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Category: Foot

Football: disappointed by Lionel Messi's attitude, China cancels two Argentina matches on home soil

The world champion was due to play against Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire on an Asian tour in March, but the uproar caused by his absence and his attitude at a meeting in Hong Kong with his Miami club prompted the Chinese organisers to back out.

Lionel Messi's popularity in China is suffering quite a deflation. On Friday 9 and Saturday 10 February, the country announced that it would not be hosting two friendly matches for the Argentinian national team, following the controversy surrounding the player's tour of Asia with his club, Inter Miami.

The world champions had announced a tour of China from 18 to 26 March, during which they would face Nigeria in the big city of Hangzhou and Côte d'Ivoire in Beijing.

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"A company was in talks with the Argentinian team about coming to Hangzhou in March to play a friendly match.said the Hangzhou Sports Bureau in a statement on Friday evening. For reasons that are well known to everyone, according to the competent authorities, the conditions for the event not to take place have been met and it has been decided to cancel it".

Lionel Messi and his American club drew the ire of fans when the Argentinian remained on the bench during a friendly match against a local team in Hong Kong on Sunday, citing an injury. The spectators, who had paid up to 4,800 Hong Kong dollars (570 euros), expressed their displeasure at the player's absence, and also at his attitude, as he did not address the audience to apologise. The Argentine and David Beckham, co-owner of Inter Miami, were booed in the Hong Kong stadium.

"The Chinese don't lie down".

The controversy flared up again on Wednesday when Lionel Messi played thirty minutes of a friendly match in Japan, where several photos show him all smiles, whereas he appeared to have a closed face in Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

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"Many football fans and Internet friends have recently asked us for information about Lionel Messi's match in Beijing".The Beijing Football Association, the body that oversees football in the Chinese capital, said on Saturday. "After verification [by our services], For the time being, Beijing has no plans to organise the match in which Lionel Messi was due to take part".she stressed in a press release.

On the Chinese social network Weibo, the vast majority of Internet users seemed to support the cancellation, despite the immense popularity enjoyed by Messi in China up until then.

"If he doesn't respect his Chinese fans, we can't let him take a penny from the Chinese".reacted one user, in tune with the general tone of the messages. "We gave him our love and he treats us like that. That slap [cancellation] is deserved".wrote another. "A courageous decision, "The Chinese don't lie down". and "Fuck off Messi!" were among the most frequently published comments.

The company that organised the event in Hong Kong, Tatler Asia, promised ticket buyers a refund of 50 %. "Injuries are part of the game and we understand that. However, we were saddened by the fact that the players didn't show enough respect to the supporters present".the company stressed.

A lucrative market for the Argentinian federation

The likely cancellation of the tour of China is a headache for the Argentine Football Association (AFA), which regards the Asian giant as a strategic market. In June 2023, Argentina already played a friendly match in Beijing during a visit that led to lucrative contracts with local companies. The AFA has sponsorship and cooperation contracts with coffee chain Cotti Coffee and Chinese dairy products leader Yili, among others.

"We are fully aware of the importance, uniqueness and enormous growth potential of the AFA in the Chinese market.said Leandro Petersen, the AFA's Sales and Marketing Director, recently.

The Chinese newspaper Global Times, known for its nationalist stance, implied in an editorial this week that the behaviour of Inter Miami and Messi could perhaps have implications for the country. "political motivations. The Hong Kong authorities have regularly been in the crosshairs of the United States and the United Kingdom since the introduction of a national security law in the semi-autonomous territory, which has helped to muzzle political opposition.

 

Text by Le Monde with AFP

CAN 2024: SYMBOLIC GESTURE BY DR CONGO PLAYERS IN SUPPORT OF THEIR PEOPLE

Before facing Côte d'Ivoire in the semi-final of the African Cup of Nations, the DR Congo players made a gesture of support for the victims of the armed conflict in the east of the country.

The right hand over the mouth, the left hand like a pistol to the temple. During the broadcast of their anthem before kick-off of the African Cup of Nations semi-final against Côte d'Ivoire, the DR Congo players made a gesture of support for their compatriots, victims of the conflict between government forces and the M23 rebels in the east of the country.

