Tag: Manchester United

Antony sidelined ‘until further notice’ amid abuse allegations

Three women have accused the 23-year-old of violence

Manchester United has announced that Antony will take a leave of absence from the team amid allegations of violence from three different women.

Antony’s former partner Gabriela Cavallin has made several allegations of abuse, which have since been followed by two more women making similar claims against the winger.

The 23-year-old was removed from Brazil’s squad last week after Cavallin revealed more details to UOL, including photographs and screenshots of messages.

Antony has denied all of the allegations.

“Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony,” read a club statement released on Sunday.

“Players who have not participated in international matches are due back in training on Monday. However, it has been agreed with Antony that he will delay his return until further notice in order to address the allegations.

“As a club we condemn acts of violence and abuse. We recognize the importance of safeguarding all those involved in this situation, and acknowledge the impact these allegations have on survivors of abuse.”

In his own statement, Antony added: “I have agreed with Manchester United to take a period of absence while I address the allegations made against me. This was a mutual decision to avoid distraction to my teammates and unnecessary controversy for the club. I want to reiterate my innocence of the things I have been accused of, and I will fully cooperate with the police to help them reach the truth. I look forward to returning to play as soon as possible.”

Cavallin has filed separate police complaints against Antony in Brazil and in England.

United signed Antony from Ajax last year in a deal worth an initial €95 million.

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Manchester United has an Antony problem

The club hasn’t said whether they’ll allow the Brazilian to keep playing amid serious allegations

They may have stepped on a few rakes in the process, but Manchester United managed to ultimately ship Mason Greenwood out of the club. Unfortunately for the Red Devils, there is a new problem brewing with a player still very much in the picture.

Antony has been accused of assault and domestic abuse by his former girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin, who first made the charge back in June. On Monday, Cavallin revealed more details via the Brazilian outlet UOL, including photographs and screenshots of messages.

The forward was quickly dropped by Brazil after being initially called into the country’s roster for World Cup qualifiers.

“Due to the facts that became public this Monday involving Manchester United player Antony, and which need to be investigated, and in order to safeguard the alleged victim, the player, the Brazilian team and the CBF, the organization informs that the athlete has been withdrawn from the Brazilian team,” read a federation statement.

The allegations from Cavallin, which Antony has denied, are serious. They include accusations that Antony attacked her while pregnant with their child, headbutted and punched her, attempted to hit her in the face with a glass bowl, threatened to kill her, and caused damage to her breast implant that required surgery, among other allegations.

In response to Cavallin’s allegations, Antony posted a statement on social media in which he insisted the “accusations are false.”

“My relationship with Ms. Gabriela was tumultuous, with insults [made] on both sides, but never did I commit any act of physical aggression,” the 23-year-old said.

On Wednesday, Manchester United issued a statement light on details, particularly when it came to the most pertinent issue of whether they would allow the Brazilian to keep playing for the club.

“Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony and notes that the police are conducting enquiries,” the statement read. “Pending further information, the club will be making no further comments.

“As a club we are taking this matter seriously, with consideration of the impact of these allegations and subsequent reporting will have on survivors of abuse.”

Cavallin has filed separate police complaints against Antony in Brazil and in England.

United will be even further under the microscope when it comes to Antony after the club completely mishandled the situation with Greenwood.

Greenwood was arrested and suspended by United in January 2022, after a recording and images were released on social media of an alleged sexual attack. The charges of attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behavior eventually were dropped this February after the withdrawal of key witnesses, and new material coming to light.

As revealed by The Athletic, United was planning on bringing Greenwood back for the current season despite protests from fans and some club employees. Ultimately, the public outrage grew too strong, and Greenwood was shipped off on loan to Getafe.

United appeared to be club without a real sense of the world in which it operates. The leaked plan to bring back Greenwood produced an entirely predicable blowback which somehow seemed to catch the club off guard. Ultimately, United made the correct decision, but in a way that left nobody satisfied.

The Greenwood situation will be very much front of mind as another United player faces similarly serious allegations. United now has another unwanted opportunity to do the right thing. Time will tell if the club will take its chance.

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The top 25 highest-paid Premier League players in 2023-24

The five biggest English clubs make up the majority of the list

The new Premier League season is upon us, with Manchester City looking to win the title for the fourth season in a row and the sixth time out of seven.

As more money piles into the world’s richest league, its clubs — especially the big ones — are spending that cash freely on transfer fees and wages.

When examining the biggest earners in the Premier League, it’s no surprise to see the big clubs dominating. Of the top 25 highest-paid players in the Premier League, 15 come from the two Manchester clubs.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal employ the bulk of the remaining players, with Newcastle the only other team represented.

