Zedtainment.com

Category: Football

Football News from South Africa and the rest of the World

Roman Abramovich says he plans to sell Chelsea

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich says he is planning to sell the club.

In a statement on the Premier League club’s website, businessman Abramovich said it was an “incredibly difficult decision to make”, which “pains” him.

The Russian will not ask “for any loans to be repaid” and proceeds of the sale will be donated to war victims.

On Saturday, Abramovich said he would give “stewardship and care” of Chelsea to its foundation trustees following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

That led to speculation he would put the club up for sale and earlier on Wednesday, billionaire Hansjorg Wyss told Swiss newspaper, Blick, he had been offered the chance to buy the west London club.

Wyss said Abramovich wanted “to get rid of Chelsea quickly” after the threat of sanctions was raised in Parliament.

Abramovich, 55, is alleged to have strong ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he has denied.

He says “all net proceeds from the sale” will be donated to the “victims of the war in Ukraine”.

In his statement, Abramovich added: “I have always taken decisions with the club’s best interest at heart.

“In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the club, the fans, the employees, as well as the club’s sponsors and partners.

“The sale of the club will not be fast-tracked but will follow due process. I will not be asking for any loans to be repaid.

“I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine.”

BBC Sport understands that the trustees of Chelsea’s charitable foundation, who had not yet agreed to take control of the club, will no longer be asked to. Chelsea’s players were not told ahead of time about their owner’s statement, which was released less than an hour before the side’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Luton Town.

Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 for £140m, and he says it has “never been about business nor money, but about pure passion for the game and club”.

Since his purchase of the club, Chelsea has been transformed, setting the template for how much finance was needed to compete at the top end of the Premier League.

In total, Abramovich has loaned the club more than £1.5bn, which has helped to bring great success.

Under his ownership, the club has won the Champions League twice, both the Premier League and FA Cup five times, the Europa League twice and the League Cup three times.

In August 2021, they won the Uefa Super Cup and in February won their first Club World Cup, meaning the Blues have won every major trophy possible since Abramovich took over at the club.

Other Russian billionaires have already been the subject of European Union sanctions where their assets have been frozen.

That has included Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who has commercial links to Everton.

The United Kingdom government is yet to sanction Abramovich or Usmanov, but Labour MP Chris Bryant said in Parliament on Tuesday that Abramovich was “terrified of being sanctioned which is why he is going to sell his home tomorrow [Wednesday], and another flat as well”.

On Wednesday, during Prime Minister’s Questions, Labour leader Keir Starmer asked why Abramovich was not facing sanctions, with Boris Johnson replying it was “not appropriate to comment on any individual cases at this stage”.

Wyss also said: “Abramovich is trying to sell all of his villas in England, he also wants to get rid of Chelsea quickly.

“I and three other people received an offer on Tuesday to buy Chelsea from Abramovich.”

A spokesperson for Abramovich declined to comment on those claims.

source – BBCSport

02/03/2022
Leeds United have names Jesse Marsch

Leeds United have named former RB Leipzig boss Jesse Marsch as their new head coach.

The 48-year-old has signed a deal at the Elland Road club until June 2025.

Marsch, who has also coached New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Salzburg, left the German club in December last year after a five-month spell.

The American will succeed Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa, who was sacked on Sunday, once a work permit is finalised.

Leeds sit 16th in the Premier League table, two points above the relegation zone, after a run of heavy defeats.

“It’s something I’m really excited about,” Marsch said. “I know what a big club Leeds is, I know ex-players who have played here and I’ve watched this club from afar for many years and I’m really honoured and excited to be here.”

He added: “How [Bielsa] has helped transform Leeds United into a Premier League team is pretty amazing.

“For me, I just want to help take the torch to the next phase. Everything that has been done has laid an incredible foundation and, coming in at this moment, I want to do everything I can to take the club into the next stage of our history.”

Leeds United director of football Victor Orta said: “We are delighted to welcome Jesse to the club and excited for him to lead us into this new chapter.

“Jesse is someone we identified a number of years ago during his time at Red Bull Salzburg and we believe his philosophy and style of football aligns with that of the club and will suit the players very well.

“We have a long-term plan and firmly believe he can take Leeds United to the next level and are excited for what the future holds.”

After leaving Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls in 2018, Marsch first joined RB Leipzig as Ralf Rangnick’s assistant before being appointed at RB Salzburg in June 2019.

