List of All Articles with Tag 'eppersons'

Manchester United are one of the most successful clubs in world football, but its history hasn’t always been without controversy. The club is currently facing criticism over the pending decision on Mason Greenwood’s future. It was recently reported that the club are on the verge of announcing their decision over the 21-year-old forward. Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 and was later charged with attempted rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling and coercive behaviour. The charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in February when new evidence emerged and key witnesses withdrew from the process. United opened their own internal investigation, which is now coming to a conclusion, with the club expected to confirm that Greenwood will be reintegrated into the team, having not played since his arrest. The situation ranks among the biggest controversial moments in the club’s history, which includes player incidents and manager bust-ups. Email with a 'swastika-style' logo Back in 2013, the club apologised after sending a newsletter out to fans which featured a 'swastika-style' logo with the title “New Order”. Manchester United said any offence caused was "entirely unintended" after similarities between the logo which spelled out the letters “MUFC” and the Nazi symbol. The statement emailed to fans said: "In this week's United Uncovered email newsletter, a graphic spelling the letters MUFC ran alongside a feature about Manchester United's younger squad members entitled New Order. "While the headline was intended to reference the band of the same name, it has been pointed out that the graphic had design similarities to a swastika which, combined with other connotations of the phrase 'new order', has caused offence which was entirely unintended. "For this, United Uncovered unreservedly apologises." The club's then head of media David Sternberg tweeted at the time: "The creative is completely inappropriate; we apologise unreservedly and are taking appropriate internal action." Eric Cantona kicking a fan It’s one of the most famous moments in 90s football, and arguably the most contentious moment in Manchester United history on the pitch. Eric Cantona had been sent off against Crystal Palace in 1995 when he lashed out at a rival fan and unleashed a kung-fu style kick with both feet aimed at the man’s chest. He was dragged away by stewards, and he was later handed a two-week prison sentence which was reduced to 120 hours of community service. He claimed he had heard racial abuse being shouted from the fan. Cantona was also fined £20,000, banned from football for nine months and stripped of the France captaincy, and it marked one of the most violent moments in Premier League history. David Beckham’s boot to the head There was a pretty obvious moment where David Beckham and Alex Ferguson’s relationship broke down – when the legendary manager unintentionally kicked a boot right at the midfielder’s head. The incident took place in 2003 during Beckham’s last season at Old Trafford before moving to Real Madrid, after United lost 2-0 to Arsenal in the FA Cup. Beckham ended up with stitches just above his left eye, but what actually took place is a point of contention. Beckham himself describes the moment as a “freak accident”, saying: "That was blown up out of all proportion. I’d made a couple of mistakes during the game and he came into the dressing room and a few harsh words were exchanged. "He started to walk over to me and he kicked out at a pile of clothes on the floor. Out came this boot and then I quickly realised how accurate his kick had been as it struck me on the head, but there weren’t any hard feelings.” However, Ferguson had a very different take on things. Writing in his autobiography, he said: "In his final season with us, we were aware that David's work rate was dropping and we had heard rumours of a flirtation between Real Madrid and David's camp. "The main issue was that his application level had dropped from its traditionally stratospheric level. "He was around 12 feet from me. Between us on the floor lay a row of boots. David swore. I moved towards him, and as I approached I kicked a boot. It hit him right above the eye. "Of course he rose to have a go at me and the players stopped him. 'Sit down,' I said. 'You've let your team down. You can argue as much as you like'. "The next day the story was in the press. In public an Alice band highlighted the damage inflicted by the boot. It was in those days that I told the board David had to go. "My message would have been familiar to board members who knew me. The minute a Manchester United player thought he was bigger than the manager, he had to go." Roy Keane’s horror tackle on Haaland Roy Keane Ends Håland's Career In Manchester Derby www.youtube.com Another violent moment on the pitch came in 2001, when Roy Keane lunged into a horror tackle against Alfie Haaland in the Manchester derby. There had been contention between the pair ever since an incident in 1997, when Keane went down injured during a game against Leeds, who Haaland was playing for at the time. Haaland, who is the father of Erling Haaland, stood over Keane and accused him of feigning injury. In fact, Keane had ruptured his cruciate ligament and was out for the remainder of the season. Four years later, with Haaland now playing for City, Keane raked his studs down Haaland’s leg. The horror tackle resulted in an injury to Haaland’s knee. The Norwegian was later forced to retire at the age of just 30 after playing only 48 minutes of football as a result ofthe incident. At the time, Keane received a three-match ban and a fine of £5,000. However, he was given another five-game ban and a £150,000 fine after he published inflammatory comments in his autobiography about the contentious moment. He wrote: "I'd waited long enough. "I f***ing hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you c***." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Here is why Auburn fans need to accept Hugh Freeze's decision to go with Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne over the incumbent Robby Ashford as the Tigers' starting quarterback.It is a dawn of a new day down on The Plains with Hugh Freeze is calling the shots at Auburn.Freeze an...

