MANCHESTER: Manchester United have launched an investigation into how players’ boots were lost on the way to their Women’s Champions League qualifier in Norway, forcing them to scramble for new ones.
The Red Devils had to buy a number of replacement boots and shin pads from a local shop hours before the first leg of their tie at SK Brann on Thursday, which they lost 1-0.
Shop owner Andre Gullord told the BBC that the club had spent several thousand pounds.
“We are a big store but they were very lucky we had enough boots in stock that were the right size,” Gullord said. “They paid between £200 ($270) and £230 for each pair and £30 for the shin guards.
“We have had the odd player come in because they have left their boots behind but never the entire team.”
Midfielder Lisa Naalsund, who is from Bergen, where SK Brann are based, told Norwegian TV that she had asked her mother to bring some boots to the stadium for her.
“A bag containing some of our players’ boots went missing during the journey to Bergen,” said a United spokesman.
“We are investigating how this happened. In the meantime, we have secured new boots for all the affected players.”
United will hope to turn the tie around in next week’s second leg as they seek to reach the group stages of the Women’s Champions League for the first time.
Man Utd probe mystery of missing boots
https://arab.news/4ax68
Man Utd probe mystery of missing boots
- The Red Devils had to buy a number of replacement boots and shin pads from a local shop
- Shop owner Andre Gullord told the BBC that the club had spent several thousand pounds
Real Madrid handed shock home loss as Celta Vigo spring surprise
- Celta jumped from 14th to 10th while the defeat ended Real’s 100 percent home league record this season after six successive wins
MADRID: Real Madrid suffered a shock 2-0 loss and finished with nine men against Celta Vigo in LaLiga on Sunday after Williot Swedberg scored an audacious goal with his heel and a second in stoppage time to leave the hosts four points off leaders Barcelona.
Swedish substitute Swedberg cleverly diverted a cross from Bryan Zaragoza past Thibaut Courtois in the 53rd minute to put Celta ahead and had an easy finish three minutes into added time, going around the goalkeeper to wrap up the points.
Real’s cause was not helped by the 64th minute dismissal of Fran Garcia, who picked up two yellow cards in 60 seconds, but they laid siege to the visitors’ goal for the last 20 minutes as Celta went into a defensive shell to hold onto their advantage.
Real defender Alvaro Carreras was also dismissed for two cautions, his second coming in stoppage time at the end of the game as the home side’s frustrations boiled over.
It was a second clean sheet in 15 league games this season for Celta, whose keeper Ionut Radu made a first-half save from Jude Bellingham’s header and stopped a second-half free-kick whipped in by Kylian Mbappe.
Real stay on 36 points from 16 games as Celta celebrated a first win at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in 19 years, leaving the Galician club with 19 points.
“With the team they have and their quality, it’s difficult to match them, but we read the game well,” said Celta striker Borja Iglesias. “We had possession, we played in their half, we played a fantastic match.”
Celta jumped from 14th to 10th while the defeat ended Real’s 100 percent home league record this season after six successive wins.
Xabi Alonso’s stuttering Real team have now won only one of their last five league games as they await the midweek arrival of Manchester City in the Champions League.
Earlier on Sunday, Espanyol moved up to fifth as Roberto Fernandez’s first half penalty handed them a 1-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano as both sides finished with 10 men.
Elche’s Rafa Mir scored twice as they ran out 3-0 home winners over struggling Girona, while hosts Valencia and Sevilla remained in the bottom half of the table after a 1-1 draw.
