Category: Football

The future of Kylian Mbappe and his protracted courtship with Real Madrid is expected to be the key theme of the transfer window that opens in Europe on Monday.

Arsenal’s search for a proven goalscorer to spearhead their challenge for a first Premier League title since 2004 could also loom large.

Manchester City meanwhile are widely expected to let Kalvin Phillips leave the club, ending a disappointing stay for the former Leeds midfielder who has failed to make his mark at the world champions.

Much attention though will again focus on Kylian Mbappe, Paris Saint-Germain’s lethal finisher and the man who a year ago scored a hat-trick for France in the World Cup final only to finish on the losing side.

Real Madrid are again the main suitor for the 25-year-old whose contract at PSG expires in June — will the 14-time European champions finally get a commitment from the player they have been pursuing for years?

It is far from certain though as Kylian Mbappe triggered an extraordinary reaction in France, illustrated when President Emmanuel Macron intervened to persuade him to stay at PSG in June 2022 when a move to Real seemed almost cut and dried.

Real are not sitting on their hands though. Endrick, the latest Brazilian starlet, will join the club from Palmeiras when he turns 18 in July 2024 for a fee reported to be 72 million euros.

Arsenal’s lack of a goalscoring edge could lead them to plunge into the market. For weeks, their rumoured target has been Ivan Toney, the Brentford forward whose ban for over 200 breaches of the Football Association’s gambling rules ends in mid-January.

However, Brentford’s decline in form which has seen them drop to within four points of the relegation places could persuade the club to hang onto 27-year-old Toney, even in the face of a big offer from the Gunners.

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Kalvin Phillips was riding high when the midfielder joined City on the back of England’s run to the Euro 2022 final, but he has played barely a handful of games for the club and Pep Guardiola has admitted the move never worked out.

Juventus have reportedly been keen to sign Phillips, who is desperate to force himself into England’s plans for Euro 2024, but reports from Italy say the club are cooling on the idea.

A move to Newcastle looks a more realistic possibility as the Magpies look to bolster a squad seriously depleted by injuries and the 10-month ban handed down to Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali, also for gambling.

Eddie Howe’s men have slumped down the Premier League table in recent weeks and the Saudi-owned club looks badly in need of reinforcements if they are to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Serhou Guirassy, the prolific Guinea international who has scored 17 Bundesliga goals so far this season for Stuttgart, has also been linked with a move to Tyneside.

Newcastle could also turn to their connections in the Saudi Pro League. They are allowed to sign players on loan from sides also controlled by their Saudi owners after a vote by Premier League clubs on a temporary ban on related-party loans failed to receive the required support.

However, one target, Ruben Neves, said in early December he would not accept a move to Newcastle because his family was happy in Saudi Arabia.

Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino also headed to the Saudi league in the summer but is reportedly unsettled at Al Ahli.

The Brazilian, 32, could now be heading to their rivals Al Ettifaq, the club coached by former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, although Premier League strugglers Sheffield United are also said to be interested in his services.

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From putting on a disastrous show in the national sport, Hockey, to achieving historic milestones in Football, Mountaineering and Snooker. Here’s a brief review of an eventful 2023 for Pakistan in major sports, barring Cricket.

2023 ushers fresh hopes for Pakistan Football

While the year 2022 was a sigh of relief for Pakistan football as the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) lifted the ban on the country and restored its international status, this year had some important firsts and historic achievements for the nation in the sport.

Pakistan men’s football team participated in two major tournaments this year – a four-nation tournament and the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship.

The national team gave it their all in both tournaments but still ended up winless.

But that was not all as the Men in Green finally gave their fans a moment to cherish when they edged Cambodia 1-0 in Leg 2 of the first round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

This was Pakistan’s first-ever victory in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers which powered them to the second round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, for the first time.

Pakistan then took on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Tajikistan in the Leg 1 of the second round of the World Cup Qualifiers.

The team, however, failed to bank on their positive momentum and received a 4-0 and 6-1 thrashing from KSA and Tajikistan respectively.

The defeats, however, did not rule Pakistan out of the qualification race as they have plenty to fight for, but next year.