Atlanta Braves superstar first baseman Matt Olson would be the runaway NL MVP favorite if not for his otherworldly teammate Ronald Acuña Jr.With 42 home runs and 107 runs batted in, Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson, you would think he would be the frontrunner to win NL MVP going aw...

Iga Swiatek proved to be a quick learner as she ousted Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-6 (7/2), 6-1 on Friday to reach...

The Los Angeles Angels made MLB history with their decision to call up 1B Nolan Schanuel.The Los Angeles Angels called up first baseman Nolan Schanuel from the Rocket City Trash Pandas, their Double-A affiliate, on Friday. This news made headlines -- and no, not because the Angels' Double-A...

NBA Rumors: Andre Iguodala hypes up former Warriors teammate Jordan PooleAndre Iguodala appeared on the 'Gilbert Arenas Show' to talk about his former Golden State Warriors teammate Jordan Poole. The Warriors shipped Poole to Washington in exchange for Chris Paul over the summer, a move ...

The 2023/24 Premier League season is under way and you can follow every game and every goal right here with The Independent. This year sees Manchester City try to defend their crown and claim a historic fourth title in succession. Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City, who also won the Champions League and FA Cup last season, will have to see off Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and the rest to claim an unprecedented sixth league title in seven years. Meanwhile Luton Town are making their first appearance in the Premier League, having risen from non-league in an incredible decade of progress. They followed Championship winners Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United in earning promotion to the top flight. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.

Union Berlin is looking to a fresh-faced kid from Medford, New Jersey, for experience as it embarks on its first-ever Champions League season

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi on Friday said his side will have to "find the right balance" following Moises...

Paul Finebaum calls out Florida fans for dumbing down expectations in the Billy Napier era.Florida is a blue-blood college football program for a reason, so let's not lower our expectations.ESPN's Paul Finebaum caught up with his colleague Matt Barrie on The Matt Barrie Show to dis...

Ranking the top ten best goalkeepers in the Premier League throughout the 2023/24 season.

