List of All Articles with Tag 'al'

Premier League winner Danny Drinkwater has announced his retirement from football. The 33-year-old midfielder was one of the stars of Leicester’s shock title triumph in 2016, earning a big-money move to Chelsea the following summer. But he did not manage to establish himself as a first-choice player at Stamford Bridge and unsuccessful loan spells at Burnley and Aston Villa followed along with disciplinary problems. He pleaded guilty to drink-driving after crashing his car in 2019, suffered an ankle injury in an incident outside a nightclub later the same year and head-butted then Villa team-mate Jota on the training ground in March 2020. Drinkwater’s last appearances came on loan at Reading in 2021-22, following which his contract with Chelsea expired. Speaking on The High Performance Podcast, he said: “It’s been a long time coming maybe, especially with the last year, but I think it’s time to officially announce it now. “I think I’ve been in limbo for too long. I’ve been wanting to play but not getting the opportunity to play at a standard or a level where I felt valued. I’m happy not playing football but I’m happy playing football, so do I just shake hands with the sport? It's been a long time coming maybe, especially with the last year, but I think it's time to officially announce it now Danny Drinkwater “It’s all I’ve known. It’s been my life since I was six, seven years old. It was never going to be an easy thing. “If I was playing week in, week out and I had to say I’ve got to stop, maybe through injury or through just age, not being able to get about the pitch like I’d like to, I think it would be trickier.” Drinkwater came through the Manchester United academy but did not make a first-team appearance before joining Leicester in 2012. He was called up for the first time by England in March 2016 and made three appearances but was one of three players cut from the squad for the European Championship. Read More On this day in 2008: David Beckham heads to Milan to boost England hopes The sporting weekend in pictures Joel Embiid scores 35 points in big win for Philadelphia 76ers

Lyon head coach Fabio Grosso suffered “serious” facial injuries after the French club’s team bus came under attack from fans throwing projectives before Sunday’s match at Marseille. The league fixture on Sunday evening was called off after the attack on the Lyon bus, which shattered windows as it arrved at Stade Velodrome. Footage on social media appeared to show that stones had been thrown and Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo were injured by falling shards of glass. French football’s governing body took the decision to abandon the Ligue 1 fixture after an emergency meeting. Grosso, the former Italy international and World Cup window, was pictured on a stretcher with a bloodied face after the attack. The governing body, Ligue de Football Professionnel, said in a statement: “During the crisis unit meeting following the incidents that occurred outside the Stade Velodrome on the route of its bus, Olympique Lyonnais made known its opposition to taking part in the match given the circumstances.” OL issued a statement strongly condemning the attack, adding that they had initially looked for the match to go ahead, before realising the conditions of Grosso and Longo were "much more serious than expected" and due to the "mental state of the players". The club said: "This Sunday evening, at the entrance to the Velodrome stadium, several individuals violently attacked the Olympique Lyonnais bus, as well as its staff and players. "Six buses of Olympique Lyonnais supporters were also targeted. If in the past, attacks of this type had already taken place, which Olympique Lyonnais has always regretted, this Sunday, October 29, a new step towards the worst was taken. "In fact, several secure windows were broken by heavy projectiles of unknown nature. These same projectiles penetrated the interior of the bus. "Coach Fabio Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo were directly hit and seriously injured in the face during this attack. Present with them on the bus, the players and staff were also deeply affected by the violence of this attack, which Olympique Lyonnais strongly condemns. "Initially, as indicated by the OL representative at the start of the crisis meeting, driven by their courage, the coach and the players wanted the meeting to be able to take place. "Subsequently, the OL representative was informed of the physical condition of Fabio Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo, much more serious than expected, but also of the negative medical opinions and the mental state of the players. She then announced a change in the situation, indicating the impossibility of playing the match." OL said it was "clearly impossible" for the match to take place, adding that they planned to "file a complaint in the coming days" before calling on the authorities to take action. They concluded: "Finally, Olympique Lyonnais regrets that this type of situation occurs every year in Marseille and invites the authorities to take stock of the seriousness and repetition of this type of incident before an even more serious tragedy occurs." Marseille issued a statement of their own, criticising the perpetrators and wishing 45-year-old Italian Grosso well. "Olympique de Marseille deplores the unacceptable incidents which took place this evening around the Stade Velodrome, against the professional team bus as well as Olympique Lyonnais supporter buses," the OM statement read. "The club wishes a speedy recovery to Lyon coach Fabio Grosso and strongly condemns this violent behaviour which has no place in the world of football and in society. "Due to a handful of mindless people, the game planned for this evening was spoiled and deprived 65,000 supporters of attending a football match. "The club complies with the decision taken by the LFP and remains at its disposal so that the match which was scheduled for this Sunday, October 29, takes place as quickly as possible and under the best possible conditions at the Stade Velodrome." Marseille have a recent history of incidents involving their stadium or supporters, including fans storming the training ground and setting a fire, enforcing a match being postponed in 2021. The Metropolitan Police arrested five people a year ago, “believed to be away supporters,” when Marseille played a Champions League game at Tottenham. And one Marseille fan faced an attempted murder charge over firing a flare into Eintracht Frankfurt fans at a game, seriously injuring one visiting supporter. Lyon manager Grosso scored the winning penalty kick for Italy in the shootout victory over France in the 2006 World Cup final. Both clubs have been under pressure lately. Despite replacing Marcelino with Gennaro Gattuso as coach in September, Marseille remain showing poor form with one win and three losses in their last four league games. Lyon are the only team still winless in the league. Replacing Laurent Blanc with Grosso as coach in September hasn’t paid off for Lyon, as they sit in last place. Includes reporting from PA Read More Lyon manager injured after team bus attacked en route to Marseille match How Wales fared at World Cup and what the future holds for Warren Gatland’s men Major military search begins after kidnapping of Luis Diaz’s father Major military search begins after kidnapping of Luis Diaz’s father On this day in 2008: David Beckham heads to Milan to boost England hopes Mauricio Pochettino insists Chelsea must rebuild trust with supporters

David Beckham joined AC Milan on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy on this day in 2008. The then 33-year-old England midfielder agreed a two-month move to Italy to stay fit during the MLS close-season in the United States. England manager Fabio Capello, who coached Beckham at Real Madrid, said: “Milan have made a good addition. “At Madrid I left him out of the squad because he had signed a contract with Los Angeles but he continued to come on the field and train and I put him back in the team. “He is a very serious lad, very sensible, a professional. People think he is a playboy off the field, it’s not true at all.” The 108-times capped Beckham felt a move to Milan would boost his chances of England selection. Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said: “His reasons are to stay fit and to make himself available for England, and the only way he can do that is to be training and playing in a good environment. “This, on the part of David, was a purely technical rationale. He wants to continue to play for England and this is one of the ways to do that.” Beckham began his glittering career at Manchester United, where he won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League. He joined Real Madrid in 2003 and spent four years in Spain before moving to LA Galaxy. Beckham had two loan spells at Milan and ended his career at Paris St Germain in 2013. Beckham went on to win 115 caps for England, a total only bettered by Peter Shilton and Wayne Rooney. Read More The sporting weekend in pictures Joel Embiid scores 35 points in big win for Philadelphia 76ers Rugby Australia chairman refuses to quit after Eddie Jones resignation

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