Let’s take a look at the 25 highest-paid Premier League players in 2023-24 by annual salary. All data is provided by Capology.

Adidas signs $1.2 billion extension with Manchester United

The deal is the most valuable in the Premier League

Manchester United has announced a 10-year extension of its apparel agreement with Adidas.

The Premier League giants said that deal runs through June 2035, and has a minimum cash guarantee of £900 million ($1.16 billion).

The agreement is the most lucrative in the Premier League, according to Sportico.

United and Adidas originally struck a deal in 2015, with the club moving on after 13 years with Nike. Adidas had previously been United’s apparel partner from 1980 to 1992.

“With its roots in the 1980s, our partnership has been reinvented over the past decade with some of the most innovative designs and technology in sportswear. We are now looking forward to refreshing this powerful partnership again through the remainder of this decade and into the 2030s,” said Manchester United CEO Richard Arnold in a club statement.

Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden added: “We are extremely proud to announce the extension of the contract with Manchester United. Adidas and Manchester United are two of the most important brands in international football and it is very natural for us to continue our cooperation. We will combine tradition and innovation to please both the players and the fans.”

With a $6 billion valuation, Forbes ranked Man Utd the world’s second-most valuable club in its rankings in May.

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Wrexham coach vaguely threatens Man Utd GK after Mullin left with punctured lung

Star forward Paul Mullin had to be taken to the hospital after being cleared out by Nathan Bishop

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson was furious after a challenge from Manchester United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop left star striker Paul Mullin with a punctured lung.

The incident happened 12 minutes into Tuesday’s friendly between the two sides in San Diego. Bishop came out for a long ball and clattered into Mullin just outside the box, leaving the striker in a heap on the ground.

Mullin had to be given oxygen on the field and was taken to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a punctured lung. Wrexham would ultimately defeat a reserve-filled Man Utd squad 3-1.

After the game, Parkinson couldn’t hide his anger with Bishop and even made a vague-sounding threat toward the 23-year-old, saying “he’s probably best steering clear of us.”

“I’m fuming about it, I’ve got to be honest with you,” Parkinson told the BBC after the game. “I thought it was a clumsy, reckless, dangerous challenge.

“I haven’t seen the goalie and he’s probably best steering clear of us for the time being because we’re not very happy.

“We just got a call from the hospital to say there’s a small puncture in his lung.

“It should have been a straight red. If it’s not denying a goalscoring opportunity it’s still a dangerous challenge, so if you add the two scenarios together he should have been off the pitch.”

Bishop issued an apology to Mullin on Twitter, stating: “Just wanted to share my sincerest apologies to @PMullin7. A complete misjudgement and a genuine accident with 0 malicious intent at all! Wishing you the speediest recovery and hope to see you back scoring goals as soon as possible!”

Mullin was a vital figure in Wrexham’s 2022-23 campaign, scoring 38 league goals as the club was promoted to League Two after winning the National League.

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Edwin van der Sar stable in ICU after brain hemorrhage

The 52-year-old is in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Croatia

Legendary Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is in stable condition after suffering a brain hemorrhage while on vacation in Croatia.

The 52-year-old is in the intensive care unit after De Telegraaf reported he was rushed to the hospital by helicopter.

Van der Sar recently resigned after six years as a director at Ajax, which released a statement on his condition Friday.

“On Friday, Edwin van der Sar has had a bleeding around his brain,” Ajax said on social media. “He’s currently in hospital in the intensive care unit and is in a stable condition.

“Once there is more concrete information, an update will follow. Everyone at Ajax wishes Edwin a speedy recovery. We’re thinking of you.”

The following day, Ajax offered another update, saying Van der Sar “will remain in intensive care for the time being. His condition is stable but still concerning.”

During his playing career, Van der Sar earned 130 caps for the Netherlands while playing for Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United, where he won the Premier League four times.

United tweeted on Friday: “Sending all our love and strength to you, Edwin.”

De Telegraaf reported that Van der Sar was on vacation with his wife Annemarie, who suffered a brain hemorrhage herself in 2009 when her husband was at Manchester United. She would go on to make a full recovery.

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Man City makes it a double, claiming FA Cup as Gundogan brace sinks Man United

Man City lifted the FA Cup, but their work in 2023 isn’t quite done

Manchester City’s pursuit of a treble is on.

The blue half of Manchester got the party they wanted at Wembley, as Man City defeated Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup Final on Saturday.

