Vesper

Hoddle whingeing on about the officiating cunt he said that Manure were CHEATED too (even though they won)

great grinder of a win by Sevilla its why they have won this 5 times 2005–06, 2006–07, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16

I am convinced he is the way to go at LB if he fail (we probably wont even try) on Theo

woot woot been repping Ocampos for ages

Twitter chatter is wuthless unless it is coming from a handful of credible sources

Raúl Jiménez choked on the PK, lolol

Sergio Reguilón starts (obviously)

2019-20 UEFA Europa League, Quarterfinals Shakhtar Donetsk v FC Basel http://www.sportnews.to/sports/2020/sha-vs-bas-s2/ https://www.totalsportek.com/europa-league/

2019-20 UEFA Europa League, Quarterfinals Wolverhampton Wanderers v Sevilla http://www.sportnews.to/sports/2020/wol-vs-sev-s1/ https://www.totalsportek.com/sevilla/

pounds or euros? surely it is pounds if euros then it is truly a steal wee bit less than Pepe

Predrag Rajkovic 2019/20 – scout report https://footballbh.net/2020/04/03/predrag-rajkovic-201920-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics/ Predrag Rajkovic is having a fantastic season with Stade de Reims in the French Ligue 1. This scout report will look at both Stade de Reims’ tactics and analysis of Predrag Rajkovic to determine exactly why that is. The 24-year-old goalkeeper joined Reims in 2019 and has been linked to clubs like Arsenal as well as tipped for greatness from an early age. He has won many youth cups with Serbia including the U-19 European Championships and the U-20 World Cup. Rajkovic’s one year at the club has been phenomenal. Before we dive into the scout report of Rajkovic, let’s look at the tactical analysis this season for Reims. Stade de Reims have had a great season so far. They are currently fifth in the table, looking to maintain their good form with PSG at the top. Currently, Reims’s expected points are 40.42, which is very similar to their current 41. The xPTS actually has them in seventh position (in comparison to fifth). Goals scored seems to be worsening their situation. Reims’ goals of 26 is the second-worst in the league, behind only Toulouse who sit rock bottom of the table (17 points from safety). The reason that Reims seem to be performing so well is Rajkovic. Rajkovic has had a monumental impact for Reims this term. In terms of xGA, Reims are outperforming the expected 26.47 with 21. This stat isn’t completely exclusive to the performance of Rajkovic as it includes missed and blocked shots. However, the difference does show a clear change in the expected outcome and performance. To understand this better, let’s take a closer look at some goalkeeping statistics for Rajkovic. Predrag Rajkovic’s stats Firstly, Rajkovic has kept 12 clean sheets this season in 27 appearances. He currently has a clean sheet percentage of 44.4% which ranks first in Ligue 1 this season. As mentioned before, Rajkovic has conceded 18 goals this season. This is the best in the league this year (to have played a minimum 1000 minutes), showing the team’s defensive prowess. This isn’t exclusive to goalkeeper performance, so let’s look deeper. Next, Rajkovic has a saves per goal ratio of 3.61, ranking first in Ligue 1 and 3rd in Europe’s top 5 leagues this season. He is only beaten by Allison and Szczesny but he has played more minutes than both of them as well as playing for a lesser team. Rajkovic has made 2.41 saves per 90 minutes this season. It is safe to say that he has been quiet considering his team’s quality. This season, Rajkovic has a save percentage of 79.8% which means he ranks first in the league. Save percentage is an important stat when understanding a goalkeeper’s shot-stopping ability, something that Rajkovic is proving to be very good at. It’s all well and good making lots of saves, but it doesn’t account for the difficulty of each save. This is where PSxG difference can come in. Rajkovic has performed to such a standard, that he has kept out 8.5 more goals than expected. This is crazily good and he ranks in the top 2 percentile in Europe’s top 5 leagues this season. This is a PSxG/90 of 0.32 which still ranks top in the league. It’s no secret that goals win games, and Rajkovic is doing everything to ensure that Reims is not losing games. Whilst it’s true that most leagues have a corner resulting in a goal percentage between 2% and 3%, it is still something goalkeepers have to deal with. When it comes to set pieces, Rajkovic has been great. He has conceded one free kick and two corners. Of course, both of these set pieces are team dependent, but Rajkovic ranks fourth for corners conceded. Many teams operate different types of build-up sequences depending on the managers preferred style. This starts at the goalkeeper. In terms of distribution, Rajkovic has a long passing accuracy of 36.3%, ranking 16th this season. Rajkovic also has a tendency to play short, kicking short more than two-thirds of the time. This pass tendency shows he likes to play the ball short and look for a passing orientated build-up, presumably for Reims to keep the ball in their major quest to not concede. With style, Rajkovic throws the ball 14.9% of the time, ranking in the lower 20th percentile in Europe for launching