Premier League
LIVERPOOL FANS SLAM NEW AWAY KIT
Premier League champions, Liverpool have officially unveiled their brand new away jersey for the upcoming season as part of their ground-breaking partnership with sportswear giants Nike – but not all supporters are best pleased with the choice of colour.
According to Daily Mail, the design adopts a teal colour and striking wavy pattern – and, according to the manufacturer, has introduced a ‘visionary’ look aimed at representing both the club and the city.
The iconic Liver Bird and the Shankly Gates at Anfield have also helped fuel inspiration for the strip.
Nike’s first collaboration with the club was revealed earlier this month, with the home edition paying homage to Liverpool’s historic title winning team from 1993 through its teal trim.
The same colour, seen on the Liver Bird statues in the city, has exploded into life across the latest offering ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.
There is another subtle reference to another piece of history at the club, with Nike claiming that the swirling design ’embellishes’ the legendary You’ll Never Walk Alone motif.
But the light blue shade has led to widespread confusion and anger from Liverpool supporters on social media.
One user labelled Nike’s design a ‘terrible kit’ due to the controversial choice of colour.
Another described the creative process as ‘not acceptable’ due to the shirt’s similarity to arch rivals Everton and title contenders Manchester City.
A third fan simply summed up his thoughts by writing ‘blue’, and accompanying it with three vomit emojis.
Jordan Henderson, the Liverpool skipper, has declared himself ‘a massive fan’ of the kit, however.
He added: ‘I really love the design and how it has been influenced by the city and specific aspects of the club. I can’t wait to get back out there and play in it next season.’
The 96 emblem has also been stitched into the nape of the neck in memoriam to those who lost their lives in the Hillsborough disaster.
Liverpool’s top-flight winners will re-emerge next season with golden badges on their arms – and the whole strip will be rounded off with teal shorts, combined with black trim, and socks.
Nike Football Apparel vice-president, Scott Munson, said: ‘We have very distinct design filters that are fully demonstrated in the collection we’ve created for Liverpool FC. We set out to create a collection that celebrates the rich culture of the city of Liverpool and the club.
The away kit allowed us to be bolder and more expressive in how we brought some of these cultural references to life, and we’ve landed on a look and aesthetic that really reflects that.’
The kit is available for early access on Nike’s official website and will be able to be purchased at all retailers at August 17. It is also available to pre-order at Liverpool outlets and their online club store.
Nike have replaced New Balance to produce the club’s kits as part of a five-year deal worth £70million.
Liverpool supporters will be able to watch their team pull on the shirt for the first time during pre-season.
Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.
Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.
Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.
Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.
He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.
-Reuters
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Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.
Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.
Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.
Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.
Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.
United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.
“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”
Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.
Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.
-Reuters
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.
The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.
“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.
“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”
Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.
“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.
“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”
The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.
However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
-Reuters
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