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Tag: Premier League

  • Napoli’s Stanislav Lobotka, Serie A’s Own Andres Iniesta

    Napoli’s Stanislav Lobotka, Serie A’s Own Andres Iniesta

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    In case you hadn’t noticed, Napoli are pretty good lately. Luciano Spalletti’s side are currently the talk of Europe, as they sit 1st in Serie A and 1st in their Champions League group, undefeated and carving teams apart seemingly at will.

    This wasn’t what many expected in the summer with the departure of big players. Kalidou Koulibaly, Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Fabian Ruiz all left Naples after years of brilliant service. There was a sense that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis was scaling back on ambition following another missed opportunity to win the Scudetto last season.

    And yet, Napoli look much the better side for those departures. Kim-Min Jae has aptly replaced Koulibaly in the heart of the defence and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has already made Neapolitans forget all about Insigne.

    The goals are coming from everywhere, with 14 different players getting on the score sheet. But the real strength of this Napoli side rests in midfield, and in particular the diminutive-but-stocky frame of Stanislav Lobotka.

    Lobotka’s elevation to Napoli focal point is down to Spalletti. The Slovak was signed in January 2020, under the advice of club legend Marek Hamsik, but found it difficult to break into the first team. Ruiz, Piotr Zielinski, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Diego Demme, who signed along with Lobotka, were all preferred choices for then-coach Rino Gattuso in a 4-2-3-1 system.

    By his own admission, things looked so bad for Lobotka by the end of the 2020/21 season that he was considering leaving Napoli, 18 months after the club spent €24m on him. But fate intervened in two ways.

    Firstly, Spalletti took over from Gattuso in the summer of 2021 and everything changed for Lobotka. Spalletti was an admirer of Lobotka’s and had wanted him when he was manager of Inter. Injuries kept him ruled out for the first portion of Spalletti’s first season in Naples, but upon returning in late November, Lobotka has been an almost ever-present in Spalletti’s 4-3-3.

    The other turning point came when he suffered from tonsillitis just before Gattuso’s departure. He had to undergo two throat operations and was subsequently forced to eat little. The result was Lobotka losing nine kilograms in weight and by the time he returned, he was a different player, his pace noticeably quicker. Many had labelled him as ‘fat’, but since the beginning of last season all Lobotka’s been doing is making critics eat their words.

    Lobotka’s greatest attribute is his low centre of gravity and willingness to receive and pass the ball. It can often be missed on camera, but Lobotka’s always searching for the tiniest of spaces to operate in, always open to having the ball and manipulating space to gain the advantage.

    Lobotka possesses that Andres Iniesta-like quality of being able to spin in either direction while facing his own goal. Now, not for a moment is Lobotka in the Iniesta bracket of player, but there are semblances of the great Spaniard in him, something even Spalletti remarked after the opening day 5-2 win away at Verona.

    His stocky build also makes it difficult for the opposing players to push Lobotka off the ball, and in many respects he’s also reminiscent of the hugely under-appreciated Chilean David Pizarro, who Spalletti had at Udinese and then in his first spell at Roma in the late 2000s. Lobotka, Iniesta and Pizarro aren’t the kind of players to win awards, but they are players’ players and pivotal to a team’s success.

    Fabio Capello, a man famously difficult to please, is a big fan of the Slovakian, believing there isn’t “anyone in Serie A like him” and calling him the most complete midfielder in his role in the league. Former Lazio goalkeeper Luca Marchegiani likened him to Andrea Pirlo and Marco Verratti.

    The trio of Lobotka, Andre-Frank Anguissa and Zielinski comprise the best midfield in Serie A, each compliment each other and possess characteristics the others lack. Yet it’s Lobotka who knits it together at the base of the midfield, a regista who loves having the ball at his feet. No other midfielder in Serie A has a higher percentage of accurate passes than Lobotka, with 94%.