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The national women’s football team also glimmered a ray of hope for a better future in the sport with two major victories in 2023.

Pakistan’s women’s team began their journey to success in January 2023 with a second-place finish in the Four Nation Cup held in Saudi Arabia.

They started the tournament on a positive note as they edged Comoros 1-0 – courtesy of Anmol Hira’s late winner – to claim their second consecutive victory since FIFA lifted the ban on the Pakistan Football Federation last year.

Their brief winning run was soon hindered by Mauritius, who beat them 2-1. The women’s team then settled for a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia to finish second.

After a successful tournament, the Pakistan women’s football team set their sights on the Paris Olympics Qualifier.

But they did not fare well in the Qualifiers and bowed out of the qualification race as they lost 2-0 to Hong Kong and 4-0 to the Philippines in the first two group games before claiming a historic victory over Tajikistan.

The 1-0 victory over Tajikistan marked Pakistan women’s first major victory since their international return. Previously, they had only tasted triumphs in friendly matches or exhibition tournaments like the four-nation cup in Saudi Arabia.

Dark clouds continue to loom over national sports

Pakistan continued sinking to new lows in their national sport Hockey as the year 2023 marked another disappointing year for the national team.

The national men’s team participated in one major tournament this year – the Asian Champions Trophy – as they failed to qualify for yet another World Cup.

Pakistan started their Asian Champions Trophy campaign with a 3-1 defeat against Malaysia before holding Korea 1-1 and Japan 3-3 for draws.

The team then finally tasted their first victory when they edged China 2-1 but a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of arch-rivals India sent them crashing out of the tournament.

Pakistan then blew China 6-1 in the ranking match and finished fifth in the six-team tournament.

The team had a below-par performance in 2023 as they won, lost and drew two games each out of the six matches.

On the other hand, Pakistan’s Junior Hockey team featured in two major events – the Asia Cup and World Cup.

The junior side progressed well in the Asia Cup and soared to the final where their arch-rivals India edged them by the scoreline of 2-1 to clinch their fourth title.

The junior team’s performance dipped in the World Cup as they finished eighth in the 16-team mega event.

Pakistan started their campaign with a hard-fought draw against the Netherlands before thrashing New Zealand 4-0 to register their maiden victory in the global event.

The Men in Green then held Belgium for a 1-1 draw and qualified for the quarter-finals.

They met Spain in the quarter-final and suffered a 4-2 defeat which sent them out crashing. The national junior team then played several ranking matches and finished eighth in the global event.

Mountaineers keep amassing new heights for Pakistan

It was undoubtedly a remarkable year for Pakistan in Mountaineering with renowned climber Naila Kiani leading the way with historic achievements and many firsts.

With her astounding grit and determination, Kiani stunned the world and became the first Pakistani woman mountaineer to summit 10 peaks above 8,000 metres.

She also became the only Pakistani to ascend seven peaks above 8,000m in six months.

In a ground-breaking year, Kiani summit Nepal’s Annapurna Peak — the 10th-highest peak standing at 8,091m tall — and Lhotse — the fourth-highest at 8,516m.

In July, Kiani, alongside Samina Baig, became the first Pakistani women to scale the ninth-highest peak in the world Nanga Parbat.

In the same month, she became the first Pakistani woman to scale the world’s 12th-highest mountain Broad Peak, at 8,051m.

Lastly, Kiani and Sirbaz Khan made history by becoming the first Pakistani duo to successfully summit Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth-highest peak towering at 8,201m in Tibet, China.

Besides her, Sajid Ali Sadpara also recorded a historic achievement when he ascended the world’s tallest peak, 8,849m-tall Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen.

Moreover, emerging mountaineer Shehroze Kashif became the youngest in the world to scale 12 peaks above 8000m as he summited Nepal’s Manaslu, the world’s eighth-highest mountain at 8,163m.

Cueists chalk Pakistan’s emergence in the Snooker World

The year 2023 brought immense delight for Pakistan in snooker as top national cueists, including Ahsan Ramzan, Muhammad Asif and Asjad Iqbal, recorded unforgettable victories for the country.

