Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe fires back at Mikel Arteta’s explosive VAR rant

A solitary Anthony Gordon goal was the difference as the Magpies beat the Gunners to close the gap in the Premier League top four. And while it was no day for footballing brilliance — it was definitely one for the purists — refereeing calls dominated the post-match talk, particularly for Spaniard Arteta. (AFP)
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Updated 05 November 2023
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Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe fires back at Mikel Arteta’s explosive VAR rant

NEWCASTLE: Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has fired back at Mikel Arteta over his astonishing VAR rant at St. James’ Park.

A solitary Anthony Gordon goal was the difference as the Magpies beat the Gunners to close the gap in the Premier League top four. And while it was no day for footballing brilliance — it was definitely one for the purists — refereeing calls dominated the post-match talk, particularly for Spaniard Arteta.

A potential red card for Kai Havertz was the first major talking point, as referee Stuart Atwell reached for yellow and even booked Sean Longstaff for dissent, despite the Newcastle midfielder almost being on the end of a leg-breaker from the German. The second big call was overlooking a potential Bruno Guimaraes red card for violent conduct, and then the goal itself was checked for three possible infringements — out of play, foul and offside — before eventually being given.

Arteta raged: “You look at the images, and I don’t know how to feel. I am wasting my time. We are wasting our time. I don’t want to be in the hands of people. It is difficult enough to compete against this really good team. The way we play, the way we compete, it is embarrassing. There is too much at stake.

“We have to talk about the result and talk about how the hell this goal stands. I feel embarrassed, I have to be the one to come in here and defend the club and ask for help because it is a disgrace that this goal is allowed.”

Howe preferred to focus on the Havertz red card as he followed enraged Arteta into the Newcastle press room.

He said: “We were close to the incident. I thought it was high and potentially dangerous. He was lucky to get a yellow. There (were) a lot of yellow cards, and I don’t think there needed to be. It wasn’t a dirty game, but there were a few flashpoints.

“Keep 11 players on the pitch was the message at half time but not lose fighting spirit and desire. We kept our heads really well in the game.”

On the VAR decision for the goal: “We’re in the dark, we’re stood by the side of the pitch seeing VAR on the screen but with no pictures. I haven’t seen anything other than what I saw at the time. It looked a good goal to me.”

Having secured a last-eight Carabao Cup place with a dazzling midweek 3-0 win at Manchester United, the Magpies followed it up with another clean sheet against the Gunners, who were previously unbeaten in the Premier League this season. Howe prefers to point to the positives from his side, rather than any ref call.

He said: “Tough game. Massive win. Full credit to players for what they gave today. It was a battling performance … Thankfully, we came out on top.

“Our open play shape defensively was good and has to be against Arsenal. We nullified them and didn’t give them clear-cut chances. I always felt we were in the game the other way, we had to stay in the game, and we did and then got the goal.

“Maybe (it was) not the game we expected it to be in terms of style from both teams. Midfield battle was important. We had to try and stay in the game in that way and Joelinton was huge and all three midfielders really helped us. When you don’t concede, you're always in a game. It wasn’t the game we prepared for, but you have to show different sides of your game to win and I think we have that in the group at the moment.”

Goalscorer Gordon, in front of the watching England boss Gareth Southgate, again impressed, netting his fourth of the campaign. The player’s versatility greatly impresses Howe.

“He’s got used to what’s expected of him. He had sight of it at the end of last season. He came back fitter from the Euros. That was successful for him. That helped his confidence and he’s been brilliant for us this season. And he’s shown versatility,” Howe said.

“There was a good feeling in the stadium. The crowd (was) responding to us, and the players understood how important every tackle and duel was. You don’t win these games unless you compete. Really proud. We’re stretched at the moment, but the players have stepped up.

“We have a group of level-headed players. The injury situation is a concern. It’s a worry when you’re competing on lots of fronts. At the moment, we seem to be losing a player a game, which is the big negative today. We’ll let the dust settle on today’s game and see what we’ve got for Dortmund.”


8 watches owned by F1 great Michael Schumacher fetch more than $4m at auction in Geneva

Updated 31 sec ago
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8 watches owned by F1 great Michael Schumacher fetch more than $4m at auction in Geneva

The top piece in the sale, organized by Schumacher’s family, was a watch given to the German racing superstar by former Ferrari CEO Jean Todt
Remi Guillemin, head of watches for Europe and the Americas for auction house Christie’s, declined to identify the buyer