Before the match, and following "the atrocities committed on the population (...) by the rebels", the DRC football federation announced that a black armband would be worn "in mourning and in memory" of the victims.

Bakambu's speech

In recent days, clashes in Masisi territory, to the west of the provincial capital of North Kivu, have led to further population displacements and dozens of wounded being rushed to overwhelmed health centres. According to medical and security sources quoted by AFP, at least six people were killed in Wednesday's shelling in Sake and, throughout the day, thousands of people fleeing the fighting arrived in Goma, some twenty kilometres away.

Since the end of 2021, two territories in North Kivu, Rutshuru and Masisi, have been in the grip of a conflict pitting the M23 ("March 23 Movement") rebellion, supported by units of the Rwandan army, against government forces associated in particular with armed groups calling themselves "patriots".

The situation has prompted several players in the national team to speak out. "Everyone sees the massacres in eastern Congo, but everyone keeps quiet. Put the same energy you put into talking about the African Cup of Nations into highlighting what's happening here, there are no small gestures," declared former Marseille striker Cédric Bakambu. Speaking to RMC Sport's After CAN, coach Sébastien Desabre also had his say on the subject: "We're doing everything we can to make our people proud. It's the image of the Congolese that we're promoting.

Text by BFM TV JA

ESPAGNE | LUIS RUBIALES ET LE BAISER FORCÉ À JENNIFER HERMOSO : « C’ÉTAIT UN ACTE RÉCIPROQUE »

Si Luis Rubiales a décidé de démissionner de son poste de président de la Fédération espagnole de football, il continue de se défendre à propos du baiser à la joueuse Jennifer Hermoso après le sacre mondial de la « Roja » féminine. Pour lui, c’était tout simplement un « acte réciproque », a-t-il assuré dans une interview accordée au journaliste Piers Morgan.

Luis Rubiales contre-attaque. Dans une interview accordée au journaliste Piers Morgan et diffusée mardi sur la chaîne britannique TalkTV, le désormais ex-président de la Fédération espagnole est revenu sur l’épisode du baiser à la joueuse Jennifer Hermoso après le sacre mondial de la « Roja » féminine.
" C’était un acte réciproque, elle est venue vers moi, très contente« , dit-il à propos d’un geste qui lui vaut depuis d’avoir démissionné et d’être convoqué vendredi par un juge d’instruction pour être entendu en tant qu’inculpé et répondre aux accusations d’agression sexuelle.
" Elle m’a soulevé, elle m’a soulevé dans les airs (…) Nous étions tous les deux émus. Lorsque nous avons touché le sol, j’ai eu un bref échange avec elle, nous nous sommes félicités. Je lui ai donné un rapide bisou. Je lui ai demandé, puis-je te donner un petit bisou ? Ce qui est normal dans notre pays (…) Je me souviens qu’elle m’a donné une ou deux tapes sur les flancs. Elle riait, et voilà c’est tout« , explique l’ex-dirigeant au cours de cette interview dans le cadre de l’émission « Piers Morgan sans filtre ».
 
MES INTENTIONS ÉTAIENT NOBLES
 
" Aucune intention (malveillante). Et bien sûr aucune connotation sexuelle ou quelque chose de ce genre. Rien d’autre qu’un moment de bonheur, une grande joie à ce moment là« , assure Rubiales dans cette interview. « Mes intentions étaient nobles, 100% non sexuelles, 100%, je répète 100%, » clame-t-il.
 

Une version démentie par Jenni Hermoso qui a dit s’être « sentie vulnérable et victime (…) d’un acte impulsif et sexiste, déplacé et sans aucun consentement de (ma) part« . Rubiales a ensuite même soutenu devant Piers Morgan qu’il aurait agi de la même façon s’il s’était agi d’un homme: « Ca ne fait aucun doute… Quand j’étais joueur, il y a eu des occasions, lorsque nous évitions une relégation ou obtenions une promotion notamment, où nous nous embrassions sur la bouche" .