    Ruiz’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain last summer effectively gave Lobotka the keys to the midfield kingdom, and where Ruiz was technically exquisite but laboured on the ball, Lobotka matches him for technique but moves the ball faster, playing one or two-touch with Anguissa and Zielinski in the middle or full-backs Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Mario Rui. Napoli are a much more dynamic side in Spalletti’s second season without Ruiz, and also Insigne, to slow things down. Moreover, and most importantly, Lobotka has the aggression to press, another thing Ruiz lacks. Against Verona, for example, Lobotka recovered 13 balls.

    His form hasn’t gone unnoticed either. Reports from Italy have linked him with a move to the Premier
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     League, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Man United all reportedly interested. Yet it seems that Napoli will tie Lobotka down with a new deal.

    The turnaround in Lobotka’s fortune, from spare part to outstanding player, has been extraordinary, and it would be little exaggeration to say Napoli aren’t the same side without him.

    Nearly three years after recommending him, Hamsik’s faith in Lobotka has been wholly justified, Serie A’s own little Iniesta.

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    Emmet Gates, Contributor

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  • Atalanta Are Evolving Under Gian Piero Gasperini As He Takes The Economic Approach

    Atalanta Are Evolving Under Gian Piero Gasperini As He Takes The Economic Approach

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    Remember the days when Atalanta were a byword for goals? Yeah, those days are over.

    Gian Piero Gasperini’s side were the great entertainers in Serie A over the last half-decade, routinely outscoring some of the bigger sides in the league with much larger budgets.

    Gasperini’s trademark high press, which suffocated the opposition, elevated La Dea to heights their club revenue shouldn’t have really allowed them to. They mixed it up with the big boys in Europe for three straight seasons, before the inevitable come down.

    Football, so the theory goes at least, is cyclical. Great teams rise and fall, sides evolve and another cycle opens. Last season was the end of Gasperini’s second great Atalanta side.

    The beginning of the end was marked by the departure of Papu Gomez. Gomez, who for so long was viewed as the symbol of Gasperini’s side and was the creative hub who knitted the attack together, fell out with Gasperini. There was no way back for the Argentine from there, and he was sold to Sevilla in January 2021.

    Gasperini attempted to reconfigure the team, with Josip Ilicic still capable of brilliant moments, yet Atalanta never seemed quite the same without Gomez, his ability to pop up all across the attacking third of the pitch was unrivalled by anyone in the squad, even Ilicic.

    Moreover, Ilicic was in and out of the team due to personal problems, and for 18 months Gasperini relied on Ruslan Malinovskyi and Matteo Pessina to carry the creativity.

    Pessina was then sold, surprisingly, to Monza last summer, and Malinovskyi, who possesses arguably the greatest – and most violent – left foot in the league, has also been pushed to the margins of the starting XI by Gasperini.

    Atalanta had a quiet transfer window last summer, bringing in only four players, with the oldest being Ademola Lookman from RB Leipzig at 24. Furthermore, experienced captain Remo Freuler was let go; sold to Nottingham Forest in a deal that shocked many.

    The feeling was that Atalanta were regressing; the regular top four finishes and reaching Champions League quarter finals a thing of the past. Roma and Napoli had both improved and bought well, and Milan, Inter and Juve – despite increased efforts of the latter at self-sabotage – were expected to take up three of the Champions League slots. Atalanta, at best, could hope for a Europa League spot.

    And yet here we are, two months into the season and the story is very different. Not only are Gasperini’s side in second place but they, along with Napoli, remain one of the few remaining teams in Europe’s top five leagues still undefeated, with seven wins and three draws. Atalanta currently have a eight-point lead on Juventus and six on Inter.

    Compared to the past incarnations of Gasperini’s Atalanta sides, this new-look team are more frugal when it comes to scoring goals. Looking at their results this season can almost resemble binary code, especially in relation to the previous goal-feast style of Gasp’s first and second iterations.

    They’ve scored only 16 times in Serie A this season and have won 1-0 three times already. It took them 30 games to reach the same number last season. Atalanta have kept five clean sheets in the early going and only Lazio have a better defensive record.