counter-attacks from his hands. Rajkovic has been instructed to take short goal kicks, opting to go long 53% of the time, the fifth-lowest in the league. This shows a clear build-up philosophy for Reims. There are not many better things for a defender for the goalkeeper to come out and claim a cross. By coming off the line and claiming a cross, the goalkeeper completely eradicates the chance of xG being created. That’s not to mention the opportunity to attack the opposition whilst they transition. Rajkovic has claimed 18 crosses this season at a rate of 9.8%. This high claim percentage is rather average and ranks eighth in the league this season. In the modern era, goalkeepers are asked to station themselves higher up the pitch to allow the defence to be higher to allow a full team press. Looking at Rajkovic’s stats, we can see that he is positioning himself close to his line with 14m being his average distance of defensive action outside the area, ranking sixth shortest this season. As well as this, we can see Rajkovic makes 0.59 actions outside the area per 90, which is average in comparison to the rest of the league (ranks ninth). Radar showing Predrag Rajkovic and Walter Benitez during the 2019/2020 season. Stats show save percentage, post-shot xG, Shots on target faced/90, High Claims/90, Outside Penalty Area actions/90, Saves/Goals, Clean Sheet % and Goals Against/90. Looking at the radar, we can see that Rajkovic is performing extremely well with the results side of the radar (top left). Not only that, but his PSxG is immense. Benitez has been a little busier though. We can also see in comparison to Benitez that he is not only performing well but getting the outcomes required also. Radar showing Predrag Rajkovic and Walter Benitez’s distribution in the 2019/2020 season. Stats include short pass tendency, short GK tendency, passes per 90, long pass accuracy, throwing tendency and xGChain. In terms of distribution, it’s clear to see that Rajkovic plays more passes per 90 than Benitez. In comparison to Benitez, we can see that Rajkovic is more likely to use his feet than throw long. This does tie in with the manager’s preference, and maybe Rajkovic should continue to play to his strengths and utilise his short passing more. Radar showing Rajkovic’s (blue) and Benitez’s (orange) goalkeeping style in the 2019/2020 season. Stats show short-passing tendency, throwing tendency, tendency to claim a cross and amount of actions outside the penalty area. We can see from the radar that Rajkovic is more of an aggressive goalkeeper when choosing whether to leave his line for crosses. Rajkovic seems to opt to use his feet as distribution more than other goalkeepers. It is quite hard to compare to Benitez, Rajkovic still uses short passes effectively. Radar showing traditional goalkeeping for Rajkovic (blue) and Benitez (orange) in the 2019/2020 season. Stats show save percentage, saves/goals, saves/90, PSxG difference, Corners conceded/90 and high claim %. It’s clear to see that Rajkovic is more of a traditional goalkeeper. His stats are almost perfect and he can’t exactly help how many shots he faces during a game. This is a testament to Reims style of defending to not concede many shots on goal. Sweeper keeper radar showing Rajkovic’s (blue) and Benitez’s (orange) 2019/2020 season. Stats include actions outside of the area/90, average distance of actions, passes/90, short pass tendency, throwing tendency and xGChain. This sweeper-keeper radar is less flattering for Rajkovic although the theme of him playing many short passes with his feet remains. Predrag Rajkovic in action Diving Goalkeepers are regularly tasked with stopping shots. The most common type would be a diving save. This technique usually requires the goalkeeper to be on his toes to propel to one side of the goal, then choosing to push the ball away or attempt to hold the ball. Diving saves are usually made when the ball is hit from further out. This is mainly because it allows the goalkeeper time to perform the action. This is the standard technique that is quite the opposite of a modern one-on-one save. Rajkovic can always be seen with two hands behind the ball, showing a textbook-like technique on many occasions. One-on-ones One-on-ones are a very difficult situation for goalkeepers. Goalkeepers must do everything in their power to cut down angles. It is also a situation that the goalkeeper is usually 100% responsible for the defending team. This puts more pressure on the goalkeeper to make the correct decision. There are lots of different ways to approach this for a goalkeeper. This first decision is to either come off the line or stay relatively close to the line. This may change depending on the situation, although you are more likely to see Manuel Neuer come charging off his line than David De Gea. Rajkovic’s one-on-one technique is very much a modern technique. It is clear that Rajkovic uses a method not too dissimilar from Peter Schmeichel’s handball technique. This technique is almost all dependent on the goalkeeper making himself as big as possible. By covering as large a surface area as possible, jumping at the same time. This, in theory, means that the goalkeeper will cover more of the goal and stop more goals than a smaller surface