GENEVA: Eight watches belonging to auto racing icon Michael Schumacher sold Tuesday for nearly 4 million Swiss francs ($4.4 million) at a Geneva auction.
The top piece in the sale, organized by Schumacher’s family, was a watch given to the German racing superstar by former Ferrari CEO Jean Todt as a Christmas present in 2004. The hammer came down at a price of 1.2 million francs, or 1.5 million including the buyer’s commission.
That was well within the pre-sale estimate range of 1-2 million francs.
The custom-made platinum timepiece from F.P. Journe, the Vagabondage 1, features 18-carat white gold, a red watch face and images of a Ferrari logo, Schumacher’s racing helmet and a “7” — to honor his seven World Championship victories.
Remi Guillemin, head of watches for Europe and the Americas for auction house Christie’s, declined to identify the buyer, but said that five watches in the Ruthenium collection — a boxed set — were purchased by the same buyer.
While most of the eight watches sold within the pre-sale estimates, an Audemars Piguet featuring a Ferrari prancing horse emblem, sold for a hammer price of 330,000 francs — well above the top of the expected range at 250,000.
The sale of Schumacher watches, which garnered a total of more than 3.1 million francs at the hammer price, was timed for the 30th anniversary of his first Formula One Drivers Championship win in 1994.
The watches, which were taken to New York and Taipei for showings before the sale, were part of a larger auction of luxury timepieces to go under the hammer on Tuesday at Christie’s in Geneva.
Schumacher, who retired from F1 in 2012, shares the record for most F1 titles with British driver Lewis Hamilton.
In December the following year, Schumacher fell while skiing in the French Alpine resort of Meribel and suffered a near-fatal brain injury.
Since being transferred from hospital in September 2014, he continues to be cared for privately at a family home in Switzerland.

Abu Dhabi owners of Man City and Girona given options to meet Champions League entry rules

Updated 14 May 2024
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Abu Dhabi owners of Man City and Girona given options to meet Champions League entry rules

  • The teams have severely tested UEFA’s rules on multi-club ownership that guard against collusion in games
  • Failing to comply with UEFA’s rules with a proposal by June 3 should see one of the two teams, likely Girona, demoted to the second-tier Europa League

GENEVA: The Abu Dhabi investors in Manchester City and Girona have been offered divestment options by UEFA to let both compete in the Champions League next season by complying with integrity rules for teams that share owners.
Girona have made a stunning run to a guaranteed top-four finish in Spain’s La Liga, with three key players either loaned or sold via Man City’s influence including Brazilian star Sávio.
On merit, Girona will join Man City, the 2023 Champions League winner which will finish in the top two of the English Premier League.
But the teams have severely tested UEFA’s rules on multi-club ownership that guard against collusion in games.
Failing to comply with UEFA’s rules with a proposal by June 3 should see one of the two teams, likely Girona, demoted to the second-tier Europa League. The team finishing higher in their domestic league take priority.
According to a UEFA document seen on Tuesday by The Associated Press, two options are open to City Football Group (CFG), the Abu Dhabi-created operation with stakes in 13 clubs worldwide including 100 percent of Man City and 47 percent of Girona.
CFG could solve the problem by selling shares to an independent third party that reduces one ownership stake to below 30 percent, or transfer all shares in one club to a blind trust overseen by a panel appointed by UEFA.
The trustee could be picked by CFG in a UEFA-approved model that applied this season in a compliance deal for AC Milan, Toulouse and their United States investor Red Bird Capital.
The multi-club ownership issue for UEFA and CFG has loomed since Girona’s league-leading fast start in September.
UEFA declined comment all season pending Girona’s confirmed qualification in the Champions League this month.
On Tuesday, UEFA’s club finance monitoring panel wrote to soccer stakeholders to clarify updates to its multi-club rules for entry to European club competitions that were first drafted in the 1998-99 season.
Man City and Girona drew scrutiny for CFG having “decisive influence” over both because the Abu Dhabi operation holds at least 30 percent of the shares in both, and because of the clubs’ transfer dealings this season.
Girona seemed to meet the UEFA panel’s criteria for clubs that “transferred, permanently or temporarily, three or more players with the other club, directly or indirectly via related parties, during the season.”
Girona have two players on their squad who belong to other CFG clubs: Right back Yan Couto, on loan from Man City, and winger Sávio, on loan from French club Troyes.
Sávio is the revelation of the season in Spain. His dribbling and speed on the left flank has caused mayhem in opposing defenses. The 20-year-old has scored 10 times and is one of the league’s top assist-makers with nine passes for goals.
Couto has excelled in joining in the attack from his position of right back, delivering eight assists. Both are in Brazil’s squad for the end-of-season Copa America in the US
After completing a loan at Girona, City also then sold Venezuela midfielder Yangel Herrera to their sibling club last July.
Man City was bought in 2008 by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and a member of Abu Dhabi’s royal family.
The CFG was formed five years later, with Man City — by now a Premier League champion for the first time — acting as the flagship club in a worldwide portfolio that soon contained teams across multiple continents.
First came New York City in 2013, then Melbourne City in Australia’s A-League, Girona in Spain, Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan, Sichuan Jiuniu FC in China, Club Atletico Torque in Uruguay and Mumbai City in India joined the group, which also had a “collaboration agreement” with Venezuelan team Atletico Venezuela.
In recent years, the CFG has acquired stakes in European clubs Lommel in Belgium, Palermo in Italy and Troyes.


What’s on the line in Fury v. Usyk ‘Ring of Fire’ heavyweight boxing clash?

Updated 14 May 2024
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What’s on the line in Fury v. Usyk ‘Ring of Fire’ heavyweight boxing clash?

