PARIS: France’s football federation has told referees they must not pause matches to allow Muslim players to break their fast during Ramadan, media reports said Friday.
Unlike England’s Premier League which allows it, the practice does not comply with the French Football Federation’s statutes, several media reported the body saying in an email sent to referees Thursday.
It said it had been brought to the federation’s attention that matches were being interrupted following the breaking of the Ramadan fast.
“The idea is that there is a time for everything. A time to do sport, a time to practice one’s religion,” Eric Borghini, head of the federal referee commission at the Federation, told AFP.
He said that the federation had learned that “a certain number of amateur-level meetings have been stopped to allow players observing the fast to hydrate.”
This is not permitted in the regulations, he said, highlighting they included the strict respect of the principle of secularism in football.
English football has taken the reverse decision and will permit matches of the Premier League to pause during the holy month of Ramadan, during which Muslims abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset. It is being observed this year from March 22.
Asked about the issue, Nice coach Didier Digard said Friday that several Muslim players in the team observed Ramadan without any problems.
Although he said it would be good if France allowed the breaks, he added “nobody cares that they don’t do it. Because we are not in a Muslim country. You have to accept the country you live in,” he told reporters.
French referees told not to pause matches during Ramadan
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French referees told not to pause matches during Ramadan
- Unlike England's Premier League which allows it, the practice does not comply with the French Football Federation's statutes
- It said it had been brought to the federation's attention that matches were being interrupted following the breaking of the Ramadan fast
Mbappe scores hat-trick as PSG hit Montpellier for six
- Mbappe completed the whole 90 minutes of a Ligue 1 game for the first time since informing the club in mid-February that he intended to leave at the end of the season when his contract expires
MONTPELLIER, France: An unstoppable Kylian Mbappe hit a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain romped to a 6-2 win away to Montpellier on Sunday that allowed them to open up a huge 12-point lead at the top of Ligue 1.
Vitinha put PSG ahead at the Stade de la Mosson and Mbappe doubled their advantage midway through the first half, only for an Arnaud Nordin header and a Teji Savanier penalty to bring Montpellier back level at the interval.
However, a marvellous Mbappe goal restored PSG’s lead shortly after the break and Lee Kang-in made it 4-2 before the France captain completed his hat-trick.
Nuno Mendes put the seal on the victory late on, as Luis Enrique’s side ended a run of three successive draws in Ligue 1 and extended an unbeaten domestic record stretching back to September.
A 1-1 draw for nearest challengers Brest against Lille earlier on Sunday means the Parisians are now 12 points ahead at the Ligue 1 summit with only eight games left, and a 10th title in 12 seasons is an inevitability.
Mbappe completed the whole 90 minutes of a Ligue 1 game for the first time since informing the club in mid-February that he intended to leave at the end of the season when his contract expires.
His hat-trick, his third of the campaign, took him to 24 goals in Ligue 1 this season, and 38 in all competitions.
Portugal midfielder Vitinha opened the scoring in the 14th minute, collecting Mbappe’s pass 25 meters from goal before curling a low shot into the bottom-right corner.
Mbappe then made it 2-0 on the counterattack, feeding Randal Kolo Muani and then sprinting to get the ball back and slot into the far corner from a tight angle.
Montpellier got one back when Danilo Pereira could only help on a cross from the left and Nordin — a friend of Mbappe’s as a youngster at Clairefontaine, France’s national youth academy — headed in at the back post.
The home side then won a penalty right on half-time when Tanguy Coulibaly pounced on Pereira’s short back-pass before being clattered by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Teji Savanier smashed in the spot-kick, but PSG were back ahead five minutes after the restart as Mbappe scored with a superb shot from range, in off the underside of the crossbar.
South Korean star Lee made it 4-2 on 53 minutes, playing a one-two with Kolo Muani and firing in from outside the area on his left foot.
Mbappe then completed his hat-trick with a right-foot finish after latching onto a ball over the top, before Montpellier had a second penalty award overturned following a VAR review.
Warren Zaire-Emery hit the post for the visitors, and Mendes made it 6-2 a minute from time, bursting into the box to run onto a Vitinha pass and fire in.
Violence erupts between players and fans after match in Turkiye
ISTANBUL: Violence broke out between supporters of Trabzonspor and players from Fenerbahce after a Turkish top-flight league match on Sunday.
A crowd of home supporters invaded the pitch at Trabzonspor’s stadium after the final whistle of an encounter that Fenerbahce won 3-2.
Images show a Trabzonspor fan enter the pitch and begin running toward the celebrating Fenerbahce players, some of whom reacted by running toward him to try and strike him.
Other fans then invaded the pitch as stewards tried to restore order.
Videos showed Belgian international Michy Batshuayi kicking a fan who had entered the pitch and Nigerian international Bright Osayi-Samuel punching another supporter.
