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Gianni Infantino’s “football heals the world” schtick came off worse in an encounter with reality when his attempt to orchestrate a handshake between the Palestinian and Israeli delegates at Fifa’s congress backfired.
The Palestinian Football Association’s president, Jibril Rajoub, refused to stand alongside the Israel FA’s vice-president, Basim Sheikh Suliman, towards the end of the congress after both men had been called to the stage in Vancouver by Infantino.
Asked what Rajoub said when he refused, the Palestinian FA’s vice-president, Susan Shalabi, told Reuters: “I cannot shake the hand of someone the Israelis have brought to whitewash their fascism and genocide. We are suffering.”
Matt Hughes has the story here:
Given the horror-show of a season Leicester fans have endured, the 10th anniversary of their sensational Premier League title triumph might feel a tad bittersweet, but what a season 2015-16 was, and what a team they were. Ben Fisher has been talking to some of the key participants, including Claudio Ranieri …
It changed the lives of everybody. For my players, who can say: “I won the Premier League.” I’m a very shy man, I don’t say: “I won the title!” But I’m very proud, very happy. In Leicester there is a big Indian community and some Indian people told me: “Thank you, Claudio, because now we link more with the Leicester people, the English people. When we go to the stadium, we push together.” And that is very, very special for me. It’s bigger than football.
It’s a big weekend in the Women’s Super League too and Manchester City can move closer to the title with a home win over Liverpool tomorrow, though they have been wobbling lately. Their main challengers, Arsenal, are otherwise engaged – in WCL semi-final action against OL Lyonnes.
But as the season draws to an end, fixture scheduling remains a sore point in the women’s game, as Tom Garry reports:
Waiting for men’s broadcast picks, dodging local fun runs and even having to avoid clashing with nearby comedy gigs: welcome to the quagmire of trying to arrange the Women’s Super League and WSL 2 schedule.
The fixture list is often a bone of contention for supporters, and organisers face a painstaking task in trying to organise games in venues where other teams get first dibs.
“Stadium availability is led by the men’s game and then broadcast is led by the men’s game, so it can be really hard,” Zarah Al-Kudcy, chief revenue officer at WSL Football, says. “Some of the reasons we are given as to why fixtures have to change, you just have to laugh or you’d cry.”
Howe: Newcastle owners remain 'supportive'
Eddie Howe says Newcastle’s Saudi Arabian owners remain supportive after meetings with PIF representatives on their trip over to the north-east this week. “I saw the owners and their representatives; it was constructive” said the manager before tomorrow’s home game against in-form Brighton. “It’s always constructive because they clearly care so much about the football club.
“There are exciting times ahead regardless of what happens in the short term. There’s no change in the level of support I’m receiving and the infrastructure but there is still an understanding of how football works and we need results.”
Howe was fairly non-commital about Anthony Gordon’s prospects of being fit to face Brighton. “He did a session on Wednesday, it was great to see him back on the pitch we’ll make an assessment closer to the game.”
Slot: Salah not fit enough to face Manchester United
Arne Slot has been up early for the press conference to preview Liverpool’s game at Manchester United and Mohamed Salah, who has scored 16 goals for the Reds against their biggest rivals, is not fit enough to make a final appearance at Old Trafford in a Liverpool shirt as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
Mo is always working incredibly hard during the season when he is fit and when he is injured to get back as soon as possible. Usually he is back earlier fit than other players. He has a minor injury and we expect and need him back for the final part of the season, but not for Sunday. It is a big relief that his injury is minor and he is able to play for us and at the World Cup. If a player deserves a big send off then it is Mo.”
Slot also said that Alisson is close to a return.
Preamble
Morning everyone and welcome. We’re at that stage of the season where clubs are either on the beach or deep in a world of stress/pain/excitement, each casting envious glances at the other. A hugely consequential weekend looms, starting tonight with Leeds having another opportunity to distance themselves from the relegation rabble when they host managerless and relegated Burnley. By around 3pm tomorrow we’ll know the identity of one more of the clubs replacing the Clarets, with Ipswich, Millwall and Middlesbrough duking it out for second place in the Championship, while ups, downs and playoff places in the rest of the EFL will be sorted by teatime, when everyone can chill out watching Arsenal’s bid to keep their creaking title bid on the road when they face Fulham.
There was plenty to chew on last night too. Nottingham Forest just about edged their all-English Europa League semi-final first leg against Aston Villa, but not without the inevitable VAR blow-up, Unai Emery fuming at the failure to punish Elliott Anderson for a dangerous tackle on Ollie Watkins. In the Conference League, Oliver Glasner’s chances of bowing out at Crystal Palace with a second trophy in two years were substantially enhanced in a 3-1 semi-final first leg win against Shakhtar Donetsk. The Europa League place denied them last year is now in sight.
Anyway, we’ll be across all the buildup and news going into the weekend, with pressers due at Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester City this morning and pre-match chat from Arsenal, Spurs, Manchester United and Chelsea around lunchtime. And to get you in the mood, here’s 10 Premier League things to look out for, in time-honoured fashion.