area. There is an argument that this aggressive style of goalkeeping has a major mental advantage over the goalkeeper. The main drawback to this is that it does not allow the goalkeeper to react in any way. The goalkeeper’s choice is made and any changes to the scenario cannot be responded to as effectively. Split save A split save is a type of saving made from a close-range shot. This save is made using the foot, with the goalkeeper adopting a movement in which it looks like he is performing the splits. This has been made more popular in recent years and is very effective as it gets a body part to the ball as quickly as possible. In this picture, we can see Rajkovic performing a great split save with his right foot. This is particularly impressive as this shot was classed as a big chance (over 0.35 xG). Claiming high balls Goalkeepers usually have a preference when it comes to how aggressive they are with high balls and crosses. This can be determined by the height of the player, but tactics can also play a part. The benefit of coming to claim a cross is to completely nullify the opposition attack. By claiming the ball, the goalkeeper has completed his one true job; keeping the ball out. In contrast, some goalkeepers prefer to stay on their line more than others. This allows the goalkeeper to set his starting position more effectively. This should also give the goalkeeper the best chance of saving the ball. The reason for this is that the goalkeeper has more time to react to any shot that comes. It also means that the goalkeeper can predict the trajectory of the ball and cut out more angles of the goal to increase the difficulty for the attacker. Here, it is clear that Rajkovic is happy to come off his line, removing any danger for his defenders. Handling After a shot has been saved, a goalkeeper’s job is not completed. A goalkeeper must decide what to do with the ball. This is not always down to the choice of the goalkeeper. The power of the shot may force the goalkeeper to opt to push the ball towards the side of the goal. If the shot is central to the goalkeeper or is hit with less power, the goalkeeper may opt to cath and hold the ball. This method is optimal as it is the only way to completely ensure that the opponent’s attack has come to an end. Choosing how to handle a crossed ball is a little different. If it is too risky to perform a catch, It is usually good practice to punch the ball back towards its starting position. Goalkeepers can also take even less risk by tipping the ball over the crossbar. After reviewing some footage, it is clear that Rajkovic is very adept at handling. Rajkovic actually has a tendency to catch the ball more than most goalkeepers. In line with Reims’s philosophy, Rajkovic often claims the ball in a catch and then proceeds to lie down on the floor. This does stop Reims from attacking quickly in a counter-attack. However, this means that Reims can set up to their build-up and attacking shape allowing a slower and more measured attack. This means that Reims’ does not attack with many players, meaning they are not caught out in transition by the opposition. By slowing the goalkeeper’s distribution this way, it means that Reims can perform more game management, restricting actual game time where needed. All of this summarises Reims’s approach and goes a long way to result in the low GA/90 and high clean sheet percentage. Distribution Goalkeeper distribution has been made more and more important in recent times. Much was made of Guardiola’s decision to drop Joe Hart in favour for Chilean Claudio Bravo. It seems as ever since then, it has been widely accepted that goalkeepers can be more than just a shot-stopper. Coaches theorised that goalkeeper passes could have a domino effect and help with the team’s attacking build-up. As well as this, this distribution could help retain possession. By keeping the ball, there is also an argument that the other team will grow more tired as the game continues, allowing for more space on the pitch. By completing lots of short passes, the opponent can either maintain their shape, without pressure on the ball or apply pressure, leaving themselves more vulnerable to concede. Some coaches are reluctant to apply this method, as the horror of conceding an unnecessary goal once every two years is too much to handle. When you compare this to some goalkeepers, who can average 0.25xChain/90, it seems more favourable to utilise a goalkeeper who is happy to have the ball at his feet. In this picture, we can see Rajkovic is allowing the attacker to come as close as possible. This will have the domino effect mentioned and allow his teammates more time and space when attacking. Summary This scout report has clearly shown that Rajkovic is having a remarkable season with Reims. His shot-stopping results (GA/CS) are great and both the stats (PSxG difference, saves/goals) and footage show that his performance is having a direct effect. Rajkovic could turn a lot of scouts heads and could be very high on the list for a lot of European clubs looking for a goalkeeper. His career path has been rather strange with his time in Israel, but now could be a great time for a club to take a risk to buy Rajkovic before his market value drastically increases.

