Category: Football

THIMPHU: Hosts Bhutan scored two stoppage time goals to hold Pakistan for a 3-3 draw in the sixth match of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U17 Championship here at Changlimithang Stadium on Monday.

The home side took the lead early as Thinley Yezer found the back of the net with just 25 minutes into the game.

But Pakistan hit back 13 minutes later and levelled the score, courtesy of a well-judged shot by Khobaib Khan.

The Green Shirts doubled their advantage in the 47th minute on the back of Subhan Karim’s individual brilliance.

Pakistan then took command of the game in the 67th minute as Sharaf Khan, with a deft finish, extended their lead by two goals but Bhutan, playing on their home soil, was not to be overwritten.

The home side showcased exceptional resilience and staged a dramatic comeback by scoring two quick goals in the stoppage time and held Pakistan for a stalemate in a goals-galore SAFF U17 Championship clash.

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Tandin Phuntsho sparked Bhutan’s comeback with a brilliant goal four minutes into the extra time and just two minutes later the home side was awarded a penalty, which was successfully converted by Sonam Dhurji.

In their SAFF U17 Championship campaign opener, Pakistan edged past Nepal 1-0 with Muhammad Talha scoring the winner in the 81st minute.

Despite a 3-3 draw against Bhutan, Pakistan are in contention to qualify for the semi-finals. They next face Sri Lanka on September 25 at the same venue.

Pakistan and Bhutan lead the Group B standings with four points each, followed by Nepal with three points while Sri Lanka are at the bottom with zero points.

Pakistan Squad for SAFF U17 Championship

Defenders: Abdul Rehman, M. Husnain Saleem, Najeem Khan, Sameer Ahmed, Ubaid Ullah Khan, Majid Ali, Syed Muhammad Aabis Raza and Umar Javed.

Midfielders: Abdul Samad, Muhammad Faraz, Farhad, Haroon Rashed, Hikmat Ullah, Khobaib Khan, M. Shahab Ahmed and Muhammad Khan.

Forwards: Abdul Ghani, Subhan Karim, Shahraf Khan and Muhammad Talha Khan. Goal Keepers: Aadil Ali Khan, Ghulam Abbas and Kashif.

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MANCHESTER: Manchester City forward Erling Haaland on Sunday, added another feather to his cap by equalling legendary Cristiano Ronaldo’s 13-year-old record of the fastest to 100 goals for a European club.

Haaland achieved the milestone in City’s Premier League clash against Arsenal, which ended in a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.

The Norweigan striker gave the home side a head start by netting the opener just nine minutes into the game.

With that goal, he became the 19th player for Manchester City to amass the 100-goal landmark, joining the likes of Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling.

Erling Haaland achieved the feat in the fewest appearances for the City and thus drew level with Cristiano Ronaldo, who also conceded 105 matches to score 100 goals for Real Madrid in 2011.

Top 10 players with the fastest to 100 goals for a European club

Erling Haaland (Manchester City): 105
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 105
Luis Suarez (Barcelona): 120
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain): 124
Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus): 131
Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Manchester United): 131
Edinson Cavani (Napoli): 135
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 136
Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain): 137
Christian Vieri (Inter Milan): 138

Furthermore, Erling Haaland, who has been in a purple patch since the start of this year’s Premier League, has scored nine goals in just four matches.

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His tally of nine goals is the highest by a player in the first four matches of the Premier League edition, going past Wayne Rooney, who scored eight goals for Manchester United in the 2011/12 season.

Since joining the City in 2022, Haaland helped the club to achieve new heights. He ended the 2022/23 season as the leading goal-scorer with 36 and played a pivotal role in leading Manchester City to their fourth-consecutive Premier League title.

READ: Lewandowski, Raphinha lead Barcelona to thump Villarreal

Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha struck twice each as Barcelona romped to a 5-1 win at Villarreal on Sunday in a wild match to maintain their perfect start to La Liga.