He enjoyed a successful spell in Salzburg winning a league and cup double in his first season.

He was also part of the development of striker Erling Braut Haaland before the Norway striker joined Borussia Dortmund in 2019.

He then returned to Leipzig in April last year, this time as head coach when he took over from Julian Nagelsmann who left to manage Bayern Munich.

Marsch, who had been linked with the managerial vacancy at Celtic in the past, completed his Uefa Pro Licence in Scotland.

Former Swansea Under-23s coach Cameron Toshack, son of ex-Wales and Real Madrid manager John, is expected to be appointed as Marsch’s assistant.

Leeds United chief executive Angus Kinnear added: “We are really pleased to have quickly secured the services of our first-choice head coach.

“Whilst the short-term objective for Jesse is obvious, we believe he has the courage and ambition to build on the strong foundations we have created over the last four years and elevate the performance of the club over the long-term.

“He had a great deal of success with New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Salzburg and has demonstrated during our many meetings that he is a great fit with the footballing culture of Leeds United.”

Source – BBCSport

01/03/2022
Liverpool beat Chelsea 11-10 on penalties to win the Carabao Cup

Liverpool has won the first domestic silverware of 2022, triumphing in the Carabao Cup final on penalties after a pulsating match at Wembley.

In a game of four disallowed goals for offside, it was remarkable that neither Liverpool nor Chelsea could score a winner after 120 minutes of football, but several missed chances and some fantastic goalkeeping from both sides kept the match goalless.

All 11 Liverpool players scored their penalties, including goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, before Kepa Arrizabalaga skied his spot-kick over the bar to hand Liverpool the trophy. Arrizabalaga was a surprise omission from Chelsea’s starting XI but was brought on in the final minute of extra time for Édouard Mendy. It was a move that backfired for Thomas Tuchel.

Chelsea had started the stronger of the two sides and had a golden chance to take the lead when Christian Pulisic beat the offside trap but the American could only put his shot straight at Kelleher.

Arguably the best chance of the first half, though, fell to Sadio Mané, who was denied by his Senegalese teammate Édouard Mendy – surprisingly picked over Chelsea’s usual cup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Mendy got down to his right to repel a Naby Keïta shot and got to his feet to deny Mané on the rebound. It was a sensational stop, deflecting the ball over the bar.

Mount had a great chance to punish Liverpool just before half-time but volleyed horribly wide after a quick Chelsea counterattack.

Chelsea started the second half in a similar fashion, and Mount was again wasteful, sidefooting a shot onto Kelleher’s left post when he was put clean through on goal by a lofted Pulisic pass. Chelsea manager Tuchel beat the ground in frustration on the sidelines.

Liverpool continued to dominate possession but lacked a cutting edge and a further chance fell to Mount just before the hour mark, with the Englishman shot straight at Kelleher, who was able to gather at the second attempt.

The Reds grew into the second half though and thought they had broken the deadlock when Joël Matip finished a clever training ground set-piece, nodding into the roof of the net after Mané had sent his own header across the six-yard box. However, the goal was ruled out for offside, with Virgil van Dijk in an offside position when he blocked Reece James as the free-kick came into the box.

Chelsea was struggling to cope with Liverpool, with Mendy again doing well to deny new Liverpool signing Luis Díaz at his near post, but brought on Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner on 73 minutes and had a goal of their own chalked off. Werner was released by Mateo Kovacic down the left and the German crossed for compatriot Kai Havertz, whose header just crept over the goal-line. Werner, though, was ruled offside in the build-up.

With five minutes remaining of the 90 minutes, Chelsea survived an almighty goalmouth scramble, as several Blues players threw themselves in front of the ball. Going into injury-time, Mendy was again Chelsea’s hero to palm a goalbound Van Dijk header away from danger.

Chelsea could have nicked it in the final minute of normal time, but Kelleher took the game to extra time after a smart save with his feet from Lukuku’s close-range effort.

Lukaku thought he had scored the winner in extra time, latching onto Trevoh Chalobah through ball, and finishing past Kelleher, but Chelsea’s No 9 was again judged to be a few inches offside as he mistimed his run.

The pattern was repeated in the second half of extra time, with Kai Havertz finding space inside Liverpool box and shooting neatly past Kelleher, only to see the flag raised again for offside. Tuchel sprinted down the touchline in celebration, only to realise another goal had been disallowed.