    Gasperini spoke in the aftermath of the 2-1 win against Sassuolo about his side’s new identity. “In the second half of last season, we were attacking a lot and were not as prolific as in the past, but still conceded a lot of goals. We started here with the intention of sitting deeper and at times even playing on the counter, making the most of the pace of new arrivals.

    “However, it depends also on the situation. If we attack like that, we need to score more goals and convert more of those opportunities. For now, it’s fine.”

    Gasperini maintains that a Scudetto challenge is beyond Atalanta, believing that they lack the finances to compete. This is undoubtedly true, yet Atalanta could have a big role to play in the season. On their day they can beat anyone and can ruffle feathers.

    Lookman has settled immediately and has carried the goal scoring burden, with Luis Muriel and the dependable Duvan Zapata only one league goal between them. Teun Koopmeiners has now complete control of the midfield, while Giorgio Scalvini and summer signing Brandon Soppy are performing like seasoned campaigners.

    This new, more economical version of Gasperini’s Atalanta won’t excite the neutral like before, the days of scoring 90 plus goals in a league season consigned to history. Yet they will be much harder to overcome, and that can go a long way in Serie A, much further than money usually dictates.

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    Emmet Gates, Contributor

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  • Liverpool-Man City has become England’s ugliest rivalry

    Liverpool-Man City has become England’s ugliest rivalry

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    LONDON — As the Manchester City team bus made its way out of Anfield, there came a parting shot.

    An object, supposedly thrown by home fans after the bad-tempered 1-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday, caused a small crack in the windshield.

    It’s a rivalry that has turned ugly, the bitterest in the Premier League.

    City manager Pep Guardiola had already successfully avoided coins being hurled in his direction during the match. Liverpool, meanwhile, condemned the behaviour of the away fans after offensive chants relating to Hillsborough — the tragedy in 1989 that resulted in the deaths of 97 of its fans.

    As fierce as the competition has been on the field during a four-year period when the teams have dominated English soccer, so has the feud been off it. A person with knowledge of the bus incident said City will make an official complaint to the English Football Association.

    The person spoke on condition of anonymity because City has yet to publicly comment on the events surrounding the match. The coin-throwing and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s pre-match comments will also be included in the complaint, the person said.

    “There are three clubs in world football who can do what they want financially,” Klopp said on Friday, an apparent reference to City, Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle, who are backed by Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, respectively.

    Tensions between the clubs have been building for some time — dating back to before their recent battle for supremacy at the top of the Premier League.

    Raheem Sterling’s transfer to City in 2015 pointed to a shift in the balance of power from one of European soccer’s traditional giants to its newly-enriched rival, which was bought by the Abu Dhabi royal family in 2008. As a result, the England forward was heavily-criticized for what was perceived as a financially motivated move.

    “Trophies don’t get handed out, you’ve got to earn them,” former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said at the time. “You’ve got to deliver in big games and he hasn’t done that yet.”

    Sterling went on to win four titles at the Etihad Stadium and 10 major trophies.

    But the rivalry really intensified when Klopp emerged as the greatest threat to Guardiola’s dominance.

    Liverpool beat City in three-straight games in the second half of the 2017-18 campaign, which saw Guardiola’s team crowned champion with a record 100 points.

    It was a notice of intent from Klopp, while Liverpool fans appeared determined to intimidate City, not only with the famously daunting atmosphere inside Anfield, but also by attacking the visiting team bus ahead of a Champions League quarterfinal match.

    The damage caused was so severe that a replacement bus was required to get the team back to Manchester.

    The small crack left on the windscreen on Sunday was not as dramatic, but it was the latest incident involving two teams that have set standards on the field that have not been matched by their fans off it.

    Liverpool said it wants to work with City to eradicate “vile chants.”

    “The concourse in the away section was also vandalized with graffiti of a similar nature,” Liverpool added in a statement after Sunday’s match.

    Meanwhile, Klopp, who was sent off for angrily charging out of his technical area to remonstrate with the referee’s assistant, apologized for the coin-throwing.

    “Horrible,” he said. “I am sorry. It never should happen.”