The leaders’ sixth straight league triumph was marred by a potentially serious knee injury to goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who was taken off on a stretcher.

Lewandowski netted Barcelona’s first two goals and later missed a penalty in a thoroughly entertaining battle on Spain’s east coast at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica.

Ayoze Perez pulled his team back into the game shortly before half-time and the hosts had two goals disallowed, with Pablo Torre and Raphinha’s strikes cementing Barcelona’s victory.

After second-placed Real Madrid thrashed Espanyol 4-1 on Saturday the Catalans were able to restore a four-point lead on the champions.

“It’s very important for us that we played a game away from home, we scored five goals and in the end we have three points,” said Lewandowski.

“In the end, it doesn’t matter how, as long as we win that’s perfect.”

Flick gave Eric Garcia another start in defensive midfield despite his early red card against Monaco in the Champions League midweek.

The German coach also started reserve team players Gerard Martin and Sergi Dominguez, as well as playmaker Torre in place of the injured Dani Olmo.

Teenage star Lamine Yamal hit the post early on before Lewandowski slotted home in the 20th minute after Torre slipped him in.

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Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Conde did well to keep out a bundled effort from the Polish striker but Lewandowski pounced after 35 minutes for his second.

Conde saved Garcia’s header well but the former Bayern Munich hitman converted the rebound with an acrobatic finish from close range.

It was his sixth La Liga goal of the season, taking him two clear of Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe in Spain’s Golden Boot race.

Villarreal were frequently threatening on the counter and Perez gave them a lifeline after the electric Nicolas Pepe set him up.

Ter Stegen thwarted Pepe with a sensational save one-on-one before half-time but the German was soon stricken as he fell badly after catching a corner before the break and was replaced by Inaki Pena.

Pepe finished brilliantly early in the second half but his effort was disallowed for a marginal offside call, and Yeremy Pino hit the bar with a header as Marcelino Garcia Toral’s side drove Barcelona back.

Torre extended Barca’s lead with a deflected strike from the edge of the box, a killer blow given Villarreal’s momentum.

Lewandowski hit the post from the spot after Eric Bailly scythed down Yamal and Villarreal’s Thierno Barry had a goal ruled out for offside.

Raphinha ended any hopes of a home comeback, first with a deflected shot and then finishing after a superb Yamal pass left him with just Conde to beat.

Despite the emphatic victory and 100 percent start, if Ter Stegen’s injury proves to be severe it could dent Barcelona’s title hopes.

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Holders Real Madrid kicked off the defence of their Champions League crown on Tuesday with a battling 3-1 win at home to Stuttgart in their first game of an expanded tournament.

Kylian Mbappe put Madrid ahead straight after half-time but Stuttgart equalised through Deniz Undav’s header before late goals from Antonio Rudiger and Endrick sealed victory for the Spanish giants.

Stuttgart had the better of an entertaining opening period but Carlo Ancelotti’s team have a habit of grinding out victories when up against the wall and they took the three points despite the visitors’ impressive efforts.

“We suffered at the start because we lost a lot of duels… the important thing was to win and we won, so everything’s good,” said Madrid coach Ancelotti. “You always have to fight at the start of the season, when you aren’t at your best.”

Mbappe reached five goals for the season in seven appearances across all competitions by opening the scoring when he raced into space at the start of the second half.

“I know I can do more, each game I feel better and now I’m scoring goals, and I’m happy here,” Mbappe told Movistar.

“(The game was) hard, but it’s the Champions League — it’s always difficult, but we won at home, we won the first game,” he continued.

“What we know is that the Champions League has changed and it’s important to win quickly to see if we can qualify quickly or not.”

Ancelotti selected full-back Dani Carvajal in central defence with Eder Militao not fit enough to start, while Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni returned from injury to play in midfield.

Real Madrid have lacked a certain balance after stalwart Toni Kroos retired in the summer and the game lurched from end to end under the Santiago Bernabeu lights.

Bundesliga side Stuttgart had more of the ball and the most dangerous chances in the first half, with Enzo Millot heavily involved.