Pakistan’s teenage Snooker sensation Ramzan, who won the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) World Snooker Championship last year, continued to prove his mettle on the global stage as he added another coveted title to his cabinet.

Ramzan partook in the U21 Asian Snooker Championship, held in Iran, continued his rich vein of form in the continental event and remained unbeaten.

He outclassed Iranian opponent Milad Pourali Darehchi with a score of 5-2 (48-46, 70-5(41), 61-6(52), 62-29, 30-71, 55-67, 101-27) to get his hands on the silverware.

Besides Ramzan, Pakistan’s professional players Asjad and Asif also claimed notable achievements in 2023.

Muhammad Asif made Pakistan proud on Independence Day when he stunned seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry in the qualifying round of the ongoing British Open 2023.

Earlier in January, Asjad Iqbal enjoyed a dream campaign at the Snooker Shootout when he downed former English Open runner-up David Gilbert and former European Masters winner Jimmy Robertson on the same day, indicating a bright future for the nation in the sport.

READ: 2023 – a year of ups and downs for Pakistan Cricket

Jurgen Klopp is adamant Liverpool will be able to maintain their Premier League title charge despite the imminent loss of Mohamed Salah to African Cup of Nations duty.

Salah will leave to play for Egypt at the African Cup of Nations after Liverpool host Newcastle in the Premier League on Monday.

Liverpool sit two points clear of Arsenal at the top as they chase a first title since 2020.

They also take on Arsenal in the FA Cup third round and Fulham in the League Cup semi-finals in January, meaning Salah’s absence could not come at a worse time.

Mohamed Salah is Liverpool’s top scorer with 16 goals this term and his absence in the Ivory Coast, for potentially over a month if Egypt go deep into the tournament, leaves Klopp with a major void to fill.

“It is not the first time, it is a really at least very average situation that you lose your goalscorer but we had it even worse in the past when Sadio (Mane) and Mo left,” Klopp told reporters on Friday.

“We came somehow through it and traditionally one of them went pretty far in the tournament, which made it worse.”

Jurgen Klopp will also be without Japan midfielder Wataru Endo while he plays at the Asia Cup at the same time as Salah departs.

“We knew the Africa Cup of Nations from time to time appears and Mo has to go and we have Endo as a participant of the Asia Cup as well, so it is like it is. We have to deal with it and we will,” Klopp said.

“Each long-term plan I could have had depends massively on who is available. We would have solutions today, I hope we have that after the Newcastle game as well.”

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The return of Diogo Jota after a month out injured is a boost as the Portugal international scored a comeback goal against Burnley on Boxing Day.

Jota’s versatility means he can operate across the forward line, as can Cody Gakpo, while Harvey Elliott has played in Mohamed Salah’s position even though he is more of a midfielder in Klopp’s system.

“The return of each of the boys is super-important but Diogo especially. Everybody was quite positive about our five options, but I don’t think we had it that often to be honest,” Klopp said.

“Especially with the amount of games we play it is so important these boys can rotate and now with Mo leaving and Endo leaving we need everyone to get back.”

However, Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson’s recovery from a dislocated shoulder is now likely to keep him out now for the whole of January.

The Scotland captain, sidelined since October, was expected to return next month.

“Robbo still needs more range in his shoulder. Obviously it was a big surgery, still not even close to team training or whatever,” Klopp said.

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Star Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo is all set to end the year 2023 as the leading goal-scorer, leaving behind the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland.

Ronaldo became the highest goal scorer of 2023 on Tuesday during his side Al-Nassr’s Saudi Pro League fixture against Al-Ittihad.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a decisive brace in his side’s 5-2 victory over Al-Ittihad which also propelled him to the top of the goal-scoring charts.

Ronaldo converted two crucial penalties in the game, lifting his tally to 53 goals and 15 assists in 58 matches.

This achievement took Cristiano Ronaldo past the 52 goals scored by Harry Kane (57 matches) and Kylian Mbappe (53 matches) while playing for Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively.