    How the FA unpicks a game that was overshadowed by flash points off the field is not straight-forward. It has limited jurisdiction over isolated incidents of objects being thrown from the crowd from individuals. And while it has condemned the chants from City fans, it would only normally act when discrimination is involved.

    Klopp’s fate is also uncertain.

    The Liverpool manager won’t face an automatic suspension for his red card, the FA said. The governing body will review the incident before deciding whether to offer him a ban and/or a fine. If his behaviour is deemed to be serious enough, he could face a hearing and potentially more severe punishment.

    If the fall-out from this latest engrossing clash between City and Liverpool has shown anything, it’s that this rivalry isn’t going away any time soon.

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

    ———

    James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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  • US Open Pool Championship: Francisco Sanchez Ruiz defeats Max Lechner in final to move to world No 1

    US Open Pool Championship: Francisco Sanchez Ruiz defeats Max Lechner in final to move to world No 1

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    Francisco Sanchez Ruiz wins the US Open Pool Championship in Atlantic City to take home the $50,000 first place prize and become the first Spaniard to win one of pool’s oldest majors; next up on Sky Sports is the Mosconi Cup from November 30 to December 3

    Last Updated: 17/10/22 11:56am

    Francisco Sanchez Ruiz claimed glory at the US Open Pool Championship in Atlantic City

    Francisco Sanchez Ruiz claimed victory at the US Open Pool Championship in Atlantic City after beating Austria’s Max Lechner 13-10 to move to world No 1.

    The Spaniard’s week in New Jersey ended with a memorable victory over Lechner – in front of a sell-out crowd – to break the $100,000 mark and overtake World Champion Shane Van Boening at the top of the rankings.

    “It is unbelievable how it feels. I feel so happy. Congratulations to Max,” said Sanchez Ruiz. “Thank you to everyone for the support, I love you guys. It’s the biggest win in my career.

    “There’s too many good feelings right now. I received the news of making the Mosconi Cup and it gave me so much. I want to say thank you to my team David Alcaide and Jose Alberto Delgado. It’s an unbelievable feeling, it really is.”

    Francisco Sanchez Ruiz nailed a golden break as the Spaniard won the US Open Pool Championship in Atlantic City

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    Francisco Sanchez Ruiz nailed a golden break as the Spaniard won the US Open Pool Championship in Atlantic City

    Francisco Sanchez Ruiz nailed a golden break as the Spaniard won the US Open Pool Championship in Atlantic City

    Sanchez Ruiz nailed a golden break to make it 3-3 before Lechner made it 6-6 in a tight opening to the contest.

    Sanchez Ruiz then opened up a 10-6 advantage in the race to 13 but his momentum was halted as the Austrian came storming back to reduce the deficit to 11-10.

    However, Lechner scratched off the break to allow the Spaniard to get to the hill first before sealing a memorable win with a break and run.

    Ready for the Mosconi Cup?

    Next up is the 2022 Mosconi Cup from November 30 to December 3 at Bally’s Las Vegas where Jeremy Jones’ USA side will be looking to regain the Mosconi Cup back from Alex Lely’s European side – live on Sky Sports.

    Both Team USA and Europe have three spots each locked up from the Live Nineball World Rankings with Shane Van Boening joined by Skyler Woodward and Oscar Dominguez this week for the Americans whilst Joshua Filler was joined by Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and Albin Ouschan.

    The skippers as set to confirm their two wild card picks each to complete their sides ahead of the battle commencing in pool’s biggest battle.

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  • Nottingham Forest’s Salvation Lies In Qatar 2022

    Nottingham Forest’s Salvation Lies In Qatar 2022

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    As ever has been the case this season, Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper was refusing to let results get him down.

    Rooted to the bottom of the table with just five points and a goal difference of -15 he watched his side lose to fellow strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0.

    Not for the first time this year, the defeat had the added bitterness of Forest throwing away a chance to take something from the game in the form of a missed penalty.

    “No blame,” he told the media post-game, “we win and we lose together. Sticking together is going to be really important this season.

