Page 92 - Soccer360 Issue 106

90TH MINUTE
WHO SAID WHAT
“I would say the worst part is disappointing the players, I hate leaving good players out. I hate that moment when you’re going
to disappoint them, especially if they’ve got a good attitude and they’re giving you everything they can give, and you’re not picking them on a regular basis – I find that very difficult because I care about their respective journeys and I want them to enjoy playing for me.” – Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has opened up about how tough he finds leaving players out of his team.
“In the beginning I thought, ‘Wow, did I make the right choice?’ Now
I know the league, the people,
the country, Manchester — OK, Rainchester! When I look back now, I’m just smiling because it was a big lesson for me.” – Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana admits he questioned his decision to join the club following a successful season with Inter Milan.
“In January we understood a lot, we were waiting for him, but the danger was that another offer would arrive. Don’t think that here he will get the same money as in Europe...”
– Giorgio Chiellini, recently retired Italian icon and newly appointed development coach for Los Angeles FC, opened up about Oliver Giroud’s move to LAFC.
Lionel Messi has been involved in 22 goals in his first 8 appearances this season. Only one team, LA Galaxy in 1998 (26), has scored 22 or more goals in their first 8 matches of an MLS season in league history.
WHITE IS A COLOUR ?
Bayern beat Wolfsburg 2-0 at the Allianz Arena in their final home match of the season. The Rekordmeister took the opportunity to debut their new home kit for the 2024-25 campaign, but many of their supporters were less than impressed. The new kit, produced by Adidas, has sparked controversy as it is the first home shirt in the club’s history that doesn’t feature the colour white. During Sunday’s match, the club’s ultras standing in the Sud Kurve held up a banner that read: “The club colours are red and white.” Bayern’s home shirts have changed quite a lot in recent years, with some designs being predominantly red and others features stripes. Next season’s strip is red with black detailing and a blacked-out club badge. Ironically, it looks more like a Bayer Leverkusen shirt than a Bayern one.
I DON’T SEE IT ....
A former Barcelona player is being investigated over claims he made his twin brother play for his new club instead of himself. According to reports from Marca and outlets in Romania, Dinamo Bucharest are investigating whether their defender Edgar Ié made his twin brother play five games in his place without the club realising. The 30-year-old signed for the club in February to help with their battle against relegation from the Romanian top flight, but it now appears that the player who actually arrived in Bucharest was his twin brother Edelino. A source within the Romanian Football Federation told iAMsport that a DNA test could be used to resolve the dispute.
WORKING TONALI
Suspended Newcastle star Sandro Tonali has been pictured appearing
to work alongside Shepherd Offshore engineers on the bank of River Tyne. Tonali was handed a ten-month ban
by the Italian FA for breaching betting regulations. He has since remained around the team, but cannot play until next season. Time without football must have been quite boring for the Italian, so he chose to pursue some side quests in the meantime!
WO-MAN UNITED
Marc Skinner, Manchester United Women’s manager, has signed a new contract just five days after leading the team to their first major silverware by winning the FA Cup. Initially set to expire at the end
of the season, Skinner’s deal has been extended for at least another 12 months following positive discussions with the club’s owners. Reformed in 2018, the team finished fourth in the WSL in 2021-22 and second last season, also reaching the FA Cup final.
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THANKS, BUT NO THANKS
Wolverhampton Wanderers have proposed scrapping Video Assistant Referees (VAR) from the Premier League next season, citing its negative impact on the game’s spirit and the league’s reputation. This proposal will be voted on at
June’s AGM, needing approval from 14 of the 20 clubs to pass. While Wolves argue VAR’s minimal accuracy gains aren’t worth its downsides, the Premier League and PGMOL stress that VAR has boosted correct decisions from 82% to 96% and believe new technologies will further improve transparency and reduce delays.
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