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Notably, It’s a fact that neither Kane nor Mbappe can reclaim the top spot, as their clubs are unequivocally set to resume official competitions only in 2024.

Whereas, the only other potential contender Erling Haaland scored 50 goals in 60 matches for Manchester United.

However, the injuries got the better of the Norweigan forward this year and also kept him out of the Club World Cup.

He is all set to miss his side’s last fixture of 2023 when the City take on Sheffield United on Saturday.

List of top goal-scorers in 2023
Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr) – 53 goals (58 matches)
Kylian Mbappe (PSG) – 52 goals (53 matches)
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) – 52 goals (57 matches)
Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – 50 goals (60 matches)
Garbhan Coughlan (Cashmere Technical) – 41 goals (27 matches)
Denis Bouanga (Los Angeles FC) – 40 goals (53 matches)
German Cano (Fluminense) – 40 goals (61 matches)
Romelu Lukaku (Roma) – 40 goals (61 matches)
Barnabas Varga (Ferencvaros) – 39 goals (45 matches)
Santiago Gimenez (Feyenoord) – 39 goals (63 matches)

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Pep Guardiola believes many people now want Manchester City to fail “more than ever” after the club won their fifth trophy of an outstanding year.

City return to English domestic action at Everton on Wednesday after adding the Club World Cup with a 4-0 thrashing of Brazilian side Fluminense in Saudi Arabia to their trophy cabinet, having already lifted the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and European Super Cup in 2023.

No club in English football history has enjoyed such a successful year, although Pep Guardiola won six trophies when in charge of Barcelona in 2009 when the Catalan side won La Liga, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup, European Super Cup, Champions League and Club World Cup titles.

“It is a business, you get credit when you win,” City manager Guardiola said ahead of his side’s trip to Goodison Park. “You don’t win you are nothing, zero, what you have done in the past.”

The Spaniard added: “As much as you win, they want you to fail. More than ever. I felt than when we won the sextuple in Barcelona.

“It’s normal. They don’t want (us to win). In these 14-15 years what we have won, the titles, is unbelievable.

“People say ‘how good they play, how genius it is’. But they give credit just because we win. They don’t have to look further than that.”

Manchester City’s victory over Fluminense gave the Manchester side their first Club World Cup and capped a productive five days in Saudi Arabia that manager Pep Guardiola said had “created incredible team building and team spirit”.

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It was all in marked contrast to their recent Premier League form, with a run of just one win in six games leaving City fifth in the table, six points behind leaders Arsenal.

“In the moment you don’t win you are going to get doubts, absolutely everything,” said Guardiola. “But that is what is nice. That is OK. Doubt again, we’ll see what happens.

“I said before when we played incredibly well against Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Tottenham and don’t win.

“It’s a real proof they don’t care the way we play. We played the best levels quite similar to these (past) eight years and we don’t win. It’s a ‘disaster and crisis’.

“Of course we have bad moments like Aston Villa, who were better. But what’s the problem?

“They can play better so we have to accept it and move forward. The reality is we are happy, but they are waiting for us around the corner (to fail).”

But Guardiola, who spent Christmas with his family in Barcelona, insisted his focus now was firmly on Everton.

“Nothing else exists than Goodison Park,” he said. “The greatest athletes forget as quick as possible the success. They celebrate it, but around the corner is another competition.”

City are hoping Rodri will be after the Spain midfielder suffered an ankle injury against Fluminense, but they have doubts over the fitness of Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.

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MADRID: Marcos Llorente’s goal helped Atletico Madrid edge Sevilla 1-0 to displace defending champions Barcelona in third position during their La Liga 2023-24 clash at Civitas Metropolitan Stadium on Saturday.

Atletico Madrid’s last La Liga match ended in a 3-3 stalemate against Getafe after being reduced to ten men, while Sevilla registered their third victory this season over Granada 3-0.

Both teams started the game on high, making two attempts each in the first ten minutes to end this year with a victory.

Antoine Griezmann was at his best, making several attempts to earn the lead for Atletico however, Sevilla’s goalkeeper did not let him get through.

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Both sides fought hard in the first half, which ended without a goal from either team.

