Premier League
MANCHESTER UNITED CONDOLE WITH RIVALS MANCHESTER CITY AS PEP GUARDIOLA LOSES MUM TO COVID-19
Rival club to Manchester City, Manchester United has sent condolences to Pep Guardiola whose mother just died from the coronavirus.
Sadly, the death occurred just days after the Manchester City manager donated £920,000 to fight the virus in his native Catalonia.
The Premier League champions confirmed the sad news on Monday that Dolors Sala Carrio had passed at the age of 82 in Manresa, Barcelona.
It read: ‘The Manchester City family are devastated to report the death today of Pep’s moth Dolors Sala Carrio in Manresa, Barcelona after contracting Corona Virus.
‘She was 82-years-old. Everyone associated with the club sends their most heartfelt sympathy at this most distressing time to Pep, his family and all their friends.’
City paid tribute to their manager on social media, saying: ‘Everyone associated with the club sends their most heartfelt sympathy at this most distressing time to Pep, his family and all their friends.’
Dolors was a former sales assistant, and was married to Pep’s father Valenti, a bricklayer. Tottenham and Brighton sent their condolences to Guardiola for his loss shortly after the news was announced.
‘Everyone at Spurs sends their deepest condolences. Our thoughts are with Pep and his family at this time,’ Spurs tweeted.
Liverpool, Norwich and Arsenal also took to social media to offer their support to Guardiola and his family.
Rio Ferdinand and ex-Barcelona striker Gary Lineker also sent their condolences to Guardiola on social media.
‘Really sorry to hear that Pep Guardiola’s mother has passed away. Thoughts are with him and his family. So sad,’ Lineker tweeted.
Ferdinand said: ‘Sending my love & condolences to Pep and his family!’
The tragic news comes weeks after Guardiola himself made a generous donation of £920,000 (€1million) to help fight the coronavirus in Spain.
Guardiola earmarked the money, sent to the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation, to be spent on purchasing medical equipment.
The fund is named after a doctor from Santpedor – the town Guardiola hails from – who passed away in the 1970s.
The foundation had raised just over €33,000 after the initial plea and Guardiola’s personal contribution has rocketed their resources.
The Barcelona medical college said that equipment is in short supply across Catalonia and Guardiola’s generosity will go a long way to easing the strain on health centres. Catalonia is reported to have the most concentrated number of cases in Spain.
Spain has suffered one of the worst outbreaks of the virus in Europe.
According to the latest numbers from Johns Hopkins, Spain has had 135,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, second only to the United States, and more than 13,000 deaths, second only to Italy which has suffered almost 16,000.
As part of the club’s Cityzens At Home intiative, Guardiola last week recorded a video urging fans to stay at home and to follow the advice of scientists, doctors and nurses.
‘We miss football,’ he said. ‘We miss the life that we had a few days ago but now is the time to listen, to follow our scientists, doctors and nurses.
‘You are my football family and we are going to do everything possible to make you feel better. We’ll come back from this stronger, better, kinder… and a little bit fatter. Stay inside, stay safe.’
Guardiola’s video message came as the club launched the new ‘Cityzens At Home’ website dedicated to providing fans with news, advice and activities during these unprecedented times.
There will be bespoke coaching videos from members of the City staff, as well as daily skills challenges and players’ favourite recipes among other offerings.
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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