    “You saw a team that never gave up. You saw a team that was committed to the game and wanted to get something out of it. That’s why there’s a real disappointment in the dressing room.

    “We’ve got to support the players with keeping that spirit going because it’s going to have to be a massive part of us improving.”

    Cooper knows all about improvement, few managers in English soccer have demonstrated the ability he’s shown to turn a sinking ship around in the last 12 months.

    Just over a year ago, the Welshman swept into the club while it was sleepwalking toward relegation and somehow managed to engineer a return to the Premier
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     League instead.

    A victim of his own success, Cooper’s issue is now that the fiercely ambitious owners of the East Midlands side are not satisfied with just surviving in the top division.

    “We will give all the ammunition to Steve for the new season to be able to be very competitive and to try, not only to maintain the position in the Premier League but also to perform well,” explained owner Evangelos Marinakis amid the promotion celebrations.

    The Greek billionaire was true to his word, Forest’s $150 million summer transfer outlay was more than Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City.

    In total 22 players have been welcomed through the doors of the City Ground for big fees or, in the case of Jesse Lingard, mega wages.

    It’s hard to argue that Forest has not bought quality, players, like Remo Freuler, came with burgeoning reputations and track records of success.

    The issue for Cooper has been trying to assemble his vast new array of talent into a coherent unit that can deliver results.

    “There are parts of our game where we look like a new team and that’s the sort of stuff you address in pre-season,” Cooper said after a series of back-to-back defeats, “we’re addressing it right in the middle of the Premier League.

    ‘We have challenged ourselves – how do we become a team? Whether it’s our tactical ideas, our togetherness, our spirit, pushing each other, that comes when you have real trust with each other and trust is built over time.”

    The problem was that, up until the start of October, it appeared those in power at Forest didn’t quite agree.

    Why Cooper needs the World Cup

    According to recent reports by The Athletic, the club sounded out the possibility of replacing Cooper with recently-axed former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel or ex-PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino.

    Journalists for the outlet claimed that when neither man showed an interest in joining the relegation-threatened side, and other clubs began showing an interest in its current boss Cooper, Forest decided to stick with their lot.

    Well, what they did was double down, Cooper wasn’t just retained he was handed a new contract until 2025.

    In his comments after putting pen to paper, the Welsh manager alluded to the uncertainty which surrounded the preceding weeks.

    “It puts clarity on speculation. No one had ever questioned how much I love it here and want to be here,” he said.

    “If there is talk about that it can stop. It doesn’t mean we are going to win the next match and everything is going to be OK. It has put an end to the questioning and that is great.”

    However, things haven’t improved on the pitch since then.

    A 1-1 home draw against Aston Villa saw the Reds once again surrender a lead and that was followed by a defeat against Wolves.

    But here’s the good news: Just five games remain before the Premier League has an unprecedented six-week break for the World Cup.

    With less than half of its fixtures fulfilled Nottingham Forest will get a second preseason for Cooper to assess the players he has at his disposal and devise a coherent strategy for results.

    Not only that, the club has the added advantage of having relatively few players making the trip to Qatar.

    Five first-team players will be heading to the Middle East, which leaves Cooper with more than enough talent to begin shaping a team.

    Add into that that three of those, Brennan Johnson, Neco Williams and Remo Freuler, would be surprised to be involved in the latter stages of the competition and it could have an even more complete squad back even sooner.

    More than anything though, the mid-season break will allow Cooper and his team to think.

    So many new faces have arrived at the City Ground he’s barely had time to learn their names much less analyze their strengths, weaknesses and suitability for a tactical system.

    If Forest can do just enough to stay within reach of the teams outside the relegation zone, and that won’t necessarily be easy considering Arsenal and Liverpool are opponents before the break, the East Midlanders have a good chance of survival.

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    Zak Garner-Purkis, Contributor

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  • Spain blanks US; Americans hadn’t lost 2 straight since ’17

    Spain blanks US; Americans hadn’t lost 2 straight since ’17

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    PAMPLONA, Spain — Laia Codina and Esther González both scored for Spain in a 2-0 victory Tuesday over the U.S. women’s national team, which lost a second straight game for the first time in more than five years.