Neither team were able to find a winner before the shootout. Chelsea brought on Arrizabalaga as a substitute just before the end of extra time, but the Spaniard failed to save any of the 11 penalties he faced and launched his spot-kick over the bar to gift Liverpool the victory.

The Guardian

27/02/2022
West Ham United 1 – 0 Wolves

West Ham claimed a valuable Premier League victory over Wolves to reignite their pursuit of a top-four finish.

Tomas Soucek celebrated his 27th birthday by scoring the only goal of the game for the Hammers, with the Czech Republic international poking home from Michail Antonio’s pass.

The result moves West Ham up to fifth in the table, above Arsenal on goal difference and two points behind Manchester United in fourth – however, the Gunners have three games in hand on both.

Consecutive draws had seen David Moyes’ side lose ground near the top of the table but they created several excellent chances to score and deserved their win over opponents who also have European aspirations.

Aaron Cresswell and Declan Rice both went close to opening the scoring for the hosts, with England midfielder Rice curling a superb 20-yard effort against the right-hand post.

Jarrod Bowen, Soucek and Pablo Fornals all had opportunities to double their advantage and ensure a more comfortable conclusion for the hosts who were forced to withstand some late pressure from Wolves, who stay eighth.

Bruno Lage’s team struggled for fluency after he made five changes to the side that started Thursday’s defeat at Arsenal.

And while they improved after the break, the second-half introductions of Raul Jimenez, Daniel Podence and Pedro Neto were unable to make a difference to the outcome.

Before kick-off, West Ham captain Rice held up a shirt with team-mate Andriy Yarmolenko’s name and number on the back as the sides lined up to express their support for the Ukrainian and his homeland which is still under attack by Russia.

Prior to kick-off, Lage said his changes were designed to provide Wolves with greater energy.

However, after the opening 15 minutes, there was no noticeable evidence his decision was influencing proceedings as West Ham grew into the game.

Rice and Soucek took control of the midfield and the likes of Craig Dawson and Kurt Zouma enjoyed a relatively comfortable afternoon against Fabio Silva and Hwang Hee-chan.

The South Korea international was also guilty of missing the Wolves’ best opportunity, placing the ball wide from 12 yards just before the break.

Had he found the bottom corner it may have altered the complexion of the match, and ensured Wolves came away with at least a point despite having only one shot on target.

After a slight stutter of late, this was more like it for West Ham and their manager Moyes, who punched the air with delight at the final whistle.

While Antonio’s goalless run extended to eight games, Jamaica’s forward was a handful throughout.

He made a vital contribution in teeing up Soucek and may have had a goal of his own had he elected to shoot instead of picking out a teammate after escaping down the left.

Meanwhile, Rice and Soucek, working in tandem at the base of the Hammers’ midfield, epitomised everything that was good about their performance.

The duo covered more ground than any other players on the pitch, never shirked their defensive duties and on another day both might have been rewarded with goals from several excellent forays upfield.

Source – BBC Sport

27/02/2022
Brighton & Hove Albion 0 – 2 Aston Villa

Ollie Watkins scored his first goal since December as Aston Villa kept themselves in contention for a top-10 finish in the Premier League by winning at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Matty Cash opened the scoring for the visitors in the first half, driving in from the edge of the box after Lucas Digne’s cross had been half-cleared.

Brighton had been the better side until then but was unable to capitalise on some poor Aston Villa defending.

The away side had a great chance to increase their lead soon after the restart but Philippe Coutinho’s free-kick was superbly kept out by a diving Robert Sanchez.

But a second arrived towards the end of the second half when Watkins ran clear after Tyrone Mings sent a superb ball over the top and the striker finished confidently for his sixth Premier League goal of the season.

Substitute Danny Welbeck headed wide when unmarked late on but the hosts never really looked like staging a dramatic fightback.

The win means Aston Villa move up to 12th, three points behind 10th-place Brighton.

Steven Gerrard could hardly have wished for a better start to life as a Premier League manager after overseeing four wins in his first six games following his appointment as Aston Villa boss on 13 November.

That had Villa fans dreaming of the possibility of securing European football for next season but a run of four defeats in their next seven games saw their challenge for the top seven fades away.

This was not quite a perfect performance, with a nervous Villa fortunate not to be punished in the early stages for a lack of concentration in defence but they improved after Cash’s opener and Watkins’ first goal of 2022 will no doubt do wonders to the striker’s confidence.

After back-to-back defeats, it was a win that Villa will hope gets their season back on track but for Brighton, it was another disappointing outcome on home soil.

