Page 94 - Soccer360 - Issue 103

90TH MINUTE
WHO SAID WHAT
“Messi is fine, I see him happy, I see him joyful, and that’s a good thing. In the end, what he needs is to be well, to be in a comfortable place, for him and his family to feel happy, and with his team- mates as well. His presence is incredible and both his team- mates and opponents generate something special. His presence
is already too much and I think he is still more than qualified to keep playing football.”
– Lionel Messi is “already incredible” for Inter Miami, says Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni, with the Argentine making an immediate impact in the United States.
“I think he’s a creative machine, in general. Odegaard is very creative but a little bit more controlled. Maddison is also really creative but I need to see more of him in
a big team. He’s been doing it
for such a long time. Odegaard was amazing last year but obviously, he’s younger so that’s a difference.”
– Kevin de Bruyne named Man United talisman Bruno Fernandes as his favorite creative Premier League midfielder.
“We have to show another level of commitment and desire and ‘over my dead body’. With 10 men, you cannot concede a goal.”
– Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta urges his players to develop a more ruthless mentality.
5
Rubén García has scored in each of his last five seasons in LaLiga (15 goals) - Only Patxi Puñal (7) and Miguel Flaño (6) have scored in more successive campaigns for Osasuna in the competition in the 21st century (Iñaki Muñoz, Valdo and Juanfran Torres, also 5).
WHO WAS THAT ?
The Manchester City fan who ran onto the pitch and jumped on Erling Haaland at Bramall Lane before kissing the striker has been revealed as a former world champion boxer. Terry Flanagan, 34, is a retired British pro fighter and major City fan who held the WBO lightweight title between 2015 and 2017. He lost just two of his 38 fights, recording 14 KOs in the process. But Flanagan is unlikely to have celebrated any of his wins more than Haaland’s timely strike in City’s 2-1 away win against Sheffield United.
3RD & LONG - WRONG RECEPTION
Ronald Araujo forgot the rules of football in the middle of Barcelona’s opening match of the season. The defender made a bizarre mistake during his side’s 0-0 draw away to Getafe. Just moments into the second half, an overhit pass was chipped out to the Uruguayan on the right flank. As the ball looked set to sail over his head, he jumped up and caught it, to the confusion of his teammates. Araujo immediately looked sheepish as he realized what he had done, putting his hand on his head before jogging back into position. Although a free-kick was given, Araujo escaped without a booking, despite the complaints of the Getafe players.
PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE RATS
Valencia have been forced to take action to deal with a rat infestation at their stadium. The iconic Mestalla Stadium has been struck down with the rodent problem due to a cleanliness issue caused in part by a bizarre Spanish football tradition. Spanish fans commonly snack
on sunflower seeds during matches - also known as pipas. Many fans scoffing on the seeds have the horrible habit of chucking the shells on the floor. At the Mestalla, these shells have attracted a swarm of rats. In order to address the situation, the club will reportedly discourage consuming pipas in the stadium. Valencia will be proactive by stopping the sale of the seeds in the arena as their first step towards dispelling their rodent problem. The club will not stop fans from bringing their own seeds from home but will ask supporters to bring a bag to dispose of them to stop the shells from accumulating.
RAMSEY @ BURNLEY
Burnley stunned fans by announcing the shock £12million signing of Aaron Ramsey via a Barbie-themed video. The Clarets take an extract from the new Barbie movie before confirming 20-year- old Ramsey’s arrival from Aston Villa. The video, captioned “He’s Kenough”, shows the original Barbie and Ken - played by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling - and
a host of the other variations saying “hi” to each other on the beach. The camera then cuts to Ramsey, leaning against the goalpost in front of a bright pink football pitch. The waving midfield star says: “Hi Burnley!” Barbie looks confused before Ramsey corrects himself: “I mean Barbie! Up the Clarets!”
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