Former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett has accused the match officials of making a big mistake towards the end of Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat away at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The reigning Premier League champions were outclassed against PSG, who won the Champions League for the first time last season, at the Parc des Princes.
Liverpool failed to register a single shot on target as goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia secured a deserved quarter-final first-leg victory for Luis Enrique’s impressive side.
However, with the aggregate score at 2-0, Liverpool know they still have an outside chance of reaching the semi-finals next week at Anfield. Dominik Szoboszlai claims he’s optimistic, even if the reaction from fans towards the Liverpool midfielder’s post-match comments has been less than positive.
The Champions League has reached the quarter-final stages and the Opta Supercomputer has given its chances of who will win the trophy
Keith Hackett: Match Officials Got Konate Decision Wrong
Ibrahima Konate
Had PSG scored another goal, the tie would almost certainly be beyond reach for Liverpool, considering how the team are currently performing under beleaguered manager Arne Slot.
Keith Hackett believes PSG should have been awarded the opportunity to make it 3-0 on Wednesday night during the closing stages of the match.
Ibrahima Konate escaped punishment for a push on full-back Nuno Mendes inside the box. “I’m telling you right now, that’s a penalty,” co-commentator Ally McCoist said live on TNT Sports. Commentator Darren Fletcher added: “That’s a foul. It’s crazy, by the way.” Watch the incident below:
To the astonishment of the two commentators, VAR quickly dismissed the incident as a ’check over’ message was displayed on-screen.
“This was a push by Konate that should have resulted in the award of a penalty kick.
“The subtle push impacted on the forward, who lost balance and went to ground. VAR should have intervened to enable the referee to have a second (view of the) incident.”
Hackett Casts Verdict on Earlier Konate Incident
Konate came close to conceding a penalty during a separate incident earlier in the second half. Referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martínez initially awarded a spot-kick when Konate appeared to foul Warren Zaire-Emery inside the box; however, the decision was overturned when the incident was reviewed on the pitch-side monitor.
On this decision, Hackett said: “(This was) a very good intervention by VAR to see that the referee in awarding a penalty kick had made a clear and obvious error.
“The decision was reviewed and correctly overturned.”
The ex-Manchester City and Chelsea star was pulled over by police after colliding with motorway barriers. Sterling, currently a Feyenoord player, was travelling on the M3 when he was pulled over by the police.
Police Release a Statement Over Raheem Sterling Arrest
Sterling was taken in on suspicion of drug-driving after receiving a report of his car hitting the barriers. According to the police statement, the footballer was also arrested for dangerous driving and possession of Class C drugs, while failing to provide a sample. The Hampshire Police said:
“Just before 9am on Thursday, we received reports of that a Lamborghini was in collision with barriers on the M3 southbound, close to the Minley Interchange.
“The driver, a 31-year-old man from Berkshire, has been arrested on suspicion of driving a vehicle whilst unfit through drugs, driving dangerously, possession of Class C drug and failing to provide a specimen. He has been bailed while our enquiries continue.”
Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a major blow in the transfer market after it emerged that one star Roberto De Zerbi wants to keep has already agreed terms with another club.
Spurs avoided relegation on the final day of the season thanks to a 1-0 win over Everton, and are now looking to strengthen their squad ahead of the World Cup to ensure that scenario isn’t repeated next season.
De Zerbi has already green-lit deals for Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi, who will join on free transfers from Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively once their contracts expire, but he now looks set to lose a key member of the squad that helped them earn survival.
Palhinha Reaches Agreement With Sporting CP
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Spurs loanee Joao Palhinha has already reached an agreement with former club Sporting CP about a return to his homeland this summer.
The holding midfielder, who scored vital goals against Wolves and Everton in the battle for survival, spent the season on loan from Bayern Munich, and the Lilywhites hold the option to make the move permanent, with De Zerbi previously admitting that he wanted to keep the Portugal international at the club, having described him as ‘one of the best’.
It’s understood that Palhinha is also open to staying at the north London club, but with Spurs unsure about triggering the clause, it has allowed Sporting to enter the race to take the 30-year-old back to Lisbon, and they have now agreed personal terms with him.