The Seagulls have impressed many with their brand of football, but too often good performances have not been backed up with results.

It is now just one victory in their last 10 games at home and finding ways to win more often in front of their own fans is something they need to resolve if they are to establish themselves in the top half of the table.

Source – BBC Sport

26/02/2022
Manchester United 0 – 0 Watford

Manchester United dropped two more points in their quest for a Champions League place as they were held at home by relegation-threatened Watford.

And the Red Devils left the field to boos after the goalless draw, despite dominating at Old Trafford.

United had 22 shots against Roy Hodgson’s side but the only time they found the net, Cristiano Ronaldo was offside.

Ronaldo also hit a post and struck team-mate Anthony Elanga with a goal-bound shot.

Elanga also failed to provide the finish to a flowing move, while Bruno Fernandes was unable to capitalise on two excellent first-half opportunities.

Watford might have scored themselves but Emmanuel Dennis’ effort lacked conviction and hit Raphael Varane before bouncing through to David de Gea.

Victory for the visitors would have been completely against the run of play, although the point nudges them a bit closer to the clubs just outside the relegation zone.

The game was preceded by a show of solidarity with Ukraine after the Russian invasion, with both teams standing behind a banner proclaiming ‘Peace’ in a number of different languages, including Russian and Ukrainian.

For United, it was another of those frustrating games interim manager Rangnick has complained about often during his short tenure.

The hosts created a succession of chances – and spurned the lot.

Ronaldo was the first culprit when he stuck a post. But Fernandes was the worst.

The Portuguese were on the end of a flowing move involving Elanga and Ronaldo but with only Ben Foster to beat, drove his shot straight at the Watford keeper.

Fernandes then turned a volley wide when he was picked out by Paul Pogba completely unmarked, in a central position with the goal at his mercy.

He was off target with a far-post header as well, although that incident was almost as noteworthy for the fact Ronaldo stayed on his feet when Foster came careering out of his goal when he surely would have had a decent penalty shout if he had gone down.

Instead, he went around his one-time United team-mate, before providing the cross Fernandes failed to convert.

The hosts fared no better in the second period, with Elanga getting on the end of a flowing move he started – but missing the target with his shot.

Ronaldo lent against a post almost in reflection as another chance went begging, before driving a shot straight into Elanga.

Substitute Jadon Sancho curled an effort over before Fernandes drove the final opportunity straight at Foster.

This result was nowhere close to being on the same scale as Watford’s 4-1 success in the reverse fixture that triggered the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

However, it will feel as though there is something more solid to build on.

Watford had gone 30 games without keeping a clean sheet when Roy Hodgson took over as manager – now they have three in six games, to go with the five points collected in the former England boss’ short time in charge.

Dennis spurned their best chance but Hodgson will be delighted Foster was not really stretched, with another former United player, Craig Cathcart, outstanding in the Hornets’ defence.

It might not be pretty but Hodgson will doubtless feel if his side can get to the period in the spring, when they play four fellow relegation candidates in the space of six games, they will give themselves a chance of survival.

It was Rangnick’s idea to stand behind the ‘Peace’ banner before kick-off.

The German, who was working in Russia for Lokomotiv Moscow before the call came from United in November, spoke eloquently about the unfolding situation in Ukraine on Friday.

It is clearly something Rangnick cares passionately about and he also wore a ‘No War’ badge on his coat.

Source – BBC Sport

26/02/2022
Crystal Palace 1 – 1 Burnley

Burnley took another step towards Premier League safety with a hard-fought point at Crystal Palace.

Jeffrey Schlupp gave Palace the perfect start, flicking in from Michael Olise’s inviting cross with the hosts going on to dominate the first period.

But Burnley, who had won their previous two top-flight games, levelled a minute after the break when Eagles captain Luka Milivojevic turned Aaron Lennon’s driven cross into his own goal.

The much-improved visitors also saw Wout Weghorst twice go close to scoring, with the Dutch forward seeing a header tipped over by home goalkeeper Jack Butland and having an effort disallowed for offside.

However, Palace had opportunities of their own to record a winner with Wilfried Zaha powering an effort straight at Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope and then rattling the post moments later.

The result leaves Palace in 11th in the table, with Burnley in 18th, one point behind Everton and within touching distance of Leeds and Brentford having the benefit of games in hand on the latter two.

Both teams came into this contest aiming to build upon excellent midweek results, Burnley having beaten Tottenham and Palace thrashing Watford.