  • Fury-Usyk one of the most hotly anticipated boxing matches of the century

RIYADH: One of the most hotly anticipated boxing matches of the century takes place in Riyadh on Saturday, as heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk battle it out in the “Ring of Fire” clash at the Kingdom Arena.

But what exactly is at stake?

Ukrainian Usyk holds the World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization belts, while Briton Fury is World Boxing Council champion. The victor on Saturday will hold all four major championship belts and become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

The winner will also maintain an undefeated record, further solidifying their legendary status in the sport.

There has not been an undisputed boxing heavyweight champion for a quarter of a century, not since British-Canadian Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in 1999.

For Usyk or Fury, the added incentive on Saturday is the chance to become an undisputed champion in the era of the four major belts for the first time, as the WBO belt has been added since Lewis’s triumph.

Turki Alalshikh, chairman of fight organizers the General Entertainment Authority, said in September this was the “fight that everyone has wanted to see for some time,” adding: “It is the biggest fight in boxing, the world will be watching, and we are so proud to be the hosts for this spectacle.”


PSG star Mbappe will join Madrid: La Liga chief

Updated 14 May 2024
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PSG star Mbappe will join Madrid: La Liga chief

  • “He’s Madrid’s next season, yes,” Tebas told Argentine daily sports newspaper Ole
  • Mbappe is set to join a star-studded Madrid team led by Brazil’s Vinicius Junior and England international Jude Bellingham

BUENOS AIRES: La Liga president Javier Tebas says Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe will join Real Madrid next season.
The 25-year-old France captain announced last week he is leaving PSG at the end of his contract this summer, without specifying his destination, and Madrid are poised to sign him after years of failed attempts.
“He’s Madrid’s next season, yes,” Tebas told Argentine daily sports newspaper Ole on Monday.
“If they’ve signed a five-year deal, he has five seasons of opportunity (to win the Champions League).”
Mbappe is set to join a star-studded Madrid team led by Brazil’s Vinicius Junior and England international Jude Bellingham.
Los Blancos strolled to the Spanish title and are in the Champions League final at Wembley against Borussia Dortmund on June 1.
“(Mbappe) is one of the best players in the world, but Vinicius and Bellingham are there too, Madrid will have a great squad,” continued Tebas. “But that does not guarantee you will win leagues.”
Mbappe is PSG’s all-time record scorer with 256 goals, having joined the club from Monaco in 2017 for 180 million euros ($194 million).
With PSG he won six French league titles but failed to earn Champions League glory, finishing as runners-up to Bayern Munich in 2020.
By joining record 14-time winners Real Madrid, Mbappe would increase his chances of finally earning club football’s most prestigious trophy.


European football a ‘driving force’ for Newcastle, says Howe

Updated 14 May 2024
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European football a ‘driving force’ for Newcastle, says Howe

  • Howe’s men are sixth in the table, two places and three points better off than their hosts with two games to go for each team
  • “Massive fixture for both teams,” Howe said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday

LONDON: Eddie Howe said qualifying for Europe was a “driving force” for Newcastle as he prepares for Wednesday’s pivotal Premier League match against Manchester United.
Howe’s men are sixth in the table, two places and three points better off than their hosts with two games to go for each team.
Chelsea are in seventh place on 57 points — the same as Newcastle.
As it stands, the team in sixth place at the end of the season will earn a spot in the UEFA Conference League, the third-tier European competition.
But if Manchester City beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final, the sixth-placed team would qualify for the Europa League and the side in seventh would enter the Conference League.
“Massive fixture for both teams,” Howe said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“It’s coming to the end of a long season for both clubs. We’re desperate to do well in the game, we’re desperate to finish as high as we can.
“We know European competition is there but it can also be a long way away if we don’t get the results we need.”
The Newcastle boss said his team were embracing the pressure after recovering from a poor start to the season and a damaging run of losses in December and January.
Howe, whose team flopped in this season’s Champions League, said it was vital for Saudi-backed Newcastle to be in Europe.
“We need to be there as a football club,” he said. “That’s a driving force for us. We’ll embrace the extra games, the travel, the experience, everything about the competition. We feel we’re in a position to do it.”
Howe said he was anxious not to underestimate misfiring United despite their poor form as Newcastle seek their first league double against the 20-time English champions since the 1930/31 season.
“We can’t underestimate the challenge in front of us,” he added. “That would be foolish. That would counteract everything that we need to be in this game.
“I think we don’t underestimate Manchester United’s qualities, we don’t underestimate the magnitude of the game.
“We are preparing for a really tough match. We know it will be and we expect a good atmosphere.”
Forwards Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson are doubts for the match at Old Trafford after suffering from illness and neither trained on Monday.
Howe said it was “fingers crossed” Isak would train on Tuesday.
On Wilson, he added: “We’ll see. We haven’t seen Callum yet, so we’ll see if he’s available to train today. If not, then I’m sure he’ll be fit for Brentford.”
Newcastle have confirmed they will travel to Japan for a pre-season tour to face Urawa Red Diamonds on July 31 and Yokohama F. Marinos at the Japan National Stadium three days later.