Depuis une récente réforme du code pénal espagnol, un baiser non consenti peut être considéré comme une agression sexuelle, catégorie pénale regroupant tous les types de violence sexuelle.

War declared as Benzema attacks Deschamps head-on

Following an interview with the coach about his withdrawal from the World Cup, the Madrid striker hit back, calling him a liar.
For the first time since the World Cup, Didier Deschamps opened up in a lengthy interview with Le Parisien. His extension at the helm of Les Bleus, the final against Argentina, the resignation of Noël Le Graët... The coach discusses a host of subjects.

Deschamps talks about Benzema's move to Qatar

These include the case of Karim Benzema, who travelled to Qatar with the French team before withdrawing just a few days before the start of the tournament.

Deschamps went back over his discussion with KB9 on the night of his withdrawal: "I'm losing a very important player, another one. I have to accept that. Karim is devastated because this World Cup meant so much to him. He says to me, 'It's dead'.

The striker will be leaving the Les Bleus hotel as soon as possible. "When I left him, I said to him: Karim, there's no hurry. You organise your return with the team manager. When I woke up, I learned that he had left. It's his decision, he won't tell you otherwise, and I understand and respect it.

The coach also defended himself against any potential unease surrounding the situation of the Ballon d'Or winner, Les Bleus' top scorer at the Euros: " 
Not at all. No player rejoiced at his departure as I may have heard or read. Karim knows it too.

The two men recently spoke about the future, but Benzema will not be returning to wear the colours of the Rooster. He's confirmed to me that he's decided to end his international career," continues DD. Don't ask me for his arguments. It's up to him whether or not he communicates them.

"Liar!" Benzema's riposte

These statements were quick to provoke a reaction from the man himself, who had already implied that the official version of events was not entirely accurate.

His response was posted in a two-part Instagram story, firstly highlighting DD's "audacity".

Before an even more explicit video message: "Liar! Yes, you, liar. You're a liar. You're a big liar."

A video message accompanied by the following caption: Sacré Didier, good night".

Text by Goal.com Robert Oleksiak

Noël Le Graët: investigation opened into psychological harassment

An investigation into psychological and sexual harassment was opened on Monday, following a report of "sexist contempt" targeting the president of the French Football Federation.

An investigation into psychological harassment and sexual harassment was opened on Monday, following a report of "sexist contempt" targeting the president of the French Football Federation, Noël Le Graët, the Paris public prosecutor's office said on Tuesday.

This alert was issued after Sonia Souid, an agent for several French internationals, gave evidence to auditors from the General Inspectorate for Education, Sport and Research (IGESR), according to the daily newspaper Le Monde.

Last week, Sonia Souid publicly denounced in the daily newspaper L'Equipe and on RMCThe French Football Federation (FFF) president, who has been president of the FFF since 2011, is considered to have behaved in a sexist manner. "He told me face-to-face, in his flat, very clearly, that if I wanted him to help me, I'd have to go to the pot," she said.

Referring to her past professional dealings with the head of French football, she explained that she had had the feeling that "every time, the only thing he was interested in - and I apologise for using vulgar language - was my two breasts and my arse". On 11 January, Noël Le Graët was "withdrawn" from the presidency of the federation by the executive committee.

"At this stage, I don't know what I'm accused of or who is behind it.

Noël Graët, Chairman of the FFF
 

When contacted on Saturday, the Ministry of Sport stated that the Minister, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, had been informed of the report, in accordance with procedure, and that she would not be commenting further on the subject.

"I have just been astonished to read an article in the World Le Graët reacted on Saturday in a statement sent to AFP after the report was revealed in the daily newspaper.

At this stage, I know neither the facts of which I am accused nor the people behind them," he said. More generally, I am surprised that information can be divulged even though the provisional report has not yet been sent to me and I have not been able to comment on it.

The investigation has been entrusted to the BRDP.

Texte by Le matin.ch/AFP

Benjamin Mendy, « un prédateur » selon le procureur

Le procès de Benjamin Mendy a repris ce lundi, en fin de matinée, au tribunal de Chester, avec le discours introductif du procureur, qui a présenté le champion du monde 2018 comme un « prédateur ».