Farewell, then, Neymar. He is only 31, but his choice to leave Paris Saint-Germain and join Saudi “giants” (his word) Al-Hilal – eight months after what was likely his last shot at winning the World Cup – feels like the beginning of the end for Neymar at the top of the game. It has, for the most part, been a joy. “He makes football a pleasure,” once said Pep Guardiola. Neymar would choose to dribble into a maze of defenders rather than play a simple pass, but invariably he would come out with the ball at his feet. His highlights reel is full of jinking runs and cheeky nutmegs, most of which lead to little, and often his skills seem pointless, like controlling a high ball wth a Cruyff-turn. But then what is pleasure if not acting without necessity, just for the fun of it? He has won almost everything – multiple league and cup titles, the Champions League, the Club World Cup and the Olympic Games – and yet looks set to end his career without the World Cup his nation expected or the Ballon d’Or his talent merited (he twice finished third). It would be easy to conclude that Neymar lacked application, particularly at PSG. His appearance record – never playing more than 22 games in a single season for the club – hints at a deeper malaise beyond the recurring injuries that dogged his time in Paris. PSG fans grew weary of Neymar, while his support for Brazilian far-right president Jair Bolsonaro made him even easier to dislike. But no one can ever say he didn’t care about football. Neymar wept in the dressing room before his final game for Santos. He wept when PSG lost the 2020 Champions League final to Bayern Munich in Lisbon. He wept on Lionel Messi’s shoulder after losing the 2021 Copa America final to Argentina. He wept when Croatia came back to win on penalties in Qatar. Expectation was the constant background noise to Neymar’s career, and the pain of defeat was visceral. His decade in Europe was played mostly in his friend Messi’s shadow. The only player on the planet better than Neymar in every facet of the game was on the pitch for most of his 359 matches for Barcelona and PSG. It must have been frustrating at times that his greatest accomplice was also a source of shade, even if they formed one of the greatest teams of all time – Barcelona’s treble-winning 2014-15 side – with that fantasy front three with Luis Suarez. They played with joy, and Neymar was the epitome of that. Like his club career, Neymar’s international legacy is framed by Messi. The 2021 Copa America final between Argentina and Brazil was billed as a fight between the countries’ two talismen, each with a chance to finally unload the burden they had carried for so long. Neither played particularly well that night in the Maracana, but it was Messi who celebrated and Neymar who needed consoling. Qatar 2022 was Neymar’s best chance to win the World Cup. He had sat in the stands injured watching Brazil lose 7-1 to Germany in the Maracana in 2014; he was powerless to stop a brilliant Belgium win in the quarter-finals at Russia in 2018. But Brazil arrived in Qatar as the pre-tournament favourites, ready to finally deliver on his destiny. So when he scored that mesmerising goal against Croatia in extra time of the quarter-final, weaving through an entire defence from a standing start to finally break the deadlock, if felt like that would be the goal to define his career, the one shown on repeat when future generations looked back at Brazil’s 2022 World Cup triumph. Instead Croatia came back and it was Messi’s goal a few days later that provided the tournament’s iconic moment, and Messi’s destiny which was fulfilled. That felt like Neymar’s last shot at the Ballon d’Or, which usually requires a Champions League or World Cup to convince its audience. And perhaps his move to Saudi is a tacit submission of sorts, a white flag in his long battle to transcend the Messi effect. The Independent has reported how Neymar tried to force a move to a Champions League club this summer, but couldn’t find a suitor. The footballing world stopped believing he could transform the most important games and the offers dried up. Instead he has accepted eye-watering paycheque along with his personal demands for three supercars, a 25-bedroom mansion, a very specifically sized swimming pool and a fridge permanently full of acai juice – the man loves his acai. And there is something ironic in Neymar leaving behind the giant profiles of Messi and Kylian Mbappe only to join Al-Hilal, a team with Cristiano Ronaldo. Perhaps he will be back in Europe before long. Perhaps the 2026 World Cup is still a realistic target – one last shot at winning the trophy he most craves, because really what can anyone possibly say once you’ve won that? But more realistic is that his move to Saudi Arabia erodes his already blunt edges, that other players overtake him in Brazil’s pecking order, that the European game moves on. His most famous goal remains one he scored aged 19 for Santos, which came after a dribble of unfathomable balance and control that requires rewinding like a magic trick. And perhaps, looking back, he could never have met the expectations he unknowingly set in that moment. Perhaps he did everything he possibly could have in the era of Messi. Read More Watch as PSG manager Luis Enrique holds press conference after Neymar departure Neymar departs PSG to become latest star signing for Saudi Pro League side Shots fired from Australia batter David Warner – Tuesday’s sporting social Neymar agrees Saudi move after only one European club showed interest Football rumours: Manchester United weighing up approach for Amadou Onana Kylian Mbappe set to return to PSG squad after ‘positive discussions’ – reports