Finals are often tetchy and cautious, but Man City had no interest in any of that. With space and time outside the box, İlkay Gündoğan fired his side into the lead after just 13 seconds, a new FA Cup record.

Man City went hunting for a second, but were stunned after VAR caught Jack Grealish handling the ball while jumping. A lengthy check ended with Bruno Fernandes standing over a penalty, with the Man United captain equalizing with ease in the 33rd minute.

Celebrations of that goal were marred by a fan throwing an object that struck Victor Lindelof in the head. Fortunately, Lindelof was able to carry on, only leaving the game late on as part of an apparent tactical change from Erik ten Hag.

The Red Devils had done well to recover from the stunning opener, but had much more trouble getting back on their feet after a deflating second from Gündoğan.

Again, the Germany midfielder struck on the half-volley from outside the box, but this time his contact was far less clean. However, David de Gea appeared to not see the ball’s trajectory until it was nearly over the line, and the bouncing shot skipped past him to give Man City a 52nd minute lead.

It wasn’t long after that Gündoğan tapped home what would have been the first FA Cup hat trick since 1953 only for the offside flag to come up, denying his tap-in after a series of Man City shots kept resulting in friendly rebounds.

Man United offered a sporadic threat on the counter, with Alejandro Garnacho blazing inches wide moments after Gündoğan’s goal was chalked off.

They never got closer than the early seconds of stoppage time, where a desperate ball into the box somehow fell right to Scott McTominay. What followed was a wild sequence including a poor touch, Stefan Ortega deflecting a point-blank Raphaël Varane shot onto the crossbar, and McTominay’s follow-up being helped over the bar.

Man City held on, giving them a domestic double, and it keeps Pep Guardiola’s side on course for a potential three-trophy haul. That will come down to the result of the Champions League final next Saturday, where Man City will face Inter in Istanbul.

“We are in a position we will probably never be in again,” Guardiola told reporters after the match, adding to BBC One that “we can now talk about the treble… Tomorrow and the next day they can have off. We’ve then got three or four sessions to train for Inter Milan. We’ll travel on Thursday morning after training.”

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Forbes ranks 20 most valuable soccer teams in the world

Valuations of the world’s biggest clubs are sky high

Who are the most valuable soccer teams in the world?

With success being more and more tied to an ability to spend, being a “big” club — at least in financial terms — is the clearest indicator of whether a given team is going to contend for trophies in the world’s top leagues.

That said, what defines value doesn’t necessarily require a team to be in the Premier League, La Liga, the Bundesliga, or Serie A. MLS has three teams in the top 20, including LAFC becoming the first club to break the $1 billion valuation barrier.

That said, Europe is still the home of the world’s biggest clubs, and its most valuable. In particular, eight of the top 20 hail from the Premier League, which will not be a particular surprise given the league’s global reach.

Here are Forbes’ 20 most valuable teams in global soccer.

Manchester United vs. Fulham: How to watch, channel, time, lineups, live stream Premier League

How to tune in for Manchester United’s last #EPL clash against #Fulham:

Could Manchester United be on the way toward building another historic run of football?

Locking in a Champions League position next season is a nice start, which the club did on Thursday with a 4-1 thumping of Chelsea. Locking in a third-place finish would be an even nicer touch, which is exactly what the Red Devils can do against Fulham on matchday 38.

The final day of the Premier League season sees Manchester United facing the Cottagers.

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Fulham admittedly does not have anything to play for. Their season will end with a 10th place finish regardless of Sunday’s finale. But if you’re looking for momentum heading into next season? A win at United, who have second-best home record (14-3-1) this season, is a great place to start for manager Marco Silva’s side.

Meanwhile, with a single point, Manchester United wrap up the third-place position in the EPL in 2022-23 over Newcastle United as they enter Sunday with a two-point cushion.

However, it might not be so simple. Gaffer Erik Ten Hag could be without multiple players including Antony and Luke Shaw, who picked up knocks against Chelsea.

Ahead of the final game of the season for these two sides, here’s how to catch all the action:

Manchester United vs. Fulham FC:

  • When: Sunday, May 27
  • Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
  • Location: Old Trafford (Manchester)
  • Watch: Peacock

EPL starting lineups

Manchester United possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Dalot, Maguire, Lindelof, Malacia; Fernandes, Casemiro, McTominay; Sancho, Martial, Rashford

Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Diop, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Wilson, Cairney, Willian; Mitrovic

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English Premier League odds and betting lines

Premier League odds courtesy of Fanduel. Odds were last updated Friday at 4:00 p.m. 

Manchester United (-210) vs. Fulham (+500)

Draw: (+360)

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