World Soccer Talk

Thursday, 30 July 2020

Saint-Etienne captain Perrin retires, six days after Mbappe clash

Saint-Étienne (France) (AFP) – Loic Perrin, who played his entire career with his home-town club Saint-Etienne, announced on Thursday that he was retiring.

The 34-year-old’s final apparance was in the French Cup final last Friday when he was sent off for a foul on Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain as Saint-Etienne lost 1-0.

“Even if I was hoping for another end, I am happy and proud of my career during these 17 seasons as a professional footballer, with ups and downs but always giving the maximum of myself,” Perrin posted on Instagram on Thursday.

The defender joined Saint-Etienne at the age of 12 and went on to play 470 matches for the club and captain the team for more than a decade.

He was called into the France squad on a couple of occasions but never won a cap.

“It is with great emotion that I announce that I played my last match with my club ever last Friday in the final of the French Cup,” he said.

“A page is turning but my story with the ASSE is not yet finished,” he wrote.

The club said earlier this week that Perrin would “take on responsibilities” in the future.

The club paid tribute on its website to this “exemplary captain”, who “will leave the mark of a person of integrity and a talented footballer.”

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PSG target domestic treble while hoping for Mbappe ‘miracle’

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain can belatedly wrap up another domestic treble on Friday when they face Lyon in the final of the French League Cup, but their build-up to the game has been overshadowed by Kylian Mbappe’s ankle injury.

The World Cup-winning superstar was crocked in last Friday’s French Cup final against Saint-Etienne in the first competitive game on French soil since the coronavirus-imposed shutdown in March.

Mbappe was left with a sprained right ankle after a crunching challenge from Saint-Etienne’s Loic Perrin and looks certain to miss the game that really counts for the Qatar-owned club, the Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta on August 12.

On Thursday, PSG coach Thomas Tuchel admitted it would take “a miracle” for the 21-year-old to recover in time for that game in Lisbon.

Angel Di Maria has already been ruled out of that match because of suspension, and asked if there was any hope for Mbappe, Tuchel said: “Yes, always, but it’s going to be tight. Every day counts for us to produce a miracle.”

PSG were handed a third straight Ligue 1 title by virtue of being top of the table when the season was ended in April with 10 rounds of matches unplayed because of the health crisis.

They came out of the long shutdown to win their fifth French Cup in six years by beating Saint-Etienne 1-0 thanks to an early Neymar goal.

That game was played in front of just 2,800 spectators inside the 80,000-seat Stade de France due to restrictions on gatherings. Friday’s game against Lyon will go ahead in front of a similarly limited number of fans.

– Extra motivation –

Postponed in early April, it will be the last ever final of an unloved competition, albeit one which PSG have also dominated, with five successive victories — and eight overall — before Strasbourg won it last year.

For both teams, it is a last chance to prepare in a competitive environment before resuming their Champions League campaigns.

PSG head to Lisbon for the final stages after their win over Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 in March. Meanwhile, Lyon have to go to Italy on August 7 to face Juventus defending a 1-0 lead from the first leg of their last-16 tie played in February.

Both clubs fear being at a disadvantage given all their Champions League rivals returned to complete their domestic seasons while France opted not to. Juventus and Atalanta play their final games in Serie A this weekend.

However, Tuchel said the final cannot be used to prepare his team to face Atalanta.

“It is not possible to prepare tactically for Atalanta because I don’t know any team that plays the way they do,” said the German. “The only thing we can prepare is our own mindset.”

“Being without Kylian has a big influence, that’s clear. I hope we can find the solution.”

The game will be played in searing heat, with temperatures in the French capital forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius on Friday.

Lyon are chasing a first piece of silverware in eight years and have extra motivation to win the trophy.

Having failed to qualify for Europe next season via the league, Rudi Garcia’s team have to beat PSG to secure a place in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League.

If they fall short, they will need to win the Champions League in Lisbon on August 23 to feature in continental competition again next season.

“This is a terrific opportunity to win a trophy,” said Garcia.

“PSG might be a level above us but we have a top-class team too and one that is also in a position to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals. There is only positive pressure on us.”

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Saudi-backed investors pull out of Newcastle deal

London (AFP) – A Saudi-backed consortium on Thursday announced it had ended its bid to buy Newcastle United after months of waiting for approval from the Premier League.

The investment group, which included the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), PCP Capital Partners and billionaire brothers David and Simon Reuben, had reportedly struck a £300 million ($391 million) deal to buy the club in April.

The PIF had been set to take an 80 percent stake under the proposed deal, which was criticised by human rights groups.

“With a deep appreciation for the Newcastle community and the significance of its football club, we have come to the decision to withdraw our interest in acquiring Newcastle United Football Club,” the group said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, the prolonged process under the current circumstances coupled with global uncertainty has rendered the potential investment no longer commercially viable.”

Newcastle, owned by Mike Ashley and managed by Steve Bruce, finished 13th in the recently completed Premier League season to secure another year of lucrative television rights.

However, there is deep uncertainty over the financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, with no date set for fans to return to stadiums.