Avant une pause à l’heure du déjeuner, près de deux heures plus tard, il a déroulé la moitié de son argumentaire, dans ce dossier très médiatique ; une trentaine de journalistes étaient d’ailleurs présents ce lundi matin, sur les bancs en bois spartiates de la Crown Court. « Ce dossier d’accusation est simple et il n’a pas grand-chose à voir avec le football, a lancé le procureur en préliminaire. Il s’agit plutôt d’un nouveau chapitre d’une très vieille histoire : des hommes qui violent et agressent sexuellement des femmes, parce qu’ils se croient puissants et parce qu’ils pensent pouvoir se tirer d’affaire. »

Sous le regard des deux accusés, assis dans le « dock » et à qui le dossier d’accusation a été également distribué, le procureur Cray poursuit alors son discours, en entrant dans le vif du sujet. Et en évoquant Louis Saha Matturie, d’abord. Le coaccusé (sans rapport avec l’ex-attaquant Louis Saha) est visé par douze chefs d’infractions sexuelles, dont huit viols. Ce lundi, il a été présenté comme un « fixeur » par l’accusation, un « assistant » et un « ami » de Mendy, qui aurait été chargé de « trouver des jeunes femmes et de créer des situations où elles pouvaient être violées et agressées sexuellement », a précisé le procureur.

Un « manoir » dans lequel on pouvait se sentir « vulnérable »

Accusé de huit viols, une tentative de viol et une agression sexuelle, Benjamin Mendy a été présenté, tout comme son comparse présumé, comme un « prédateur » par le procureur Cray. Les faits dont est soupçonné le défenseur de Manchester City – suspendu depuis près d’un an par son club – se seraient déroulés à son vaste domicile de Prestbury, dans le Cheshire, entre le 25 octobre 2018 et le 23 août 2021, soit trois jours avant son arrestation. Le natif de Longjumeau (Essonne), qui a passé 134 jours en détention provisoire, bénéficie d’une liberté conditionnelle depuis le 7 janvier.

Le domicile champêtre de Mendy, c’est un « manoir », a poursuivi le procureur, dans lequel on pouvait se sentir « vulnérable, effrayé, isolé ». Une « vulnérabilité accentuée par d’autres faits importants dont vous entendrez parler », a-t-il dit au jury. Tels que la conduite « des plaignantes dans des pièces qu’elles croient verrouillées », « le fait que certaines femmes étaient ivres et que les accusés voulaient qu’elles le soient » et les « différences d’âge et de richesse entre les accusés et les plaignantes ».

« De nos jours, plus personne ne peut douter que :  »Non, ça veut dire non » "

Le procureur Timothy Cray

L’apparente sérénité montrée par Benjamin Mendy, depuis le début du procès, le 10 août, n’est alors plus de mise. Visage fermé, bouche raide, le champion du monde 2018 écoute le procureur poursuivre son adresse au jury : « Voici deux importantes questions que vous allez devoir considérer. Que s’est-il passé dans la maison de Mendy les jours en question ? Qu’y avait-il dans cette maison qui rendait ces femmes vulnérables ? » Une vidéo des différentes pièces du « manoir » du latéral a également été diffusée, sur deux écrans, pendant l’audience. Le joueur et son « assistant » Matturie, qui ont plaidé non coupable de chacune des charges qui pèsent à leur encontre, soutiennent que les plaignantes étaient consentantes, a rappelé le procureur.

« De nos jours, plus personne ne peut douter que :  »Non, ça veut dire non » ", a-t-il également lancé, comme un écho aux bouleversements sociétaux engendrés par le mouvement #MeToo. Ce droit fondamental de dire  »non » au sexe doit bénéficier à tout le monde. Et on ne perd pas ce droit parce qu’on est allés dans un bar, qu’on s’est habillés pour sortir en boîte ou qu’on s’est rendus chez un footballeur. » C’est évidemment sur ce thème central – le consentement, ou pas, des victimes présumées – que les jurés devront se prononcer puis aboutir à un verdict à l’issue de ce procès, qui doit durer quinze semaines.