    Codina scored in the 39th minute. It was the first goal off a set piece that the United States had conceded since last summer’s Tokyo Olympics. Gonzalez added a goal in the 72nd.

    The United States hadn’t lost two straight since the March 2017 SheBelieves Cup, when the team lost consecutive games to England and France.

    Both teams are preparing for next summer’s World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The United States, the world’s top-ranked team, has won the last two World Cups.

    Both teams also have been rocked by scandals, with Spain missing some of their best players because of it.

    The U.S. players are reeling following the release last week of a report on misconduct in the National Women’s Soccer League. A year-long investigation led by former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates found “systemic” abuse and misconduct in women’s soccer.

    U.S. captain Becky Sauerbrunn said players were “horrified” by the revelations. Five of 10 coaches in the NWSL last season were either fired or stepped down amid allegations of inappropriate behavior. Yates also offered recommendations for change going forward.

    Meanwhile, a group of Spanish national team players recently called on the federation to professionalize the women’s team. But the federation responded by saying the players asked for coach Jorge Vilda to be fired, which the players denied.

    The federation made matters worse by asking the players to apologize and ask for forgiveness. In announcing his team for a pair of friendlies this month, including Tuesday’s game, Vilda excluded the players who called for change, among them Barcelona’s Patricia Guijarro and goalkeeper Sandra Panos, and Manchester United’s Lucia Garcia. Jenni Hermoso and Alexia Putellas were not included because of injury.

    The United States was coming off a 2-1 loss to England on Friday in front of a sold-out crowd at Wembley Stadium. The Americans have conceded goals in their past three matches, after allowing just two total goals in its previous 19 games.

    Spain was coming off a 1-1 draw with Sweden in Cordoba.

    The United States won the previous three meetings against Spain.

    ———

    More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • MATCHDAY: Madrid, Man City seek 3rd wins in Champions League

    MATCHDAY: Madrid, Man City seek 3rd wins in Champions League

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    A look at what’s happening in the Champions League on Wednesday:

    GROUP E

    Chelsea is one of the top teams in early trouble in the group stage heading into a double-header against AC Milan, with the first match taking place at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea has just one point from its first two games and has a recently hired manager, Graham Potter, who is still working out his best team and best formation just two matches into his tenure. In the 1-1 draw with Salzburg in the second round of group games, Potter went with a 3-5-2 but reverted to a 4-3-3 for the win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday. He has some tough choices in defense, with Kalidou Koulibaly — one of Chelsea’s many expensive offseason signings — yet to play a minute under Potter and the likes of forwards Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech pushing for starts. Marc Cucurella could return from illness. Milan leads after collecting four points from games against Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb, who meet in Austria in the other game.

    GROUP F

    Real Madrid can take full control of the group with a home win against Shakhtar Donetsk, which would give the defending champions a five-point lead after only three matches. Madrid got off to a perfect start to the season in all competitions but was held 1-1 at home against Osasuna in the Spanish league on Sunday for its first setback. Leipzig hosts Celtic for a clash between the two bottom teams in Group F. Leipzig is bottom after losing both of its games so far, but new coach Marco Rose has restored some confidence and overseen a marked improvement since taking over. Leipzig warmed up for Celtic with a 4-0 win over Bochum at the weekend.

    GROUP G

    Manchester City can move to the brink of qualification for the last 16 with a home win over FC Copenhagen and might not need Erling Haaland to do so. The Norway striker, who has taken the Premier League by storm with 15 goals in eight games, played the entire match in the 6-3 win over Manchester United on Sunday while a number of key players were brought off midway through the second half. Haaland may be kept fresh for bigger matches ahead, while City manager Pep Guardiola has injury concerns over right back Kyle Walker and holding midfielder Rodri. City has already beaten Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund in the group stage and would advance with back-to-back wins over Copenhagen. Dortmund is in second place on three points and travels to Sevilla in the other match.