The French midfielder dragged an early shot wide and forced Thibaut Courtois to tip over his dangerous effort from range, the best of a handful of saves by the Belgian.

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At the other end, Kylian Mbappe had two shots saved by Alexander Nubel as he sought his first Champions League goal for Madrid.

Rodrygo had a shot narrowly deflected over while Madrid were awarded a penalty when Maximilian Mittelstadt appeared to catch Rudiger with a clumsy swipe, but the referee cancelled the decision after a VAR referral showed no contact was made.

Courtois thwarted Angelo Stiller and Undav hit the crossbar for Stuttgart, but they were brought crashing down to earth at the start of the second half.

Just 21 seconds after the interval Mbappe found the net, teed up unselfishly by Rodrygo. It was blink-and-you’ll-miss-it and many did, still on their way back to their seats from the Bernabeu bars.

The former Paris Saint-Germain striker was not able to win the club game’s biggest prize while playing in France and his desire to lift the trophy matches Madrid’s obsession with it.

Stuttgart did not get the memo and after Vinicius crashed an effort against the crossbar, the German side levelled.

Jamie Leweling came close himself with a flurry of attempts before hooking a corner back into the danger area for Undav to head past Courtois.

Ancelotti sent 18-year-old Brazil striker Endrick on for the final 10 minutes, hunting a winner to get the holders’ trophy defence off to the perfect start.

The goal arrived swiftly, but not from Madrid’s galaxy of attacking stars. Instead, it was from centre-back Rudiger, who nodded home from Luka Modric’s corner in the 83rd minute.

Vinicius missed a golden chance to seal Madrid’s win but his compatriot Endrick made no mistake with his only opportunity, drilling home from the edge of the box at the death.

The forward opted not to pass to his more experienced teammates and took his shot early, catching out goalkeeper Nubel.

“He’s a kid with a lot of quality and he showed it,” added Courtois. “Obviously he showed personality by not passing to Vini or Kylian and shooting there himself.”

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Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer shared that his side is fully focused on the Champions League season and aiming to play the final, which is scheduled at Allianz Arena.

“Something big is coming,” Neuer told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s opening clash with Dinamo Zagreb at home.

“The most important thing is the final in Munich. We want to go there and everything else is secondary.

“We know what this final means to the city, the fans and the players. Our motivation is simply very high.”

Six-time European champions Bayern Munich come into the season after their first trophyless campaign in 11 seasons, with Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen winning a league and cup double.

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In the Champions League, Bayern were eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual winners Real Madrid, who beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley to lift the trophy.

Manuel Neuer and fellow Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller, who both won the 2013 and 2020 Champions League finals, are the only two players in the squad to remember the 2012 home final, which they lost on penalties to Premier League side Chelsea.

Mueller went on social media on Monday, telling followers “the road to Munich starts tomorrow. “I’m very excited. Let’s enjoy the best football in Europe.”

Manager Vincent Kompany, set to coach his first match in the Champions League, told reporters “the fans can dream”.

“The most important thing for me is that we show it on the pitch. We have a difficult game tomorrow. The important thing is that we play well and win tomorrow.”

Bayern have won every one of their Champions League openers since 2002  when they lost 3-2 to Deportivo La Coruna, which was the prelude to their first and only group stage elimination.

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Teenage star Lamine Yamal struck twice to help table-toppers Barcelona thrash Girona 4-1 in the La Liga clash at Montilivi on Sunday.

Hansi Flick’s side have now won all five of their opening matches and avenged two humiliating Catalan derby defeats by Girona last season with an emphatic victory.

Yamal’s first-half double sent Barcelona on their way with Dani Olmo and Pedri Gonzalez adding further goals after the break.

Cristhian Stuani pulled one back for the hosts, last season’s surprise package who finished third in only their fourth season in the top flight.

Girona lost several key players in the summer with coach Michel Sanchez forced to rebuild.