“During the unforeseeably prolonged process, the commercial agreement between the investment group and the club’s owners expired and our investment thesis could not be sustained, particularly with no clarity as to the circumstances under which the next season will start and the new norms that will arise for matches, training and other activities,” the statement added.

The takeover bid had been condemned by Amnesty International and the wife of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi over Saudi’s human rights record, putting pressure on the Premier League not to give it the green light in its owners’ and directors’ test.

“The fact that this sportswashing bid has failed will be seen by human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia as a sign that their suffering has not been entirely overlooked,” Amnesty UK said in a statement.

The piracy of sports broadcast rights, including the Premier League, in Saudi Arabia was also a stumbling block to the takeover.

– WTO ruling –

Last month a World Trade Organization panel ruled that Riyadh had failed to protect intellectual property rights of Qatari-owned broadcaster beIN by refusing to take action against a Saudi pirate TV outfit.

On Thursday, it was revealed Saudi had appealed against that ruling.

The collapse of the takeover will be a bitter blow to many Newcastle fans, who had dreamed that the riches of a Saudi-backed project could replicate Manchester City’s success in winning four Premier League titles since Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour bought the club in 2008.

Retail tycoon Ashley is a deeply unpopular figure among the Newcastle support for his treatment of fans and an unwillingness to invest on the field to improve the Magpies’ fortunes.

Newcastle have not won a major trophy since 1955, but could still count on regular crowds of 50,000 before the coronavirus forced stadiums to close.

“The supporters of Newcastle United have been treated with contempt by large parts of the football media and the Premier League during this failed takeover process,” said the Newcastle United Supporters Trust.

“It’s been made clear that we are the least important people in a decision which affects us the most. We need answers.”

The Premier League has not yet commented.

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CBS announces stellar talent lineup for Champions League incl. Carragher, Gullit and Schmeichel

CBS Sports have announced a stellar lineup to bring the UEFA Champions League and Europa League into the homes of soccer fans through a collaboration with IMG Studios in England.

Analysts Roberto Martinez, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards and host Kate Abdo have joined CBS Sports to lead its pregame, halftime and postgame studio coverage of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League tournaments in August across multiple ViacomCBS platforms, with every match on CBS All Access and select matches on CBS Sports Network.

Peter Schmeichel and Alex Scott will provide analysis both in studio and on-site from Portugal. Ruud Gullit will serve as the lead studio analyst for UEFA Europa League coverage and as a contributor for UEFA Champions League.

Veteran announcers Clive Tyldesley and Peter Drury will handle play-by-play duties for 10 matches, including the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Final as well as the UEFA Europa League Final, with each working five matches and calling the action off the UEFA world feed from IMG Studios near London. Tyldesley will call the UEFA Champions League Final with Drury handling the UEFA Europa League Final.

“This is an incredible opportunity to showcase the best club soccer in the world, so it was important to bring in credible, knowledgeable and likable personalities for soccer fans everywhere,” said Pete Radovich, Coordinating Producer of UEFA, CBS Sports. “We are thrilled to have multiple UEFA Champions League winners, iconic former players and the manager of the FIFA No. 1 ranked national team in the world. Their experiences around the sport at the highest levels of competition along with their diverse backgrounds give us a great mix, and we are excited to have this unbelievable group headlining our coverage.”

CBS Sports’ UEFA studio shows will be produced from IMG Studios near London with Abdo hosting the main desk for UEFA Champions League alongside analysts Martinez, Carragher and Richards. Schmeichel and Scott will be in studio for the remaining UEFA Champions League Round of 16 matches and then will provide analysis from Portugal for the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Final. Gullit will be the lead analyst from the studio for UEFA Europa League and a contributor for UEFA Champions League.

Additional announcers and reporters for CBS Sports’ presentation of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League will be added at a later date.

Coverage will begin in August with the remaining Round of 16 matches for the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, followed by the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Final in a straight knockout tournament, and will span multiple ViacomCBS platforms, including every match on CBS All Access and select matches on CBS Sports Network.

Radovich, CBS Sports’ Senior Creative Director, will be the Coordinating Producer for UEFA coverage. He is a 37-time Emmy Award winner, including two “Outstanding Studio Show” wins for Inside The NFL where he has served as the Coordinating Producer for the past 12 years. Harold Bryant is Executive Producer and Senior Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

SEE MORE: Watch the UEFA Champions League for free with CBS All Access one-month trial

ABOUT THE ANNOUNCERS:

KATE ABDO: Abdo brings a wealth of experience covering international soccer’s top events, including the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, FIFA Men’s and Women’s World Cup, the English Premier League, England’s FA Cup, Germany’s Bundesliga and Spain’s La Liga. She has also hosted some of the most prestigious awards ceremonies in world sports, including the FIFA Ballon d’Or.

JAMIE CARRAGHER: A Liverpool legend, Carragher’s career was highlighted by the Reds winning the 2004-05 UEFA Champions League and being named Liverpool’s Player of the Season in 2005. He also represented England at the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Football Championship. He has been an analyst with Sky Sports since 2013 and has also worked for TV3 Sport covering the UEFA Champions League.