However, while Burnley’s need for points is greater as they seek to climb out of the bottom three for the first time since 30 October – a task not helped by having suffered an 11-game winless run until mid-February – it was Palace who showed greater desire early on.

The hosts controlled the midfield and out wide and Michael Olise was the Clarets’ chief tormentor.

The 20-year-old tricked and teased Erik Pieters for most of the first period as the Burnley left-back and his team-mates struggled to contain the former Reading winger.

Olise twice went close to adding to the lead he played a central role in obtaining, flashing a deflected shot just over the bar and forcing Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope into a fine save.

The youngster had more shots (four) than any other home player and, with the exception of defender Joachim Andersen, more touches and he remained a threat until the closing stages.

Burnley arrived at Selhurst Park aiming for a third consecutive win in the top flight for the first time since April 2019.

And while they did not quite manage to achieve that, manager Sean Dyche will nonetheless have been delighted by his team’s response after the break to secure a seventh point from the last nine available.

Having looked sluggish at times, the Clarets began to play on the front foot and were clearly buoyed by their equaliser.

With Weghorst and Jay Rodriguez leading from the front, they hustled and harried Palace into mistakes and more than merited their draw.

Source – BBC Sport

26/02/2022
Brentford 0 – 2 Newcastle United

Christian Eriksen made an emotional return to action 259 days after suffering a cardiac arrest but could not prevent Newcastle from easing their relegation fears and increasing Brentford’s with a comfortable win.

Eriksen was given a standing ovation from fans and players on both sides when he emerged as a 52nd-minute substitute, completing a remarkable comeback after he collapsed playing for Denmark against Finland at Euro 2020 in June.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank announced Eriksen would play some part but his introduction came in the toughest of circumstances, with the Bees two goals down and reduced to 10 men after Josh Dasilva’s early red card, confirmed by VAR, for a foul on Matt Targett.

Newcastle took full advantage to secure their fourth win in five games, with Joelinton scoring with a towering header from Ryan Fraser’s cross after 33 minutes and Joe Willock the beneficiary of Fabian Schar’s superb counter seconds before half-time.

Eriksen looked lively, if understandably a little rusty and over-eager, replacing fellow Dane Mathias Jensen, who came on as a substitute for him at Euro 2020.

The Premier League game was effectively over when Eriksen came on but what a wonderful sight it was to see this high-class midfielder playing again and back to full health.

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United resurgence continues as they made it seven games unbeaten with a thoroughly professional and composed performance to cruise past Brentford.

Dasilva’s rash 11th-minute challenge on Targett presented them with the numerical advantage and they cashed in ruthlessly, with only the excellence of Brentford keeper David Raya preventing a far more emphatic victory margin.

Newcastle took control and never looked like relinquishing it as their growing confidence and quality barely gave Brentford a chance.

And the symbol of the renaissance was Joelinton, who was often derided as a £40m failure early in his Newcastle career but is now flourishing in a deeper role and revelling in his cult hero status with the Toon Army.

He is a player reborn and sent Newcastle on their way with a header from Fraser’s cross, powered low past Raya, who was helpless.

The Brazilian celebrated in flamboyant style, shrugging off his teammates to race the length of the field and celebrate wildly in front of Newcastle’s travelling fans tucked in a corner of the Brentford Community Stadium.

The chant “he’s Brazilian, he only cost £40m” rang out at regular intervals – ironic in that for so long he was regarded as an over-priced piece of business.

Newcastle’s £25m new boy Chris Wood is still struggling and yet to score. He should have stuck with a first-half header but the goals are coming from elsewhere and with Howe’s side now up to 14th in the table, the clouds that were gathering over Tyneside for so much of this season look to be rolling away.

It was all done without three of their most influential performers in Allan Saint-Maximin, Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson – which all bodes well for Howe and his team.

In the wider context, this was a day about the return of Eriksen and it was a moment of real emotion and joy when he made his entrance early in the second half.

The whole ground rose to welcome the 30-year-old Dane and he was greeted warmly by players from both sides, happy to see this classy player and personality fit and healthy once more and doing what he loves.

He was swiftly into the action and showed some trademark touches, which will be crucial to Brentford’s fight against relegation once he is up to full speed.

And make no mistake, the Bees need him because they are sinking down the table after eight games without a win, looking like a side who have run out of momentum and energy after such a promising start to the season.