Sporting haven’t closed a deal though, as they still need to negotiate a fee with Bayern Munich. It’s reported that Sporting would prefer to strike a deal for a loan with an option to buy, and negotiations are ongoing with the Bundesliga giants about whether that is possible.
Spurs Plans Take Massive Hit
While Palhinha isn’t the most exciting signing around, he proved his worth at the back end of the season with his performances on the pitch and his leadership qualities.
He managed to change the mind of De Zerbi and became a key player. So for De Zerbi to enter the new season without him, having openly admitted that he wants him to stay at the club would be a major blow to the team, but also to their plans for the summer window.
In what is likely to be a hugely busy transfer market anyway, Spurs have lots of areas to address, and they won’t have been planning on replacing him, which makes their task that little bit more difficult ahead of a hugely important season.
Manchester City might be facing 115 charges of wrongdoing, but Ruben Dias is facing a singular charge of his own that he’s currently doing his best to fend off.
Dias is one of the finest defenders in the world. He was a cornerstone of Pep Guardiola’sCity side and a former Ballon d’Or nominee. Since joining City from Benfica in 2020 for around £65 million, he’s near-enough picked up where Vincent Kompany had left off the year before.
Insider Drops Huge Update on Date of Man City 115 Charges Verdict Being Made Public
He was named the Premier League Player of the Season in his debut campaign and collected four Premier League titles and a Champions League winners’ medal.
On the pitch, his reputation is unimpeachable. But off it, his personal life attracted huge public attention when his relationship with one of Britain’s most recognisable TV presenters became tabloid fodder.
Ruben Dias and Maya Jama: A High-Profile Romance Under the Spotlight
Dias and Maya Jama were together for approximately 18 months, with their relationship attracting massive amounts of media attention given both their profiles.
Jama is one of the UK’s biggest presenting talents, fronting the ever-popular reality show Love Island, and boasting a huge following on social media. The pairing of a Champions League winner and a primetime television personality was always going to draw eyes, and for the most part, the couple appeared to navigate the spotlight with a good degree of composure.
However, the relationship is understood to have come to an end just before Jama departed for Scotland to film Celebrity Traitors a few weeks ago. Almost immediately, rumours began to circulate over the reason for their break-up, with suggestions of infidelity directed squarely at Dias.
In screenshots reported by The Sun and allegedly dating back to March, Dias appeared to have been following and unfollowing model Catarina Duraes on social media. A similar pattern was reportedly observed with another woman last November. While there was no suggestion that Dias had directly messaged either woman or crossed any physical line, an insider told the publication that the behaviour “will raise eyebrows.”
The term “toe dipping,” used to describe flirtatious social media activity while in a committed relationship, began trending in connection with the 29-year-old’s name.
Ruben Dias Issues Lengthy Denial On Instagram
After weeks of silence, Dias addressed the rumours head-on with a lengthy statement posted to Instagram, and the trigger for it all was rather personal:
“I feel that when my 85-year-old grandad is asking me if I’ve cheated on my girlfriend because he’s seen it repeatedly on the news, that’s where I draw the line on what’s acceptable and what’s not.”
He went on to flatly deny the allegations, stating that the relationship had always been built on mutual respect and that no line was ever crossed: “A lie told often enough can start to feel like the truth and for that reason I tell you that I didn’t cheat, nor did I ever have the intention or temptation to.”
Dias also made a point of affirming his respect for Jama, writing: “I believe Maya deserves all the respect in the world.”
However, the City defender stopped short of revealing the actual reasons behind the split, insisting that those details remain private: “The reasons why we broke up are private and belong to us and we’ve both dealt with it in a very mature way. I’ve always chosen to remain silent on these matters as my personal life is my business only.”
Read Dias’ full statement below:
He concluded by asking for respect for both himself and his former partner, and made the broader point that infidelity isn’t the only reason a relationship can end.
It seems as though Dias has made his position abundantly clear. Whether the statement fully draws a line under the speculation is a totally different question, though.