PETER DRURY: Drury has called play-by-play for many of soccer’s marquee events, including the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League. He was with ITV Sport from 1998-2013 before joining BT Sport.

RUUD GULLIT: Gullit is considered one of the greatest players of all time and won two UEFA Champions League titles with AC Milan. He was awarded the Ballon d’Or as world player of the year in 1987 and was the runner-up in 1988. Gullit captained the Netherlands to the 1998 UEFA European Football Championship title and also served as captain for the Oranje at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He has worked as an analyst for Sky Sports, ITV, ESPN, BBC and BeIN SPORTS.

ROBERTO MARTINEZ: The current manager of Belgium, the No. 1 ranked team in the FIFA world rankings, Martinez led the Red Devils to a third-place finish at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the country’s best-ever result. Martinez, who led Wigan to an historic 2013 FA Cup triumph, brings insight and analysis from his experience as both a player and coach. He has served as a studio analyst for many of soccer’s marquee events, including the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Football Championship.

MICAH RICHARDS: Richards spent most of his playing career with Manchester City, winning a Premier League title and an FA Cup during his 10 seasons with the club. He also played for the English national team and represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics. Richards retired from playing in 2019 and serves as an analyst for BBC Sport and Sky Sports.

PETER SCHMEICHEL: Schmeichel is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, leading Manchester United to victory in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final and winning the 1992 UEFA European Football Championship with Denmark. He has served as both a studio analyst and host having previously worked for the BBC and TV3+.

ALEX SCOTT: Scott had a successful career as a six-time Premier League champion with Arsenal and scored the game-winning goal to win the 2006-07 UEFA Women’s Champions League. She made 140 appearances for the English national team, playing in three FIFA Women’s World Cups. She also represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics. In 2018, she became the first female soccer analyst at a World Cup for the BBC as well as the first female soccer analyst on Sky Sports when she joined the Network’s Super Sunday team.

CLIVE TYLDESLEY: Tyldesley is the longtime play-by-play voice of ITV, where he served as the lead soccer announcer for the network’s biggest events, including the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League and UEFA European Football Championship. A beloved voice in England, he has been named the Royal Television Society Sports Commentator of the Year four times in his career.

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Saudi-backed bid for Newcastle withdrawn as ‘no longer commercially viable’

London (AFP) – A takeover bid for Newcastle United by a consortium backed by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund has been withdrawn after weeks of waiting for the Premier League’s approval, the group said on Thursday.

The investment group of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners and billionaire brothers, David and Simon Reuben, cited the long period since a deal was struck with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley in April and the impact of coronavirus for pulling out.

“Unfortunately, the prolonged process under the current circumstances coupled with global uncertainty has rendered the potential investment no longer commercially viable.”

The statement added: “Ultimately, during the unforeseeably prolonged process, the commercial agreement between the Investment Group and the club’s owners expired and our investment thesis could not be sustained, particularly with no clarity as to the circumstances under which the next season will start and the new norms that will arise for matches, training and other activities.”

The takeover bid had attracted condemnation from Amnesty International and the wife of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi over Saudi’s human rights record, putting pressure on the Premier League not to give it the green light in its owners’ and directors’ test.

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US media’s bias against soccer, MLS Is Back TV coverage and CBS’ Champions League plans: World Soccer Talk Podcast

In the NEW episode, number 182, Christopher Harris and co-host Kartik Krishnaiyer cover a range of topics including:

• Why the U.S. media’s bias against soccer runs deep,
• CBS scores a home run with NWSL,
• How MLS TV ratings did in the Knockout Stage,
• We share our take on CBS’s Champions League schedule,
• The latest update from the Scottish Premiership,
• Plus letters from you, the listeners, in our mailbag section.

Listen to the show via the player above or via this link.

Launched in 2006, the World Soccer Talk Podcast is the longest running podcast on the planet. Every week, we share the latest news about watching soccer on television and streaming, in addition to discussing what we like and dislike, and featuring your questions and feedback in our Listener Mailbag segment.

HEAR MORE: Listen to our archive featuring hundreds of soccer interviews

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Italy great Pirlo appointed Juventus U23 coach

Milan (AFP) – Former Italy star Andrea Pirlo has been appointed coach of the Juventus Under-23 team, the Serie A champions announced on Thursday.

“Andrea is the new coach of the Under 23 team. Welcome back coach Pirlo,” Juventus said in a statement.

Pirlo began his career at Brescia and went on to play for Inter, AC Milan and Juve before moving in 2015 for two seasons with New York City FC in the MLS.

During his four seasons with Juventus the 41-year-old won Serie A four times and one Italian Cup.

“It was a storyline that was dotted with many gems: decisive goals, assists painted on canvas, and a vision of play like no other,” the club said.

Capped 116 times for Italy, Pirlo was a key figure in the team that won the 2006 World Cup. He also won two Champions Leagues and two league titles with Milan during his 22-year playing career.

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