Chelsea told to pay extra £10m to sign Declan Rice this summer https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/chelsea-told-pay-extra-10m-18752407 Perry Groves has backed Chelsea to make a move for Declan Rice but has warned that the West Ham midfielder will not come cheaply. The Blues have been heavily linked with a move for the 21-year-old, who was actually released from the youth set-up at Stamford Bridge as a 15-year-old. Frank Lampard looks set to splash the cash this summer as he looks to put his own stamp on the Chelsea squad following last year's transfer ban. Groves, however, warned that Rice will not come cheaply, with his seven England caps enabling West Ham to charge an English premium on the player. Yet, speaking on talkSPORT, Arsenal legend Groves argued that Rice was precisely the sort of player that the Blues need to target in order to strengthen what he perceives as a weakness in the middle of the park. "I think he does suit Chelsea because we said before, they look weak through the centre of their midfield area," Groves said.

Bootless in Kumasi, a star in Spain: Mohammed Salisu’s rise to Southampton https://theathletic.com/1941621/2020/08/11/mohammed-salisu-southampton-transfer/ It took 10 minutes for Fran Castano to decide Mohammed Salisu would be a special player. “We met Salisu on one of our scouting trips. One of my best workers, Mustapha, told me about one boy in Kumasi and we organised a few scouting games there,” he says. “Salisu arrived late and without boots. I was very angry and I told him not to come again, before one of my coaches told me to calm down. “I gave him one of my goalkeepers’ (pair of) boots and, after 10 minutes, I was impressed. We talked to his mother and she agreed to let the boy come to us.” A former analytics coach for Ghanaian football clubs including Hearts of Oak (where Bismark Odoi, Callum Hudson-Odoi’s father, played throughout his career) and under-17s coach of Niger and later Mauritania, Castano helped found the African Talent Football Academy in Nsawam, Ghana, in March 2017. Comprising of pitches, a clubhouse, a dining area, a classroom and accommodation, the academy looks to scout and develop the best young players in Ghana, aged 13 and up, in the hope they can find clubs in Europe or sporting opportunities in America’s college system, from which they earn a small fee and a percentage of any future sale. Castano says scholars receive all of their benefits at the academy for free, along with health insurance and Spanish lessons with their schooling. Salisu is among four graduates from the academy to make it to Europe, spending a mere six months with them before Castano believed he was ready for the next level. “He played 11-a-side games with us, but he didn’t play any official games before he left, because of some injuries,” says Castano, who travelled with Salisu to Spain in October 2017 and offered him to several clubs. The duo’s trip looked to be unsuccessful until Castano contacted his friend and former Villarreal striker Victor Fernandez, who was coaching Real Valladolid’s under-19s. So the story goes, it took one training session for Fernandez to remark, “Fran, are you sure you know the kind of player you have?” Salisu was quickly signed by the northern Spanish side. “The step-up he did was amazing — playing friendly games in Ghana to featuring in the under-19 division in Spain,” says Castano. “After 10 games, he went to the Valladolid reserve team and less than 30 games later, he was playing in the first team. In two years, all this!” Salisu’s ascent has certainly been a speedy one, with Castano citing the defender’s confidence and quick learning for the rise and rise. Now aged 21, he impressed throughout the 2019-20 La Liga season. The Athletic’s Spanish football correspondent Dermot Corrigan named him as one of the division’s rising stars in April. The Athletic understands a deal has been done and it will soon be announced that Southampton have signed a highly malleable player with very high potential. Typically playing alongside a very experienced centre-half at Valladolid, Salisu’s match-reading ability has impressed many in Spain and beyond. If his defensive partner is normally the one who goes up for the header or makes the last-minute block (think Ralph Hasenhuttl’s description of Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens as “firefighters”), then the Ghanaian is one who can stand up an attacker with the ball and stop him from going any further. He’s a young defender, but his enquiring mind saw him garner praise from Valladolid goalkeeper Jordi Masip, who told Stats Perform News earlier this season, “He’s a player with an enviable physicality. He moves very fast when it comes to interceptions. He’s young and he can grow a lot. He’s a person that wants to improve and listen to us. “He has always had a little difficulty with the language, but he is adapting well. He understands everything and he asks questions. At such a young age, his characteristics are very good. He can still give far more than he is already giving.” While The Athletic would preach caution when using statistics to quantify a centre-back, Salisu has stood out this season for his ability to win the ball back, make clearances and block shots. His standout game in 2019-20 arguably came in a 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid, which caused Diego Simeone — a manager who knows a thing or two about defenders — to take notice. This season saw Salisu come in for Fernando Calero — who had looked impressive in a Valladolid side that defend deep before struggling in a different system at the now-relegated Espanyol. Salisu’s tackling ability could be the key for Southampton next season as they continue Hasenhuttl’s Bundesliga-style approach to the game. While his defending-quantity and ball-recovery moves indicate he’s not an all-action “end counters before they’ve begun” centre-half (yet), Salisu has the makings of one who can be relied upon to win his one-vs-one duels — something in which Hasenhuttl is particularly interested. At the moment, Salisu’s skills indicate he will be a complementary centre-back to any team’s defence, rather than a transformative one, but the 21-year-old spent the 2019-20 season on the radar of many clubs, including Real Madrid, Rennes in France and Everton. That level of interest indicates this is a player who could triple his value by the end of next season. Before the signing, Southampton chief executive Martin Semmens spoke of the club pitching to Salisu “a pathway to get better, physically and technically, by playing in the first team in the Premier League”. It is thought that playing in England appealed to Salisu. Working with a coach such as Hasenhuttl, who prides himself on using young players and giving them hands-on coaching, sealed the deal. Hasenhuttl will relish the opportunity to work with a young, left-footed centre-back. Salisu can cover ground well, jockeying attackers into making mistakes to win the ball back without conceding fouls. Standing 6ft 2in, he will be an asset for Southampton in the air in both penalty areas, too. Salisu will most likely compete with Bednarek and Jannik Vestergaard for the left centre-back position and the Ghanaian, who is still uncapped by his national team (he was named in the squad for two 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers earlier in the season, but withdrew because of injury), is thought to be looking forward to the challenge of the Premier League. “He is shy but with a strong personality,” adds Castano. “He has become more self-confident and professional, and he knows what he wants and is ready to do it. He needs challenges so he doesn’t relax and continues to improve.” Now heading to Southampton to learn under Hasenhuttl, it is hoped Salisu can continue his ascent. “And not just because he is someone special. He is really, really, really a very good person,” says Castano.