In other images on social media, a fan can be seen to threaten a visiting player with a corner flag and Fenerbahce’s goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic receives a punch to the face.
Following the violent scenes, Turkiye’s interior minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the opening of an investigation into the incident.
“After the Trabzonspor-Fenerbahce football match played this evening, an investigation has been initiated immediately to identify the spectators who entered the pitch and to investigate the incidents that took place at the end of the match,” he wrote on X.
“Incidents of violence on football pitches are never acceptable.”
It is not the first time violence has been seen in the Turkish Super Lig this season.
The league was suspended for a week in December after a referee was attacked during a match between Ankaragucu and Rizespor.
Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca, alongside other men, attacked referee Halil Umut Meler on the pitch after the match, injuring the official.
Man Utd fightback ends Liverpool’s quadruple quest in FA Cup classic
- Twice Erik ten Hag’s men had to stage late comebacks to reach the last four
MANCHESTER: Manchester United ended Liverpool’s quest for a quadruple of trophies in Jurgen Klopp’s final season after Amad Diallo’s winner edged a thrilling FA Cup quarter-final 4-3 after extra-time.
The Ivorian winger was sent off for a second booking after taking his shirt off in celebration at the end of a chaotic 120 minutes that kept United’s chances of ending the season with silverware alive.
Twice Erik ten Hag’s men had to stage late comebacks to reach the last four.
Two goals in three minutes from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah toward the end of the first half swung the game in Liverpool’s favor after Scott McTominay opened the scoring.
Antony’s first goal at Old Trafford for more than a year kept United alive to send the game into extra-time.
Liverpool edged in front once again when Harvey Elliott’s deflected shot found the bottom corner.
But Marcus Rashford, who had missed a glorious chance to win the tie deep into injury time, made amends by drilling home to make it 3-3.
Diallo then scored just his second ever United goal in added time of extra-time at the end of a breakneck counter-attack from a Liverpool corner, led by the impressive Alejandro Garnacho.
United trail Liverpool by 17 points in the Premier League and having made an early exit from both the Champions League and League Cup, the pressure was on Ten Hag if he is to remain in charge for a third season.
The home team started like a side who knew their season depended on victory as they flew out of the traps and got their reward.
Garnacho’s effort was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher but only looped up for McTominay to blast home his ninth goal of the season.
Liverpool have had a far more intense schedule in recent weeks than United as they remain in three competitions, having already lifted the League Cup last month.
Klopp’s men took half an hour to awake from their slumber, but once they did were far more effective in the final third.
The visitors turned the tie around in the dying embers of the first half as Mac Allister’s deflected strike had too much power for Andre Onana.
Three minutes later, Liverpool led as Salah struck once more against his favored opponents.
United pleaded in vain for a foul on Bruno Fernandes by Joe Gomez and Salah was left with a simple task to knock in his 13th goal in 14 games against United after Onana parried Darwin Nunez’s initial effort.
Liverpool enjoyed far more control of the game after the break but they were also guilty of not taking their chances to kill the game off.
Onana kept his side in the game by parrying efforts from Dominik Szoboszlai and a piledriver from Nunez.
United were blunt and lacking ideas going forward as they chased the game until Antony became an unlikely hero.
The Brazilian had scored just once in his previous 38 games but showed no sign of a lack of confidence as he spun and fired into the far corner three minutes from time.
Liverpool nearly responded immediately as Elliott’s miscued cross came back off the post.
At the other end, Rashford should have completed the comeback as, after taking a brilliant first touch to cushion the ball into his path, he slotted wide with just Kelleher to beat.
A frenetic encounter continued to rage from end-to-end in extra-time as Elliott’s deflected effort looked set to again put Liverpool into the last four.
But United did not lie down as Rashford was more deadly when handed a second chance after Nunez gave the ball away deep inside his own half.
And as Liverpool sensed the chance to win it form a corner at the death, Garnacho broke clear and timed his pass to Diallo to perfection before he fired in off the far post.
Vinicius scores twice in easy win at Osasuna as Madrid take another step toward title
- Madrid moved 10 points ahead of Girona with nine games left after the Catalan side stumbled again with a 1-0 defeat at Getafe
- Athletic Bilbao striker Gorka Guruzeta scored his 12th and 13th league goals of the campaign to lead a 2-0 win over Alaves
BARCELONA: Days after being targeted by racist taunts before games not even involving his team, Vinicius Junior scored twice to lead Spanish league leader Real Madrid to a dominant 4-2 win at Osasuna on Saturday.
Vinicius, who is Black, has endured racist insults during away games especially over the last two seasons. This week he was subjected to racist chants by groups of fans gathered outside the stadiums of Atletico Madrid and Barcelona before Champions League games. Atletico played Inter Milan, and Barcelona played Napoli.
