Sports
Wolves confirm eight player departures
Wolverhampton Wanderers news from BirminghamLive as Wolves announce that Joao Moutinho and Diego Costa are among those leaving Molineux this summer
Wolverhampton Wanderers have confirmed that Joao Moutinho will leave the club this summer along with Diego Costa – but have not ruled out the possibility of Adama Traore staying at Molineux.
All three players are coming to the end of their current contracts with Wolves. And an update has now been given on the situation following the end of the 2022-23 season.
The club said in a statement: “Moutinho passed the 200-appearance mark for Wolves appearance under (Julen) Lopetegui earlier this calendar year, during the fifth year of a glittering career in old gold, after he joined the club from Monaco during the summer of 2018. Player of the Season following his debut campaign, Moutinho scored a collection of stunning goals for the club and was a midfield ever-present alongside Ruben Neves for much of his time at Molineux but will now move on to pastures new this summer.”
Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs said: “Joao’s going to go down as one of the best players to ever pull on the old gold, in my opinion. He was an integral part of the team the entire time he was here. Our success over the last four or five years, he’s been instrumental in. So, he now departs with nothing but thanks from the football club.
“Everything he does is meticulous. He’s shown a lot of the younger players what you have to do to look after yourself and have a good career in the game. When he first came to the club, he was a big part of the culture change, because of his work ethic and how he managed himself before and after training. He definitely raised the levels and expectations amongst the players themselves.
“When he came in, we had a huge Portuguese contingent, and he was a hero to a lot of the guys for what he’d achieved in both club and international football. He just had that presence and people wanted to follow what he was he doing. We thank Joao for all he did at Wolves and wish him the best of luck for the future.”
Costa was drafted in amid a striker crisis and made 25 appearances in his nine-month spell at Molineux, helping the team retain their Premier League status. Hobbs said: “Diego came off the back of Sasa’s [Kalajdzic] injury and has been incredible whilst he’s been here, the way he’s bought into the club, the values and the culture. On the pitch, he’s shown that he still has a lot to offer and off the pitch he’s been an incredible teammate, especially for the young Brazilians like Joao [Gomes] and Matheus [Cunha] – he’s been a real asset for them.
“We’ve seen the relationship he’s had with the women’s team, where he was in the gym in the evenings and they came in and formed friendships, and he was very supportive of them. I can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done over the season – he was a really important part of what we managed to achieve, staying in the Premier League.
“It feels the natural time to part ways because he was on a one-year contract. There was some internal conversations and we felt this was right. I’ve got no doubt that Diego will get another club off the back of his performances for sure. If a club calls me to ask about the person, he’ll get nothing but praise from me.”
Traore, meanwhile, is free to speak to other clubs after five years – and 194 appearances – at Wolves but Hobbs said: “As the manager said in his press conferences recently, Adama is a player we’d like to keep and we’re still talking to him. He’s now out of contract, but it doesn’t mean there’s not an opportunity to still come to an agreement, so conversations will be ongoing. He’s probably earned the right to understand what else is out there.
“He’s a great guy around the place, always happy and friendly, so on every level we’d like to keep him. Sometimes it’s not possible, but we’ll certainly be trying. We hope we can come to an agreement but let’s see what happens over the next few weeks.”
Elsewhere, six members of the under-21s squad will be leaving the club this summer – Taylor Perry, Luke Matheson, Michael Agboola, Lee Harkin, Jack Hodnett and Jack Scott.
Hobbs added: “There are some good players in there, but we’re keen on keeping pathways clear for the younger players. We like to keep our average age young across the 18s and 21s, so some of these boys get to a stage where we have to make the decision for us, but also for them to start a career in men’s football.
“Jack Scott, for example, has already got a new club and there’s a lot of interest in all the boys. For us, it’s the right time for both sides, one so we can move 16 and 17-year-olds into the 21s and for them to start a career.
“The reality is, to reach our first-team is really tough, but there’s a lot of players who will have good careers and we think holding on to them for too long, and sending them on loans where they never really feel part of it, is not fair. It’s about finding the right time to say off you go, when they have options to get themselves going.”
The club statement concluded: “Everyone at Wolves thanks all those players departing the club this summer for their effort and wish them the best of luck in the future.”
Referee Chris Kavanagh was right to send Declan Rice off in Arsenal’s draw with Brighton, the Key Match Incidents panel has ruled.
The board – which reviews the big refereeing decisions in the Premier League each week – agreed the midfielder should have been dismissed.
Rice, who was already on a booking, nudged the ball away from Joel Veltman as he prepared to take a free-kick in the 49th minute of Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brighton last weekend.
It was the first red card of the England star’s career, with the panel agreeing his actions were “clear, deliberate and impactful” and a second yellow card was correct.
The panel, which unanimously backed the decision, wrote: “Rice knows what he’s doing – it’s a gentle touch, but once the referee sees it he has no choice.”
Arsenal were 1-0 up at the time after Kai Havertz’s goal, but Joao Pedro’s leveller earned Brighton a point at the Emirates.
The KMI panel is independent and made up of three former players or coaches, one Premier League representative and one from the Professional Game Match Officials Board, the referees’ body.
It also ruled the video assistant referee (VAR) was right to intervene in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s goal in Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Manchester United.
The goal was initially given but was then ruled out, with Mohamed Salah deemed to have been offside in the build-up.
It was the only on-pitch decision ruled to have been incorrect out of the 23 looked into for match week three.