Barcelona have new momentum under former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Flick and produced their best performance of his reign to date.

“I think you can see the confidence we have, and when we have the ball, we have the quality to play and to create chances,” Flick told reporters.

“I think today we had a lot of chances to score one or two goals more, but in the end I’m very happy with the performance of the team.”

Lamine Yamal and striker Robert Lewandowski came close in the opening exchanges before the teenage star, who led Spain to Euro 2024 victory in the summer, broke the deadlock.

The winger picked the pocket of David Lopez as he tried to bring the ball out of defence, before finishing with aplomb past Paulo Gazzaniga after 30 minutes.

“We started very concentrated, very focussed, we pressed them — we know when we give them the space they need for combinations we get in trouble,” said Flick.

“You saw the first goal, it was unbelievably good (pressing) from Lamine.”

Lamine Yamal grabbed his second before the break with a fine guided finish from the edge of the box after a free-kick was cleared into his path.

Bryan Gil fired straight at Marc-Andre ter Stegen from close range at the other end, before Girona were awarded a penalty when Inigo Martinez handled the ball.

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However after a VAR referral the referee annulled his decision, seeing that it had bounced on to Martinez’s arm off team-mate Alejandro Balde.

Olmo expanded Barcelona’s lead early in the second half with a sublime finish from a tight angle, leaving the new arrival from RB Leipzig on three goals from three La Liga matches.

Gazzaniga denied Lewandowski as he ran through on goal and tried to finish with a dink, as Barcelona maintained control.

Their fourth came through Pedri when midfielder Marc Casado cleverly played him through and the Canary Islander took his time to sidestep Gazzaniga and finish.

“We had to start (the season) well, other years we didn’t start it as we would have liked, above all the coach told us that,” Pedri told Movistar.

“(He told us) that from the first game we should push, that the league is won above all in these first games if you keep building the distance up, let’s continue in the same way.”

Former Espanyol striker Stuani finished from close range with 10 minutes remaining to give Girona a consolation, before Barcelona substitute Ferran Torres was sent off for a high tackle on Yaser Asprilla.

They were the only blots on Barcelona’s otherwise pristine copybook as they maintained their 100 percent record at the start of the campaign.

On Saturday champions Real Madrid earned a 2-0 win at Real Sociedad to move second, four points behind Flick’s side.

Girona are seventh after the defeat, with their next match a Champions League debut away at Paris Saint-Germain.

“It feels bad, it was a tough defeat today, for how we were preparing for the game and the excitement of facing Barca again at home,” Stuani told Movistar.

“We have to try and forget about it as quickly as possible, this week we have a very special game, we have to face that with as much excitement as possible because for us it’s an historic match.

“We have to turn the page on today and try to compete in the best way (we can).”

Later Sunday Atletico Madrid host Valencia and Athletic Bilbao visit Las Palmas.

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Cristiano Ronaldo was diagnosed on Sunday with a viral infection and will miss Al Nassr’s Asian Champions League opener this week at Iraq’s Al Shorta.

The Portuguese veteran is targeting Asia’s top club crown to add to his long list of achievements when the competition kicks off on Monday.

“Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo was not feeling well today and was diagnosed with a viral infection,” said a club statement posted on social media platform X on Sunday.

“The team’s doctor confirmed he needs to rest and stay at home. As a result, he will not be travelling with the team to Iraq today. We wish our captain a speedy recovery.”

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward saw his first attempt with the Saudi side Al Nassr end in a quarter-final penalty shootout defeat to eventual champions Al Ain earlier this year.

Now rebranded as the Asian Champions League Elite, Al Nassr and the other teams from Saudi Arabia will be a major threat after spending vast sums of money in the last two years on the likes of Ronaldo and Neymar.

England forward Ivan Toney was the latest big name to swap Europe for Saudi when he left Brentford for Al Ahli last month for more than $45 million.

As part of the new-look competition, Saudi Arabia — which is expected to host the 2034 World Cup — will stage a mini-knockout tournament from the quarter-finals onward to decide the champions, who will take home at least $12 million.

