m for the 19-year-old’s services.

Verdict: Sessegnon may not have been able to hit the heights of his 2017/18 campaign last season, but he is still a talented player and managed to make history by becoming the first player born in the 21st century to score in the Premier League. The England U21 international has refused to sign a new contract at Craven Cottage, so a move away from his current club looks likely. Castles mentioned on the podcast episode that Tottenham, Juventus, PSG and RB Leipzig have all also made enquiries, so there will be a battle for his signature. Mauricio Pochettino’s track record of working wonders with younger players would make Spurs an appealing destination, whilst themselves and the other three clubs will all be playing Champions League football next season. United, therefore, would need to make a very attractive offer to convince the left-footed player to move to Old Trafford.

How likely is the deal? 6/10

Napoli agree Pepe fee

Report: Napoli have agreed a fee of €80m (£71.7m) with Lille for Nicolas Pepe, the French club’s president Gerard Lopez has told Tuttosport (via Football Italia). He added during the interview that they are one of four clubs to satisfy the Ligue 1 side’s financial demands. The player will now decide where to move to.

Verdict: If United do not manage to bring in the Ivory Coast international this summer, it would be a crushing blow and would say an awful lot about their current pulling power. In all fairness, the Red Devils could be one of the other three clubs still in running, but Lopez’s name-dropping of Napoli would indicate that they are favourites, especially considering the 24-year-old’s representatives met with the Italian team on Thursday. Adam Ounas is expected to go the other way and, whilst the LOSC president has stressed that the negotiations for the Algeria international are not part of the deal for Pepe, it would be nigh on impossible for it not to have some impact on the thought process of the two clubs. Once again, United’s lack of Champions League football could be a killer blow.

How likely is the deal? 6/10

Gueye snubs Old Trafford move

Report: Everton have agreed a deal with PSG for Idrissa Gueye, but it could have been different according to L’Equipe. They are reporting that United made a late attempt to sign the Senegal international but, despite “hesitating for a moment”, the 29-year-old stuck with the Ligue 1 champions.

Verdict: The Red Devils already have Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic as defensive options in midfield. As such, a move for Gueye makes little sense and goes against the current transfer policy that appears to be in place at Old Trafford. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Dan James, the two new faces to arrive in Manchester this summer, are both 21 years old, and most of the names also linked with moves, such as Sean Longstaff, Sessegnon and Pepe, are in their early 20s at the oldest. Gueye has already stated that he wanted the move to PSG back in February, so it comes as no surprise that he would snub United.

How likely is the deal? 1/10

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أكد عمرو محب مترجم المدير الفني لفريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي، أن يعمل مع المدرب بيتسو موسيماني بـ10 أضعاف جهده عما كان عليه مع السويسري رينيه فايلر.

وكان عمرو محب قد عمل مترجمًا للمدير الفني بالنادي الأهلي، خلال تولي كارتيرون ومن بعده فايلر، ثم بيتسو موسيماني وجهازه المعاون خلال الفترة الجارية.

طالع | الأهلي يعلن غياب طاهر محمد طاهر عن مباراة المريخ في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وقال محب في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر فضائية “أون تايم سبورتس”: “رينيه فايلر رجل سويسري وكان عمليًا جدًا”.

وأضاف: “موسيماني مجتهد جدًا والتعامل الإنساني عنده عالٍ، بالإضافة إلى أنه مجتهد، وأعمل معه بـ10 أضعاف جهدي مع فايلر”.

وتابع: “النادي الأهلي دولة، مشجعيه 60 أو 70 مليونًا، هناك دول تعداد مواطنيهم ليس بهذا العدد، القلعة الحمراء كيان كبير وله دستوره وأخلاقياته”.

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According to The Daily Star, Leeds United are considering a £7.5m move for Aston Villa defender James Chester in this summer’s transfer window.

The Whites sold Pontus Jansson to Brentford earlier this month and are currently short of experienced options in central defence.

According to The Daily Star, Chester has emerged as a potential target for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, who are currently in Australia preparing for the 2019-20 campaign.

Chester could find himself out of favour at Villa Park in the new season with Tyrone Mings, Kortney Hause, Ezri Konsa and Bjorn Engels all arriving this summer.

A knee injury saw the 30-year-old miss the latter stages of the 2018-19 campaign, which ended with promotion via the playoffs.

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The Villa fans have been on social media commenting on the transfer rumour.

And whilst many are not too bothered about keeping Chester, there is a general feeling that £7.5m is not enough to convince the club to sell the 5 ft 11 ace.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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The Premier League season finally gets underway this weekend.

Aston Villa are back in the big time too after a three-year absence following relegation in 2016.

Dean Smith’s men come into the latest campaign with an almost entirely new squad of players after 12 arrivals walked through the door at Villa Park this summer for a total amount in excess of £130m.

How many of those players feature on Saturday remains to be seen but we’ve had a go at predicting who may well be in the starting XI against Tottenham at 5.30pm.

With so many new faces arriving in the claret and blue this summer, Villa boss Smith has plenty to think about as they kickstart their season with a tough test against the Champions League runners-up.

There could be as many as seven debutants whilst a familiar trio is likely to be deployed in the heart of the pitch and there should be a start for one of their most popular loan stars from last season.

