Category: International Sports

West Ham followed up their impressive victory over Arsenal with a win against Leicester to increase the pressure on Ruud van Nistelrooy and his relegation-threatened side.

Tomas Soucek celebrated his 30th birthday with the opening goal in the first half, firing in a loose ball after Mohammed Kudus’ shot was denied.

The hosts then put the game beyond the struggling Foxes just before the break when Jarrod Bowen’s shot from a tight angle deflected in off Leicester defender Jannik Vestergaard, after Jamie Vardy’s header from a corner had hit the woodwork for the visitors.

The Foxes, who were looking to close the gap to safety to two points with a win, had made a positive start as Wilfred Ndidi saw a second-minute effort saved.

But the Hammers’ opener proved a real blow and they struggled to create pretty much anything of note after that. The defeat leaves Van Nistelrooy’s side second-bottom of the Premier League and five points from safety. West Ham, meanwhile, are 15th, with their back-to-back wins putting them level on points with Tottenham and Manchester United, comfortably clear of trouble.

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says modern players struggle to deal with criticism and that his generation had “much thicker skin”.

The 55-year-old Dutchman was sacked by United in October, three months after he signed a new two-year contract.

His tenure included several issues and disputes with players.

Speaking to SEG Stories, external – a media outlet attached to his management agency – Ten Hag said: “This generation usually find it difficult to deal with criticism. Criticism really gets to them.

“The generation that I grew up in had much thicker skin. You could be much more direct.

“I was approached much more directly. If I would do that with my current group of players I would demotivate them.

“If you do that to the current generation, they find it offensive.”

Ten Hag won the FA Cup and League Cup during his two full seasons at United, but they finished eighth in the table last season, their worst Premier League finish. Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract was terminated midway through Ten Hag’s first season after he gave an interview to Piers Morgan in which he said he did not respect Ten Hag.

Jadon Sancho was banished from the first-team squad after accusing Ten Hag of making him a “scapegoat” following criticism of his performances in training. Ten Hag disciplined Marcus Rashford last year for missing training following an unauthorised trip to Belfast. Former United defender Raphael Varane last week said he was surprised the club gave Ten Hag a new contract because his connection with the players “no longer existed”.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been given a two-game touchline ban by the Football Association following his red card against Everton.

He was dismissed for approaching referee Michael Oliver on the pitch after the 2-2 Premier League draw at Goodison Park on 12 February.

Slot will miss the league leaders’ home game with Newcastle on Wednesday and the visit of Southampton on 8 March.

He can be on the touchline for the Champions League last-16 first-leg tie with Paris St-Germain on 5 March.

Slot was also fined £70,000 after accepting the charge.

Liverpool assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff was banned for two games and fined £7,000, while Liverpool and Everton were fined £65,000 and £50,000 respectively for failing to control their players.

James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute equaliser sparked chaotic scenes, with Everton fans entering the field to celebrate.

Liverpool thought Tarkowski’s goal, which was checked by the video assistant referee (VAR), should have been ruled out for a push on defender Ibrahima Konate in the build-up.

Slot exchanged words with one of the assistant referees before shaking hands with Oliver, who immediately showed him a red card. Hulshoff was also sent off.

Slot, who was unable to speak to the media after the match because of his red card, later voiced his frustration over the amount of stoppage time played, after five minutes were initially signalled.

Lionel Messi has been hit with an undisclosed fine for grabbing the neck of a New York City assistant coach at the end of the match on Saturday.

The World Cup winner was seen on camera in a confrontation with NYCFC assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy after the final whistle.

He twice put his hands on the back of the coach’s neck.

The MLS said in a statement that his actions violated the league’s “hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent policy”.

Messi had just set-up a stoppage time equaliser for team-mate Telasco Segovia in the 2-2 draw at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium in the season opener.

Messi’s team-mate Uruguayan Luis Suarez also received a similar fine for putting his hands on the back of the neck of NYFC defender Birk Risa at half-time.

In Miami’s next game after the Messi incident, the Argentine scored as Inter Miami locked in a spot in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup second round after a 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City.

A few weeks into the new season, Messi is already in fine form, with the 37-year-old superstar opening the match with a goal in the 19th minute.

FC Nordsjaelland, a prominent Danish Superliga club, has officially announced the signing of 18-year-old Ghanaian prospect Prince Amoako Junior. The talented youngster has inked his first professional contract with the club, marking the next step in his career after leaving the renowned Right to Dream Academy in Ghana, where he honed his skills over the past eight years. Amoako Junior follows in the footsteps of fellow Ghanaians like Mohammed Kudus, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Ernest Nuamah, and Ibrahim Osman, who have successfully transitioned from the academy to FC Nordsjaelland in recent years. His arrival further strengthens the club’s reputation as a nurturing ground for emerging talent.

Expressing his excitement, Amoako Junior said, “Signing my first contract with FC Nordsjaelland feels amazing. Farum and the club already feel like a second home to me, and I can’t imagine a better place to launch my professional journey. I’m thrilled to be here.”

The winger, known for his flair and love for entertaining fans, added,

“I’ll keep playing my game—being on the ball and giving my all. I’ll do everything I can to perform at my best for this club and our supporters. Stepping onto the pitch at Right to Dream Park for my Superliga debut will be a dream come true, and I can’t wait for that moment.”

Amoako Junior has already been integrating with the squad, having trained with the team earlier this year and joined their mid-season camp.

He also featured in several friendly matches as part of preparations for the second half of the season. At FC Nordsjaelland, he will don the No. 22 shirt.

Turkish Süper Lig leaders Galatasaray said they will “initiate criminal proceedings” and report Fenerbahçe manager Jose Mourinho to FIFA and UEFA over what they call “racist statements.”

The move comes after the two sides played to a 0-0 draw in a tense league match in Istanbul on Monday night.

Mourinho had welcomed the appointment of a non-Turkish referee, with Slovenian Slavko Vinčić chosen to officiate. After the match, Mourinho made a point of praising the referee, highlighting the fact he was not from Turkey.

“The performance of the referee was a top performance,” Mourinho told his postmatch news conference.

“I went to the referee’s dressing room after the game. Of course, the fourth official was there, a Turkish referee. And I told him [the referee], thank you [for coming] here. “I turn myself to the fourth official and I told [him] this match, if you are the referee … would be a disaster. When I say him, I say the general tendency.”

Mourinho was also asked about an incident early in the game involving his 19-year-old defender Yusuf Akcicek, to which he said: “Again, I have to thank the referee because with a Turkish referee after the big dive and the first minute and their bench jumping like monkeys on top of the kids. Galatasaray responded with a statement: “Since the commencement of his managerial duties in Türkiye, Fenerbahçe manager Jose Mourinho has persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people.

“We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to UEFA and FIFA.” Mourinho has led Fenerbahce to a Europa League round-of-16 contest against Rangers next month.