Al Nassr, Al Ahli and Neymar’s Al Hilal will all be involved when the Champions League Elite launches on Monday with a new format that splits 24 teams evenly into two groups of East and West.

Each team will play eight different opponents in the group stage.

The top eight teams from each zone will play in the last 16 over two legs in March, before the action moves to the final stages in Saudi Arabia from April 25 to May 4.

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Saudi champions Al Hilal are looking to win a record-extending fifth Asian title but they are still waiting for the return of Brazilian ace Neymar, who has been sidelined since suffering a serious knee injury last year.

Al Hilal have signed Portugal full-back Joao Cancelo from Manchester City, bolstering a squad that already featured Aleksandar Mitrovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ruben Neves.

Despite the absence of the 39-year-old Ronaldo for Monday’s opening encounter in Bagdad, Al Hilal are still able to call on Sadio Mane, Aymeric Laporte and Marcelo Brozovic.

The defending champions, Al Ain, are from the United Arab Emirates and were coached by Argentina great Hernan Crespo to victory against Japan’s Yokohama F-Marinos over two legs in May’s final.

Al Ain are one of two UAE clubs taking part in this year’s edition, with teams from Qatar, Iran, Uzbekistan and Iraq completing the West zone line-up.

In the East, clubs from Japan have posted the best results in recent years and Yokohama returned to the Champions League to spearhead their challenge.

Coach Harry Kewell has been sacked since leading them to last season’s final, with the former Liverpool and Leeds forward paying the price for his team’s lacklustre domestic form.

Kawasaki Frontale and Vissel Kobe are also representing Japan, while three-time champions Pohang Steelers, twice winners Ulsan and debutants Gwangju will carry the flag for South Korea.

Chinese clubs’ spending power has long since dried up, but former Chelsea attacker Oscar is still on the books of Shanghai Port, who are led by Australian coach Kevin Muscat.

Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Shenhua are also involved from China, while one club each from Australia, Thailand and Malaysia feature in the East league stage.

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Lionel Messi dazzled in his return from injury Saturday, scoring two goals in the space of four minutes and adding an assist in Inter Miami’s 3-1 Major League Soccer victory over the Philadelphia Union.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner hadn’t played since injuring his right ankle during the Copa America final on July 14, when he helped Argentina to victory over Colombia.

Since then he had missed eight MLS games for his club and this month’s World Cup qualifiers for his country.

Messi hadn’t played for Inter since June 1, but he didn’t miss a beat as he was inserted into the starting lineup.

“The truth is that I’m a little tired,” he said after the match. “The heat and humidity in Miami don’t help much either, but I really wanted to come back, I had been off of the field for a long time.

“Little by little I was training with the group, feeling good and that’s why we decided that I would start, and I’m very happy — very happy.”

Miami coach Gerardo Martino was delighted to see his star come out “feeling good” after 90 minutes.

Philadelphia seized the advantage in the second minute on Mikael Uhre’s left-footed shot from outside the area.

Messi grabbed the equalizer in the 26th minute, collecting a pass from Luis Suarez and beating defender Kai Wagner before unleashing a right-footed shot to cap a sequence launched by Jordi Alba on the left.

Ecstatic fans were still celebrating when he fired Inter ahead in the 30th, connecting again with Alba and firing a left-footed shot from the centre of the area into the bottom right corner.

Inter thought Suarez had made it 3-1 before halftime, but his goal was overturned on a VAR review.

But Suarez added a goal deep in second-half injury time with Messi —  who also picked up his first yellow card in MLS for lingering on a corner kick — providing the assist.

Martino said the late goal vindicated his decision to leave both players in the game until the end, saying “both played the whole game because they were fine to finish the game”.

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The victory extended Inter Miami’s lead at the top of the MLS standings to 62 points, 10 points clear of their closest Eastern Conference challengers FC Cincinnati with six games remaining in the regular season.