    GROUP H

    With Presnel Kimpembe out injured for several weeks, Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier doesn’t have many options at center back for the trip to Benfica for a match between two teams on a maximum six points. After missing out on signing Milan Skriniar this summer, PSG has to deal with makeshift solutions until the next transfer window opens, with midfielder Danilo Pereira or right back Nordi Mukiele available to play alongside Sergio Ramos and Marquinhos. In contrast, Juventus has zero points after losing its opening two Champions League matches for the first time. Massimiliano Allegri’s side travels to Maccabi Haifa, which is also pointless. Juventus is also struggling in Serie A but appears reinvigorated after the international break and beat Bologna 3-0 this past weekend.

    ___

    More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • International prospects flock to London for NFL tryout

    International prospects flock to London for NFL tryout

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    LONDON (AP) — Jason Godrick plans to “dominate” as an NFL offensive lineman. The first hurdle seems like a big one, though.

    “I’ve never played an organized game of football before,” the 6-foot-5, 293-pound Nigerian said. “I’ve been blessed to be a quick learner, a very good student.”

    The 21-year-old Lagos native, who goes by “Chu,” was one of the more than 40 prospects — representing 13 countries — who competed in the NFL’s international combine Tuesday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

    They’re hoping to join the league’s International Player Pathway program.

    Godrick switched from basketball to football in January — coaches were impressed by his hoops “mixtape” — and a few months later he saw countryman Roy Mbaeteka sign with the New York Giants despite having not played in high school or college.

    “Roy is a big inspiration for us back home,” Godrick said of the 6-9, 320-pound offensive tackle. “It was very big in Nigeria when he got signed.”

    Mbaeteka, who was released from the Giants practice squad last week, had participated in last year’s combine in London and earned an invitation to the Pathway program, whose most notable alum is Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jordan Mailata of Australia.

    Godrick, like several other Nigerian prospects on Tuesday, came through a program run by former Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora.

    The two-time Super Bowl winner was on hand at Tottenham’s stadium, where his former team plays the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

    “They have the athletic ability, they have the size, a lot of them have the speed. All they need is just the technique refinement,” said the British-born Umenyiora, who spent part of his childhood in Nigeria.

    A handful of the prospects at the combine have some U.S. college exposure, but many have played only in European leagues or universities — or not at all. Some are in their mid-20s. Many work regular jobs.

    Emmanuel Falola, an inside linebacker with the Bristol Aztecs, is an accountant. The East London native took the day off for the combine.

    “I haven’t been taking time off to prepare though — I’ve been working and preparing,” said the 24-year-old Falola, who also tried out last year.

    Those selected for the Pathway program will begin training in the U.S. in January and could join rookies in minicamps in May.

    “We don’t have that much time, especially the guys that come from other sports,” said Will Bryce, head of football development for NFL International. “Their bodies have to change. They’re used to playing rugby or soccer — you’re running a lot more, whereas in football it’s repeated sprints, different positions.”

    Like last year, there were no quarterbacks, punters or kickers at the combine. The NFL listed eight Nigerian participants — the largest contingent among the countries, which included Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Panama, Mexico and several in Europe.

    NFL coaches, scouts and general managers flock to Indianapolis each winter for the league’s annual scouting combine. There, pro prospects test their skills in various elements such as the bench press, 40-yard dash and vertical jump.

    In London on Tuesday, it was the NFL conducting the evaluations as prospects were put through tests such as the broad jump, various sprints and the shuttle drill, which records lateral quickness.

    “Let’s go Chu!” fellow prospects yelled as Godrick ran around small cones placed near the 20-yard line.

    Godrick has been applying some tips he picked up from Cameroon-born Roman Oben, a former offensive tackle who is now NFL vice president of football development.

    “I’ve been watching film and with his guidance, I can say my growth has been good,” said Godrick, who plans to continue training back home in Nigeria, where he recently earned a college degree in human anatomy.

    “Ultimate goal? Get to the NFL, dominate, show the world that it doesn’t matter how late you start, it doesn’t matter where you are coming from, as long as you believe, you work hard, anything is possible.”