The home side made two substitutions for the second half as Marcos Llorente replaced Nahuel Molina, while Ángel Correa replaced Rodrigo Riquelme.

Marcos Llorente came off the bench and scored the match-winner in his first minute as he hit a right-footed shot from a difficult angle on the right to the bottom left corner.

This was Llorente’s third goal during the ongoing season of La Liga.

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Llorente came close to adding a second with a header that hit the top of the net and a shot saved by Sevilla keeper Marko Dmitrovic.

Sevilla made several vain efforts to equalise but could not get through as the home side’s lead remained intact until the final whistle.

Atletico Madrid will face second-placed Girona in their next La Liga match on January 4th, while Sevilla will face Athletic Club on the same day.

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Manchester City won the Club World Cup for the first time to end 2023 with five trophies after a 4-0 win over Fluminense in Jeddah on Friday.

City’s victory extended European clubs’ domination of the competition since 2012 and was never in doubt once Julian Alvarez opened the scoring inside the first minute.

Nino’s first-half own goal realistically ended the Brazilians’ dreams of an upset, before Phil Foden and Alvarez rounded off the scoring in the final 20 minutes.

After clinching the treble of the club’s first ever Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup last season, Manchester City also lifted the UEFA Super Cup for the first time in August.

Pep Guardiola also made history as the first coach to lift the Club World Cup on four occasions and with three different clubs after previously winning the competition twice at Barcelona and once in charge of Bayern Munich.

“To win the treble was truly special, but to win two more trophies and now hold these five major titles shows the unique mentality of this team,” said Guardiola.

“As a manager it is what I am most proud of: that we are always there. No matter how much we win, no matter what trophies we lift, we are there again to fight for the next one.”

City’s poor Premier League form before flying out to Saudi Arabia had raised Fluminense hopes that Guardiola’s men could be vulnerable.

But the growing chasm between Europe’s elite clubs and the rest of the world thanks to huge financial imbalances in the global game was instead exposed.

European clubs have won 22 consecutive games at the Club World Cup.

Manchester City laboured for 45 minutes to break down Japan’s Urawa Reds in the semi-final before cruising to a 3-0 win.

This time, they needed less than 45 seconds.

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Alvarez scored the fastest goal ever in a Club World Cup final as he chested into an unguarded net after Nathan Ake’s shot came back off the post.

At just 23, the Argentine added to his remarkable haul of silverware that includes the World Cup and Copa America at international level, the Copa Libertadores during his time at River Plate, plus Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and UEFA Super Cup medals during just over a year at City.

Fluminense were then dealt the killer blow when captain Nino turned Foden’s cross into his own net after Rodri’s pass opened up the Brazilian defence.

Ederson was called into action to maintain City’s two-goal lead before the break as the Brazilian international made a stunning save from Jhon Arias’ header.

But his opposite number Fabio was the busier goalkeeper. The 37-year-old kept the score down and saved Fluminense’s blushes.

Fabio turned Jack Grealish’s fiercely struck effort behind before half-time and twice denied Foden early in the second half.

City were able to coast through the second period to end a glorious year on a high, but victory could come at a cost.

Rodri was forced off with an injury 20 minutes from time. City have lost all three Premier League games this season when the influential Spanish midfielder has been absent and they travel to in-form Everton on December 27.

However, that did not take the shine off a marquee 12 months that marks the high-point in a trophy-laden 15 years since City’s fortunes were transformed by a takeover from Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Alvarez was the creator for Manchester City’s third as Foden slid in to meet his driven cross.

And the man deputising for the injured Erling Haaland rounded off the scoring two minutes from time with his 10th goal of the season.

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Erik ten Hag expects Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Mason Mount to return for Manchester United next month and revealed Victor Lindelof has undergone surgery.

The injury-hit Red Devils face West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday after securing a dogged, hard-fought 0-0 draw at Liverpool last week.

United have many doubts before the match but Ten Hag said their injury problems would ease over the coming weeks.

“We have some illnesses during the week so we have to see who is always available for tomorrow,” the Dutchman said on Friday. “Hopefully they are recovered but we have to see.