around £10-15m short IMHO

hear hear!

Bundesliga team Arminia Bielefeld interested in Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/chelsea-fc-transfer-rumours-news/2020/8/11/21363188/bundesliga-team-arminia-bielefeld-interested-in-chelseas-conor-gallagher-report

the English press loves to over hype the English players but then shit on the English managers I rant about Burnley when they thug up, but Dyche is a fucking superb manager, he keeps that little team not just up but usually mid-table every year (even made Europe once, in 2017/18, their first time back in 51 years) in the toughest league in the world by far, and on a SHIT budget, but gets zero respect overall If he was Dutch or German or Spanish or an Argentine, they would be licking his jacobs

agree

lololol little did Eden know nightmares happen often in Madrid

The Joker approves

Referee punched in face by footballer during London amateur friendly match https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/aug/11/referee-punched-in-face-by-footballer-during-amateur-friendly-match An amateur football referee was left bleeding after being punched in the face by a player who was sent off during a friendly in London. Satyam Toki, 28, a father-of-one, said he was unsure whether to press charges after the attack in Acton, which left him with cuts to his face. The attacker, who was playing for Sunday league side Sporting Club de Mundial – based in east London – has not been named but is believed to work in a school. Mr Toki, a train conductor who lives with his wife and one-month-old daughter in west London, said he had asked the player several times to control his language and stop complaining, eventually giving him a 10-minute sin bin. “He started walking towards the bench and while walking away he threatened me to see me after the match,” said Toki. “That was the point where I showed him the red card and got punched immediately in the face. I almost lost my vision for a couple of seconds, followed by excessive bleeding.” In a statement, Sporting Club de Mundial said: “We as a club would like to publicly state that we categorically condemn the horrific actions by one of our players towards the referee.” It added that the player had been “completely removed” from the club, which was formed last year by popular football publisher Mundial. Police and ambulance workers attended after the Acton attack, which saw the match suspended, but Toki said he was unsure whether he wanted to pursue the incident any further. “It has been reported to the FA and they are dealing with this matter as a matter of urgency,” he said. “I have had the suspect contacting me apologising for his actions and begging me not to press charges as he will lose his job as a school teacher. “Though he assaulted me I am still thinking about his career and don’t want anyone to lose his job. But on the other side if I don’t press charges in the future he might do the same thing to another referee. Or even to school kids where he is a teacher.” Wasim Khan, manager of Mundial’s opponents NW London FC, said he was shocked by the violence, but praised his players for gathering to support the referee afterwards. “We respect the referees at this level, they take their time out and without them football doesn’t run. It was just shocking,” he said. Khan added that Mundial had apologised and paid the match fee after the game was called off.