    ___

    More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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  • Saints QB Winston ‘doubtful’ vs. Vikings; Dalton ready

    Saints QB Winston ‘doubtful’ vs. Vikings; Dalton ready

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    LONDON — Saints quarterback Jameis Winston is “doubtful” to play New Orleans’ game against the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium because of a back injury, coach Dennis Allen said Friday.

    Backup Andy Dalton took first-team snaps again with Winston missing a third consecutive practice.

    “I think it’s doubtful that Jameis plays in the game,” Allen said. “Our plan right now is to have Andy ready to go. We’ll see how things go overnight, but Andy will be ready to go if that’s the direction that we go.”

    Winston has been playing through a back injury but was held out of practice all week ahead of the NFL’s first international game of the season. The eighth-year quarterback also is nursing an ankle injury.

    “I don’t think his body responded didn’t quite the way we anticipated over the first couple of days,” Allen said.

    Earlier in the week, Winston said he was preparing to play against the Vikings.

    Allen also confirmed that wide receiver Michael Thomas will miss Sunday’s game because of a foot injury. He leads the team with three touchdown receptions.

    Winston has thrown for 858 yards with four TD passes and five interceptions in three games. He has completed 63.5% of his passes.

    Dalton stepped in to start nine games for the Cowboys in 2020 after Dallas starter Dak Prescott’s season-ending ankle injury in Week 5. That season, Dalton completed 64.9% of his passes, throwing for 2,170 yards with 14 TDs and eight interceptions.

    The Saints are Dalton’s fourth team in as many years after he spent his first nine seasons as a starter for the Cincinnati Bengals.

    Last year, Dalton appeared in eight games and made six starts for Chicago, completing 63.1% of his passes for 1,515 yards with eight touchdowns and nine interceptions.

    ———

    More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • The Argentine Football Association Presents Duelbits as Online Betting Regional Sponsor

    The Argentine Football Association Presents Duelbits as Online Betting Regional Sponsor

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    Press Release
    –

    Sep 6, 2022


    WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao, September 6, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    AFA and Duelbits, the online betting platform, have entered into a commercial agreement for the South American territory (except Argentina), through which the company becomes a Regional Sponsor of the National Teams.

    This agreement reinforces the sponsorship platform for national teams, adding a new category and territory to expand the reach of the AFA brand in different South American countries.

    Claudio Tapia, President of AFA, highlighted, “In all these years of management, we have developed a strong expansion of the AFA brand, obtaining a global reach. Thanks to this work, we can build agreements with important brands that today find in AFA a strategic partner for their marketing plans, not only in Argentina but in the rest of the continent and the world. We welcome Duelbits to our National Team sponsorship program and wish them every success.”

    Ross Haffie, Duelbits SportsBook Head, said: “Duelbits is delighted to be an online regional betting sponsor of the Argentine Football Association. This is a landmark deal for us, and we are very excited to work closely with the team over the next 12 months. Also, this is a great year for Argentina, and we want to wish them the best of luck in Qatar.”

    Leandro Petersen, Commercial Marketing Director of AFA, added: “Today we are pleased to announce this commercial agreement with Duelbits, becoming the first national team to work alongside them. The process of global expansion that we started four years ago grows day by day, increasing the volume of income of our Association and expanding our horizons and our commercial frontiers.”

    ABOUT DUELBITS

    Duelbits.com is a crypto casino and sportsbook aiming to bring users the most rewarding gambling experience. Founded in 2020 and despite the COVID19 crisis, Duelbits has grown into a well-known casino brand, particularly within the crypto niche. Duelbits’ ambition is to become a niche global brand, offering users better rewards and an easy-to-use product, all accompanied by the crypto element, allowing users fast and secure payments. They have recently become the “Official European Betting Partner” of Premier League Club Aston Villa and the Official Betting Partner of the biggest South American Esports organisation “Pain Gaming“.

    Contact: ryan@bullpen.co

    Source: DuelBits

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