“(Casemiro and Martinez) are not available before Christmas, so that will be mid-January we expect them back.

“Mason Mount similar, into January. Harry Maguire I expect him early on and Victor Lindelof is not available. He has had surgery so he will be out for a couple of weeks.”

Anthony Martial missed the trip to Anfield through illness and Christian Eriksen this week returned to training after a knee injury.

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Bruno Fernandes returns from suspension, but Diogo Dalot is suspended following his red card for a pair of quickfire bookings at Anfield.

Amad Diallo and Tyrell Malacia have yet to feature this season, while Jadon Sancho is banished from the first team after falling out with Ten Hag.

Asked about the potential of strengthening the squad in January, Erik Ten Hag said: “The current squad I’m happy (with).

“As we get our players back, I’m sure we have a good squad.

“I think a lot of the way it went in the first (part of the) season, the reasons behind (it are) because many players were not available.

“I’m sure when all the players are available on board — it looks like, as I said, Casemiro will be back, Martinez will be back, Mason Mount will be back — we will be much stronger after the winter.”

United are seventh in the Premier League table after just one win in their past four games and have scored just 18 goals in 17 league games this season.

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VITORIA-GASTEIZ: Lucas Vazquez scored in injury time to help Real Madrid register a 1-0 victory over the home side Alaves during the La Liga 2023/24 match at Mendizorrotza Stadium on Thursday.

This victory helped Real Madrid regain the top spot in the La Liga points table as the table-topper Girona drew 1-1 with Real Betis.

The homside Alaves frustrated Real Madrid throughout the first half before the Los Balncos’ defender Nacho Fernandez was sent off 10 minutes after the break.

With the clock going into second-half injury time without any goal, it looked like Girona would lead La Liga going into 2024 thanks to Madrid’s draw, however, 32-year-old Vazquez had other plans.

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Experienced Germany midfielder Toni Kroos whipped in a corner and Vazquez opened his account for the season with a free header, as Los Blancos top the table on goal difference before La Liga takes a break until January 2.

Meanwhile, Girona played their last away game of the year against Real Betis at Benito Villamarín Stadium, where both teams settled for a 1-1 stalemate.

The surprise package of La Liga 2023-24 Girona started the game on high and earned a penalty in the 38th minute which was successfully converted by Artem Dovbyk.

This was Dovbyk’s eleventh goal this season, making him the joint-third highest goal scorer in the season.

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Girona held on to the lead throughout the second half and they appeared to solidify their top spot in La Liga 2023-24, however, Germán Pezzella rained on their parade with an equalizer in the 88th minute.

Pezzella found William Carvalho’s cross following a corner and hit a right-footed shot from the centre of the box to level the scores 1-1.

In another La Liga game at Iberostar Stadium, Mallorca registered their third victory this season as they defeated Osasuna 3-2 in a five-goal thriller.

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Spain’s La Liga reacted angrily Thursday to Europe’s top court ruling UEFA and FIFA had broken EU law in stifling the Super League, declaring it is “a selfish and elitist model.”

The two heavyweights of Spanish football Real Madrid and Barcelona had been the final two clubs who remained proponents of the European Super League, but La Liga has firmly opposed to the concept.

“Today, more than ever, we reiterate that the ‘Super League’ is a selfish and elitist model,” La Liga posted on X, formerly Twitter.

“Anything that is not fully open, with direct access only through the domestic leagues, season by season, is a closed format.”

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The summary of the European Court of Justice’s written judgment stressed its ruling doesn’t necessarily mean the Super League project should now be authorised, just that FIFA and UEFA have been “abusing a dominant position” in the football market.

“The FIFA and UEFA rules making any new interclub football project subject to their prior approval, such as the Super League, and prohibiting clubs and players from playing in those competitions, are unlawful,” it ruled.

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A22 Sports, the company promoting the Super League project and who are due to hold a press conference later Thursday in Madrid, claimed victory.

“We have won the right to compete. The UEFA monopoly is over. Football is free,” the firm’s CEO Bernd Reichart declared in a social media post from the A22 account.

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