Nicola Sturgeon warns Scottish football could be shut down after latest breach https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/aug/11/scottish-football-warned-of-halt-in-season-after-coronavirus-breach Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has warned Scottish football matches could be shut down after she condemned Celtic and Aberdeen players for breaches of coronavirus safety rules that have led to both clubs having their next two games called off. The first minister said the Celtic defender Boli Bolingoli was guilty of a “flagrant breach” of the UK’s quarantine rules after he flew to Spain. He returned to his club within 24 hours without self-isolating, and then played on Sunday against Kilmarnock. Last week, eight Aberdeen players broke the sports lockdown rules by visiting a bar together; two of those have since been diagnosed with Covid-19. Scottish football’s Joint Response Group (JRG) confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that Celtic’s weekend match against Aberdeen along with the two clubs’ midweek fixtures – against St Mirren and Hamilton respectively – had both been postponed. Sturgeon said: “Some football players seem incapable of living up to their responsibilities. I very much regret that. This is just not acceptable. Every day I stand here asking members of the public to make huge sacrifices in how they live their lives and the vast majority are doing that, and it’s not easy. We can’t have privileged football players just decide they’re not going to bother. So this can’t go on.” She added: “Let me put this as clearly as I can in language that the football world will understand: consider today to be the yellow card. The next time it will be the red card, because you will leave us with absolutely no choice.” Sturgeon said she did not want football fans and those clubs who were living up to their responsibilities to “pay the price” of those teams who were ignoring them. She said there had to be very clear penalties imposed by the game on players who broke the rules. “I don’t want the season to be in jeopardy,” she said. “I don’t want people who are not responsible for this to pay the price but we have to be very clear: this situation is not acceptable.” Sturgeon said Jason Leitch, the Scottish government’s national clinical director, and Joe Fitzpatrick, the Scottish sports minister, had held two long phone calls with the footballing authorities on Tuesday to discuss “how they were going to put their house in order”. Sturgeon disclosed that news of Bolingoli’s quarantine breach had emerged on Monday during a meeting between Leitch and the managers and captains of Scottish Premiership clubs, organised to underline the Scottish government’s anxieties about last week’s Aberdeen breaches. Leitch said the Aberdeen and Celtic breaches raised serious questions about allowing the sport to set up “bubbles” which allowed players and staff to remain in much closer proximity than other workplaces. He said he was furious at the Celtic and Aberdeen breaches, since he and Fitzpatrick had worked very hard to persuade Sturgeon the distancing and safety protocols used by clubs justified restarting competitive matches. “They put at risk principally the health of the population [and] they put at risk the return of elite sport; not just their own sport but golf, horse racing, rugby, swimming, everything else,” Leitch said. “We’ve designed a bubble system because they are privileged. They’re getting to do extra things that the rest of the population aren’t and they have put that at risk.” Bolingoli said he wanted to apologise to his manager, teammates, supporters, “and so many others for letting them down so badly”. He added: “I am guilty of a major error of judgment. I know what I did was wrong and I know that I must now deal with the consequences.” A strong statement from Celtic added: “[This] club unreservedly condemns and apologises for the behaviour of the player Boli Bolingoli in travelling to Spain without informing the club and in failing to observe quarantine restrictions. It is difficult to imagine a more irresponsible action in current circumstances and we find it beyond explanation. The club will take immediate action through our own disciplinary procedures.” “Celtic are in touch with every SPFL club today, and with all relevant authorities, to apologise for the fact that one of our employees has created so much additional difficulty through his actions. All of our playing and backroom staff have been tested twice for Covid-19 since this incident and all, including the player in question, have tested negative. While this comes as a relief to all concerned, it in no way diminishes the seriousness or stupidity of the player’s actions.”

Red Cafe is full of numpty cunts, I see so much poor football knowledge there

that relates to what I said how?

pass sign Reguilon and end it unless we sell both Alonso and emerson, then buying Tagliafico as well is oki