The panel was unanimous in its support of every on-field call, except the decision not to give Crystal Palace’s Will Hughes a second yellow card in their 1-1 draw at Chelsea.
The midfielder, already on a booking, avoided a caution from referee Jarred Gillett despite pulling back Cole Palmer outside the box just after half-time.
The first caution was unanimously supported as correct, with the majority (3-2) supporting Gillett’s decision not to issue a second yellow.
However, two of the panellists argued: “Palmer is the wrong side of Hughes and has options left and right, therefore it is stopping a promising attack.”
Manchester United have identified the manager to take over from Erik ten Hag when the Dutchman leaves.
The former Ajax manager is clearly under pressure following Manchester United’s disappointing start to the season.
The Mirror reports that United’s co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is considering firing him and has identified former Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane as a possible replacement for Ten Hag.
The Red Devils finished eighth in the Premier League last season while also being knocked out of their Champions League group.
Ten Hag was about being sacked before luck shone on him to win the FA Cup final against city rivals, Manchester City.
The club’s revamped board decided to stick with him but the start to the current season has intensified the pressure on him.
After managing a 1-0 win over Fulham, Manchester United suffered a 2-1 defeat to Brighton on the road and were then dismantled by Liverpool at Old Trafford.
This poor form has only heightened the scrutiny on Ten Hag.
And the club’s owners have been monitoring the potential of Zidane replacing Ten Hag if the Dutchman’s tenure falters.
Zidane has not managed a team since 2021, but still remains a sought-after coach.
However, there are other options for Zidane, who is a leading candidate to replace Didier Deschamps as the France national team manager.
John Mikel Obi has refused to blame Victor Osimhen for his social media tirade at former Super Eagles head coach, Finidi George.
Osimhen came under scrutiny for lashing out at Finidi, who allegedly questioned his commitment to the national team.
The forward called out the former Ajax winger and expressed his disappointment and loss of respect for him.
Mikel said Osimhen’s frustration was understandable, especially with the Super Eagles poor results against South Africa and Benin Republic.
The former midfielder admitted that while the striker’s reaction may not be ideal, he understands why the player needs to defend himself.
He praised Osimhen’s humility but acknowledged that respect must be mutual.
“Every time I speak to him, he’s very humble, respects people. As I said, respect is reciprocal. I respect you, you respect me. I think this situation with the Nigerian coach, where he blew out, he just felt it wasn’t fair because the manager didn’t protect him, Mikel said on Obionepodcast.
“He said he had a conversation with the manager, everything was recorded, and the manager just threw him under the bus.
“He was really pissed off, so he came out to defend himself. Maybe the way he did it wasn’t the best, but he had the right to speak out. I have nothing against Victor [Osimhen] for that, and knowing your worth isn’t arrogance.”
Sports
Osimhen stands on wrongdoing as Nigerians celebrate mediocrity, refuses to apologise to Finidi for disgraceful social media rant
Former Super Eagles head coach Finidi George has revealed that Super Eagles star, Victor Osimhen has not apologized for the social media rant that disrespected him.
Osimhen lashed out at Finidi on social media after the Finidi reportedly accused him of pulling out of national team games.
After the rant, Osimhen was widely criticized on social media with top sporting figures urging him to apologize but Finidi says he has put the episode behind him.
“I sent him a message that it was not the best way, just someone telling you that coach said that and you’re talking about me like I said it in an interview,” Finidi told Nigeria Info FM.
“From that point, I didn’t hear from him, I moved on and I wish everybody well, only God will judge”.
Finidi also refused to comment on the suggestion that Osimhen should have been sanctioned with a ban from the Super Eagles.
“I don’t know, he is there already, let him be,” he added.
“We cannot crucify him, he has made a mistake, we have moved on and life goes on.”
British Broadcaster, Piers Morgan has heaped praises on Portugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo after the forward led his team to beat Scotland in the Nations League on Sunday.
Portugal came from a goal down to beat Scotland 2-1 following Scott McTominay’s goal for the visitors.
Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes scored the goals for the host in Lisbon.
Reacting, Morgan, in a tweet on X after the game, said Ronaldo keeps writing his own scripts, branding the Al Nassr forward as ‘incredible.’
“RONALDO!!!!! His first-ever goal against Scotland. His 901st in professional football,” Morgan tweeted.
“He keeps writing his own scripts. Incredible @Cristiano.”
Jannik Sinner says it “means so much” to win the US Open after a “very difficult” period following the controversy over his positive tests for a banned substance.
The world number one stormed past American Taylor Fritz in Sunday’s final to claim his second Grand Slam of the year.
It was revealed six days before the tournament began that Sinner had been cleared of any wrongdoing after twice testing positive for low levels of a metabolite of clostebol – a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass – in March.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) ruled the Italian was inadvertently contaminated with the substance by Giacomo Naldi, his physiotherapist.
“This title means so much because the last period of my career was not easy,” the 23-year-old said.
“It [the investigation] was and still is on my mind. It’s not that it’s gone, but when I’m on court, I try to handle the situation the best possible way.
“I’m happy how I handled this one. I’m just excited to have this trophy with me.”
Sinner subsequently parted ways with the physio and his fitness trainer – but questions remained about whether Sinner’s case had been handled differently to those of other players because of his status as world number one.
Sinner added he felt “more pressure” in New York than he did when he won his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.
“Here it was difficult because also the pre-tournament circumstances weren’t easy,” Sinner said.
“I felt like that I have grown, you know, match by match and that my confidence level went higher and higher at some point.”
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