Vinicius asked on social media for the acts to not go unpunished, adding “It’s a sad reality that happens even in games where I’m not present!”
Players wore T-shirts promoting a Spanish league anti-racism campaign before kickoff for the day’s games. Local media reports said some fans at El Sadar Stadium chanted “Die Vinicius” after he celebrated his second goal by holding a hand to his ear while facing the stands. The referee’s report made no mention of any incidents involving fans.
Brazil forward Vinicius was unfazed on the field in Pamplona, scoring Madrid’s fourth-minute opener and adding a fourth goal to complete the rout. Dani Carvajal and Brahim Diaz also scored for the visitors, who picked apart Osasuna’s high defensive line.
“I congratulated Vini Jr. because he played an extraordinary game,” Carlo Ancelotti said after the coach’s 200th win with Madrid. “He is a very dangerous player and everyone knows it. Rival fans jeer him and opposing players give him kicks, although today everything was correct and by the rule book.”
Madrid moved 10 points ahead of Girona with nine games left after the Catalan side stumbled again with a 1-0 defeat at Getafe.
Vinicius has scored six goals in a four-game scoring streak across all competitions. He is playing his best just as Madrid are preparing to face Manchester City in the Champions League quarterfinals next month.
“The entire team played a great game, not just me,” said Vinicius, who had opportunities to make it a hat trick. “I don’t think as much about the goals I scored as I do about the chances I missed.”
Vinicius will miss next round’s home game against Athletic Bilbao as he serves a one-game suspension for picking up a fifth yellow card for protesting a decision by the referee.
Madrid were without Jude Bellingham, who leads the league with 16 goals, as he completed a two-game suspension.
Osasuna striker Ante Budimir had an early equalizer to briefly make it 1-1. It was the Croat’s 15th league goal of the season. Substitute Iker Muñoz added the hosts’ second goal in stoppage time.
“Today is a very hard day for us. We were brave, but we were also fragile. And against a team like Real Madrid you pay for it,” said Osasuna coach Jagoba Arrasate, whose team was 11th.
The first goal was partly caused by Osasuna center back Alejandro Catena, who instead of passing when he saw Vinícius closing on him, tried to hang onto the ball and ended up losing it to the Madrid forward. Vinicius then coolly slid a shot past goalkeeper Sergio Herrera.
After Budimir leveled in the seventh, Carvajal finished off a team move in the area that included Diaz and Federico Valverde.
Madrid’s last two goals both came when Diaz and Vinicius dribbled into space between the backline and Herrera. Vinicius got his second goal with a tap of his right boot to send the ball around the ‘keeper from a tight angle.
GIRONA LOSE
Girona were unable to respond to a first-half goal by Getafe’s Yellu Santiago. Artem Dovbyk, whose 14 league goals leads his team, wasted three good opportunities for Girona to pull even. The Ukraine striker has gone seven games without scoring.
Dovbyk’s drought coincides with Girona’s recent troubles. After losing just once in 23 league games this season, Girona have since lost four of their last six and will drop to third place if Barcelona win at Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
ATHLETIC FOURTH
Athletic Bilbao striker Gorka Guruzeta scored his 12th and 13th league goals of the campaign to lead a 2-0 win over Alaves.
The team that only fields players from the Basque Country region and neighboring areas rose past Atletico into fourth place in their fight for a Champions League berth.
Also, Mallorca defender Marco Raillo scored with a late header to give the hosts a 1-0 win over Granada, who remained in next-to-last place.
Athletic and Mallorca will play the Copa del Rey final in three weeks.
England captain Harry Kane could miss Brazil and Belgium games after injuring ankle in Bundesliga
- Kane crashed into the post late in the game as he tried to reach the ball when it rebounded off the crossbar from Jamal Musiala’s effort
- He appeared to be in pain and received brief treatment on the field before going off
DARMSTADT, Germany: England captain Harry Kane is a doubt for upcoming international friendlies against Brazil and Belgium after sustaining an ankle injury while playing for Bayern Munich on Saturday.
“He twisted his ankle in the goal net. He’s cooled it with ice. We don’t have a (final) diagnosis yet. We have to wait and see and hope that it remains a scare,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said after the team’s 5-2 win over Darmstadt in the Bundesliga.
Kane crashed into the post late in the game as he tried to reach the ball when it rebounded off the crossbar from Jamal Musiala’s effort. He appeared to be in pain and received brief treatment on the field before going off.
Earlier, Kane had scored his 31st league goal to set the record for goals in a debut Bundesliga season. He also eclipsed his previous best mark of 30 league goals in a season achieved with Tottenham in the Premier League in 2018 and again last season.
“Proud to break a Bundesliga record but more importantly another good win,” Kane wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund said the club was in “close contact” with England and that Kane “will not take any risks” when the Three Lions face Brazil at Wembley Stadium on March 23 and Belgium at the same venue three days later.