Messi is also pleased that despite his lengthy absence they lead the race for the Supporters’ Shield awarded to the team that tops the overall standings.

“During the year we were very unlucky with injuries, we were never at full strength,” he said. “For one reason or another we were always missing players and the group always came through.

“Today we are in first place with a big difference and deservedly so, and hopefully we can finish on top for what it means and what comes after that.”

Messi’s two goals, taking him to 14 in just 13 games, put him back in contention for the title of top scorer.

Suarez, meanwhile, has 17 goals and is two behind the current MLS scoring leader, DC United’s Christian Benteke.

After 19,000 fans at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale gave Messi a warm welcome the hosts got a quick scare when Uhre scored with just 58 seconds on the clock.

The Danish attacker controlled a headed clearance from Argentine defender Tomas Aviles and surprised goalkeeper Drake Callender with a blast against the post.

Minutes later, Martino got another shock when Paraguayan center-back David Martinez was injured when he intercepted a Philadelphia pass.

The Union continued to put Callender under pressure, but on the other end Messi was starting to take advantage of the spaces to team up with Alba and Suarez.

In the 26th minute, Alba ran the length of the pitch and delivered the ball to Suarez, who set up Messi to cut inside Wagner and score.

Four minutes later, Alba sent a cross from the left into the heart of the box that Suarez let through and Messi converted to make it 2-1.

Messi, 37 and in his second season in the United States, is the fastest player to notch his first 15 goals and 15 assists in MLS, in just 19 games.

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Star Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo created history as he became the first-ever individual to reach a combined one billion followers across all social media platforms.

The 39-year-old striker took to social media and shared the achievement with his fans while thanking them for their love and support.

“We’ve made history — 1 BILLION followers! This is more than just a number – it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond,” Ronaldo posted.

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“From the streets of Madeira to the biggest stages in the world, I’ve always played for my family and for you, and now 1 billion of us stand together.

“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey, and together, we’ve shown that there are no limits to what we can achieve.

“Thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life. The best is yet to come, and we’ll keep pushing, winning, and making history together.”

As of this writing, Cristiano Ronaldo has 639 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook, 113 million on X(formally Twitter), and 60.6 million on his recently launched YouTube channel titled “UR · Cristiano.”

He also has another 9 million on the Chinese network Weibo and has a presence on Kuaishou.

The Portuguese talisman recently achieved a massive landmark on the field as well during a UEFA Nations League match against Croatia as he became the first player to score 900 goals.

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Kylian Mbappe’s entourage said on Wednesday they had refused the French Football League’s (LFP) offer to act as a mediator between the France captain and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in their dispute over unpaid wages and bonuses for the striker.

Kylian Mbappe claims PSG owe him 55 million euros ($60.6m) which the Parisians say the 25-year-old had agreed to waive in August 2023.

The Real Madrid forward has demanded the sum, which includes a signing bonus he was expecting to receive in February, the three final months of his salary, as well as an “ethical bonus” covering the period.

Lawyers representing the two parties met early on Wednesday after Mbappe, who joined Madrid this summer, had referred his case to the LFP’s legal committee.

The league then offered to mediate.

“The eventuality of a mediation was mentioned this morning,” Mbappe’s entourage told AFP in a statement.

“This possibility was rejected during the meeting by the player’s representative.

“A mediation would be useless  to establish a lack of payment that can be seen from a simple analysis of the player’s payslip.”

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The LFP told AFP it would notify Kylian Mbappe and PSG of its decision in the case on Friday.

Earlier in the day, PSG had welcomed the proposition.

“Paris Saint-Germain is very pleased with today’s two-hour hearing before the commission,” PSG said.

“The club recalled that the player has made clear repeated public and private commitments that must be respected, having been afforded unprecedented benefits by the club over seven fantastic years in Paris.

“In the light of the club’s oral and documented arguments, the commission insisted on mediation between the parties, which Paris Saint-Germain has been seeking for many months.”

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