Dasilva’s early dismissal was a heavy blow but there was a lack of spark about Brentford’s response. The manner in which they were caught on the break by Schar for Willock’s crucial second smacked of naivety.

Eriksen’s presence prompted a response but Newcastle were never in serious trouble and he must somehow help them rediscover that early season inspiration, otherwise, a campaign that held so much hope will descend even further into a relegation scrap.

Source – BBC Sport

26/02/2022
Leeds United 0 – 4 Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte says Saturday’s emphatic win at Leeds “has to be a starting point” for his side as they inflicted another damaging blow to Leeds’ hopes of staving off Premier League relegation.

Spurs broke the deadlock after just ten minutes when Ryan Sessegnon broke clear down the left and delivered a perfectly weighted cross for Matt Doherty to sweep home.

Dejan Kulusevski drilled in the visitors’ second before Harry Kane’s composed finish made it 3-0 on the half-hour mark.

Son Heung-min compounded Leeds’ misery in the second half when he latched on to Kane’s ball over the top of the home defence and beat Illan Meslier with a smart finish.

“I have seen a desire and a will to fight in every moment of the game,” said Conte, who had questioned his future following Wednesday’s defeat by Burnley.

The Italian told BBC Match of the Day: “They fought during the game and it was good for me to see this.

“If we want to be competitive, try to improve and build something important, it is not enough to play football and enjoy football. You have to win, and to win you need to match good football with a great desire.”

“We had to put great desire and determination into every game from the start until the end, and today we saw this. My teams are not soft. My teams need to be strong.”

Robin Koch and Raphinha struck the woodwork for Leeds and Stuart Dallas should have scored a consolation prior to Spurs’ fourth, but the hosts rarely looked capable of forging a route back into the game as Spurs continued to carve out opportunities on the counter-attack.

The result lifts Tottenham to within four points of fourth-placed Manchester United, while Leeds remain three points above the bottom three. They could drop into the relegation zone if other results go against them on Saturday.

Bielsa insisted prior to Saturday’s game that he had no intention of walking out on the club, despite being “very worried” about his team’s poor recent form.

This latest defeat – which was almost embarrassingly one-sided in the first half – will do little to ease those concerns.

Tottenham carved Leeds open at will in the early stages, their 3-0 lead after just 27 minutes a fair representation of their dominance.

It could have been 4-0 just after the half-hour mark, but Sessegnon fired straight at Meslier’s legs from a tight angle.

Boos rang out around Elland Road at half-time, although the home fans continued to sing in support of their team in the second half – with the game as good as lost.

Leeds, predictably, had chances of their own, although the majority came after they had gone 3-0 down. Koch rattled the post with a side-footed effort in the first half, while Luke Ayling sent a header narrowly wide of the top corner as the hosts pushed for a goal back before the break.

Dallas should have got his team on the scoresheet after rounding Hugo Lloris before Raphinha was denied by the woodwork from a trademark free-kick.

Bielsa’s side has now conceded 60 league goals this season – five more than bottom club Norwich – and 20 in February alone. They are only the second team in Premier League history to ship three or more goals in five consecutive matches.

The Argentine says abandoning Leeds’ all-action style in favour of a more pragmatic approach is not an option, but it is hard to see the club arresting their dreadful form without a change of system.

Source – BBC

26/02/2022
Kaizer Chiefs Announce New Sleeve Sponsor

Kaizer Chiefs have announced a new sleeve sponsor, the club confirmed on Wednesday morning.

“Toyota South Africa Motors and Kaizer Chiefs Football Club are pleased to announce that their existing partnership agreement will now include the manufacturer’s logo on the Amakhosi jersey. The Toyota logo will be emblazoned on the left sleeve of the shirt,” the club announced on its Twitter account.

https://twitter.com/KaizerChiefs/status/1496443272482459650

This replaces Hollard, whose partnership with Chiefs came to an end last year.

“Amakhosi will start wearing the newly branded jerseys from 26 February when they take on Baroka FC in a DStv Premiership clash at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane,” the club confirmed.

“It is thrilling for us to once again align with a multinational company such as Toyota, that is so prevalently invested in the growth of the sport in South Africa and the world. We are looking forward to more exciting collaborations with team Toyota and we will again work toward taking millions of our supporters on this journey. We will soon be announcing some great initiatives that will benefit them when they return to stadiums and on digital platforms,” said Jessica Motaung, the Chiefs marketing director.

23/02/2022