Sports

Atletico Ban Fan For Life After Real Derby Disruption

Published

2 years ago

October 1, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

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Atletico Madrid said on Monday they had permanently banned a fan for throwing objects onto the field during the weekend’s heated derby draw with Real Madrid.

Sunday’s match at Atletico’s Estadio Metropolitano was halted for 15 minutes after home fans threw objects including lighters at Madrid players.

Atletico claimed a late point thanks to Angel Correa’s 95th-minute equaliser.

“Our security department continues to work with the police to identify the rest of those involved, who will be permanently expelled as soon as they are located,” Atletico said.

“The club’s firm conviction to eradicate any form of violence and our defence of the values of sport are unquestionable.

“We will continue to work with all our resources with the aim of eliminating this type of behaviour,” they added.

Atletico also announced a change to rules for fans’ clothing inside their ground following the incident.

“The club will imminently incorporate into its internal regulations the prohibition of using inside the stadium any element or garment that prevents distinguishing the face of a person in order to hide their identity, which until now was not contemplated in our regulations,” the 11-time Spanish champions said.

“In the event of non-compliance with this rule, they will be immediately expelled from the stadium.

Atletico’s next home game is October 20’s La Liga match with Leganes.

AFP

Sports

Carabao Cup Round of 16 fixtures confirmed [Full List]

Published

1 hour ago

September 18, 2026

Admin

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Manchester City have become the last team to qualify for the last 16 of the Carabao Cup.

This follows their 5-0 thrashing of Norwich on Thursday evening.

Enzo Maresca’s men went two goals up in the first half, thanks to strikes from Floyd Samba and Rayan Cherki.

Allan, Samba and Ryan McAidoo completed the rout after the break.

City will now face Brighton who eliminated Manchester United.

FULL FIXTURES:

Fleetwood vs Arsenal

Man City vs Brighton

Everton vs Newcastle

Sunderland vs Brentford

Liverpool vs Chelsea

Bradford City vs Peterborough

Fulham vs Crystal Palace

Bournemouth vs Aston Villa

Sports

Chelsea Co-Owner Steps Down, Sells Ownership Stakes

Published

23 hours ago

September 17, 2026

Austin Ojomah

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Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly will leave his role after agreeing to sell his stake in the Premier League football club to co-owners Clearlake Capital.

The announcement came early on Thursday morning, with the US equity firm acquiring “full control of the club”.

Boehly bought a stake in the London club in 2022 and said it had been an “honour” to serve as chairman.

He gave his thanks to “the coaches and players, the talented leadership and staff at Chelsea, and the legions of dedicated fans”.

His statement continued: “I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the club.

“I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.”

Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano, co-founders of Clearlake Capital, said: “Todd has been an important partner throughout our ownership of Chelsea, and we thank him for his time and contribution as Chairman.

“He will always be a part of the Chelsea story and family. Clearlake has served as Chelsea’s majority owner since 2022, and as we move to full control our focus is to continue investing in the Club’s infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and delivering long-term success for Chelsea and the Club’s supporters.”

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Todd Boehly bought the stake in 2022 (Image: Getty)
Chelsea said that Hansjörg Wyss “will remain an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group” after Mark Walter, another of the club’s co-owners, also sold his stake to Clearlake.

Mr Boehly, Mr Walter and Hansjörg Wyss each had a 12.8% stake following their joint takeover of Chelsea four years ago.

The new change will not change day-to-day operations or strategy at the club.

Sports

Messi Set for Argentina Farewell as World Champion Returns for Final Cap

Published

2 days ago

September 16, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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Lionel Messi is set to make his final appearance for Argentina after being named in the squad for an international friendly against Benin on October 6.

The 39-year-old forward, who announced his retirement from international football in August, will return to the national team for what is expected to be an emotional farewell before Argentine supporters at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) plans to honour its captain during the fixture, with AFA president Claudio Tapia confirming that Messi was invited to receive the send-off the federation believes he deserves.

“We made the decision to invite the best player in the world, the symbol of our national team, our captain, Lionel Andres Messi, so that he can have the farewell he truly deserves on October 6 here in Argentina,” Tapia said.

Members of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad have also been invited to attend the ceremony.

Messi is expected to win his 208th and final international cap against Benin. He remains Argentina’s record appearance holder and all-time leading scorer, with 125 goals for the national team.

His two-decade international career has been decorated with major honours, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.

Before the farewell fixture, Argentina will face Bolivia in Cordoba on September 30 and Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on October 3.

The Bolivia clash will be Argentina’s first match since their defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.

The fixtures will also take place against the backdrop of FIFA disciplinary sanctions imposed on Argentina following incidents involving members of the team.

Argentina have been ordered to play their next home match at 50 per cent stadium capacity after breaching FIFA disciplinary regulations relating to demonstrations considered non-sporting at a sporting event.

The punishment followed Argentina’s 2-1 semi-final victory over England in July, when several players displayed a banner bearing the words: “The Falklands are Argentine.”

The upcoming friendlies are also expected to count towards suspensions handed down following incidents after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat to Spain.

Midfielder Leandro Paredes has been suspended for 10 matches, while defender Nahuel Molina was handed a seven-game ban.

Despite the disciplinary backdrop, the October 6 fixture is expected to centre on Messi as Argentina prepares to bid farewell to the captain who led the country to its long-awaited World Cup triumph.