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Tom Heaton should be a certainty to start in goal as he bares the most experience in England’s top-flight of any of their current goalkeepers with 96 Premier League appearances to his name. In front of him could be as many as three new defenders.

Tyrone Mings is a familiar face and he has struck up a nice partnership with Bjorn Engels during pre-season. At right-back, Smith may favour the youthful Frederic Guilbert over Ahmed Elmohamady with both the new signings playing in France’s top tier last season.

Matt Targett joined in a £15m move early in the summer so that left-back spot could be his for the foreseeable future.

Smith added some big names in midfield but we’re not expecting any of them to make their debuts from the start on Saturday.

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Douglas Luiz joined from Manchester City but wasn’t able to link up with his new teammates until last week due to delays over his work permit and fellow arrival Marvelous Nakamba has only had one game to settle in, though he could be on the bench.

That means Conor Hourihane is likely to deputise in holding midfield as he did ever so astutely last season and during this pre-season and he will surely be joined by the popular duo of John McGinn and captain Jack Grealish.

In attack, club-record signing Wesley Moraes is a shoo-in to make his debut considering the fee paid and the other options. Meanwhile, Anwar El Ghazi, scorer in the playoff final, has a niggle which could see Trezeguet start on the left wing with Jota occupying the other side.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

According to TRT Spor journalist Firat Gunayer, Liverpool and two other British clubs are interested in a move for Besiktas defensive midfielder Dorukhan Tokoz.

If a deal is to be completed, it will have to be done quickly. The transfer deadline is this Thursday, and as of now, the Reds have signed just four players and only one who looks likely to influence first-team proceedings – Adrian has been signed as Simon Mignolet’s replacement, whilst teenage duo Sepp van den Berg and Harvey Elliott have arrived along with 35-year-old Andy Lonergan.

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Not many will have heard of Tokoz, as the defensive midfielder plies his trade over in the Super Lig with Besiktas, but the stats suggests he could be a fairly useful option to deputise for – and eventually replace – Fabinho.

Whilst we must consider the fact that the Premier League is arguably a more testing division than the Super Lig, it can’t be denied that the Turkey international’s statistics are quite impressive.

Fabinho arrived in a £39m deal from Monaco last summer and eventually became an important player for Jurgen Klopp, after a period of acclimatisation at the start of the campaign saw him partially left out.

Liverpool recorded 97 points in the league last term, and the Brazil international was a big part of their success as well as their Champions League glory.

He averaged 2.1 tackles per game and one interception per game from a defensive midfield role, but as good as he was, Tokoz’s stats are far better.

The 23-year-old – two years younger than Fabinho – excelled for Besiktas last term, bettering the former Real Madrid man’s numbers in every department detailed above.

We’re by no means suggesting that the Turk will oust Fabinho from his role at Anfield if he signed, but there is definitely enough to suggest that Tokoz could succeed the No.3 at Liverpool and learn from an expert in his position on Merseyside.

It should also be noted that there isn’t really another player of Fabinho’s type at Liverpool currently, although there is also only one place on the teamsheet for a deep-lying defensive midfielder in Klopp’s 4-3-3 system.

With this knowledge in mind, Tokoz acting as Fabinho’s understudy, learning from the Brazilian and being the heir to his throne at Liverpool would be the best course of action if the Reds did get this deal over the line.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

The new Championship season isn’t yet upon us but that hasn’t stopped Leeds supporters from taking a negative outlook on proceedings at Elland Road.

They’ve already complained about the lack of defensive cover whilst they also appear to be alarmed by how injuries could hinder the side in 2019/20.

It’s been somewhat of a roller-coaster pre-season for the Whites who have seen Pontus Jansson walk through the exit door whilst they’ve sold promising Jack Clarke, only for him to return on loan.

However, there is a deep underlying issue at Leeds that needs addressing if they’re to achieve promotion.

On the chalkboard

The fact of the matter is that Leeds simply don’t have enough in their squad at the moment, especially defensively.

Losing Jansson is sure to felt hard by the football club, who despite making hints that he was sold due to financial fair play, will struggle to replace someone who appeared 39 times in the second tier last campaign.

Liam Cooper and Jansson were both named in the PFA Team of the Year for last season but the former has started rather questionably alongside Gaetano Berardi in pre-season, conceding four goals against Manchester United in Australia.

However, what they’re in danger of doing, is not improving the mentality and experience in the squad.

Phil Hay has stated that Marcelo Bielsa is a big fan of Ben White, but he comes in with no expertise of the level he’s going to be required to play at.

And if he’s been brought in to replace Jansson, it’s a questionable decision.

The play-offs were decided by a number of rash decisions from Leeds defenders which just about sums up the animosity in the air surrounding the defence.

Cooper gave away a penalty whilst Berardi was also sent off. That’s not to mention the mistakes Kiko Casilla made, too.

However, with Hay explaining that he wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t bring in any new faces at centre half, it should be particularly alarming.

If they sign anyone else it’ll be a costly error of judgement and could well shape how well they compete this season.

On the face of it, Leeds could be staring at a repeat of how 2018/19 played out, something they simply cannot afford.