Liverpool - Real Madrid: Confidence, talent, luck... But why do Real always win in the end?

FOOTBALL Buoyed by Thibaut Courtois in the final and Karim Benzema in the previous rounds, Real Madrid have carried the success of the Champions League all season long.

  • Without an extraordinary Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid would never have beaten Liverpool 1-0 at the Stade de France on Saturday.
  • The term resilience seems to have been invented for these Merengues, so often tossed about this season in the Champions League, and finally victorious.
  • Real added a 14th Champions League title to their trophy cabinet, twice as many as second-placed AC Milan.

At the Stade de France

The Liverpool fans, some of whom had had such a hard time getting in, preferred to leave rather than see this after the Reds' 1-0 defeat. So it was to a Stade de France virtually devoid of its red component that Marcelo, Real Madrid's soul on the bench on Saturday evening, held up the Champions League trophy. It was the Spanish club's 14th victory in Europe's most prestigious competition, a record that has now been bettered.

But it is undoubtedly the most incredible, given that the Merengues have often looked fragile this season, and sometimes even inferior to their opponents in the final stages of the Champions League. And yet they have managed to pull off a series of turnarounds that not even the boldest of scriptwriters would have dared suggest to a producer. Behind a smile that seemed forced for once, Jürgen Klopp was clearly wondering how his Reds had failed to beat the Real side they had so badly beaten.

"We took 23 shots, nine of which were on target," explained "OptaJürgen" to the press, before turning his attention to his opponents, whom he was naturally keen to congratulate: "Real only had one shot on target. But it was the right one, from a missed Valverde shot that was tapped in at the far post by Vinicius just before the hour mark...

Courtois, the guardian angel

As is often the case this season, "Saint Thibaut" Courtois dominated the match. The Belgian goalkeeper made a monstrous nine saves to disgust Mohamed Salah, who is cursed to face Real in the final (even when Ramos is no longer there to injure him, as he did in 2018). Courtois, whose ego is as solid as it is assertive, also pulled off a Martian-like save in the 20th minute, deflecting a clever little gem from Sadio Mané onto the post. The 2018 FIFA World Cup semi-finalist finally has the victory he has so longed for, at least since he stumbled on the last step with Atlético in 2014 against... Real.

Speaking to BT Sport, the most agile of double-metre players went for the grandiloquent (but accurate): "Yesterday [Friday], in the press conference, I said that when Madrid played finals, they won them. I was on the right side of history. The White House has only lost three finals, in 1962, 1964 and 1981. Since that last defeat to Liverpool at the Parc des Princes (1-0) at the dawn of the Mitterrand era, they have won eight finals, sometimes easily, sometimes by the skin of their teeth. But won nonetheless...

Ancelotti, a man of records

It's easier to win the Champions League with Real than with any other team," says Carlo Ancelotti. The particular passion of the supporters, the history, the structure of the club... All that makes the club special." The Italian is himself a winner at heart, despite some less brilliant recent seasons at Everton and Napoli: having previously won the title twice as a player, this Saturday he set a new record of four Champions Leagues as a coach, with Milan (2003 and 2007) and Real (2014 and 2022), with just one defeat to Liverpool (2005).

"This team is easy to coach," continues the Mister. The dressing room was calm as we prepared for this match. The players have incredible confidence. That confidence comes with the history of this club. That's rare in football. And even unique. So much so, in fact, that we are more inclined to subscribe to the theory of the winner's DNA than to the 'Carlo's pussy' theory, which is easily defensible this season: not to mention the final, Madrid lost the first leg of the last 16 to PSG, the quarter-final second leg to Chelsea and the semi-final first leg to Manchester City.

"There's no such thing as luck", says Karim Benzema

Each time, Real came close to taking the lead, and each time they slipped through the window to the next round, buoyed by future Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, scorer of 15 C1 goals this season, including 10 in the knockout phase. Benzema's 16th was disallowed late in the first half on Saturday for an offside flag that was confirmed after an interminable VAR call. There's no such thing as luck," the captain of five European Cups, one of the guarantors along with Modric and Marcelo of the group's balance, told Canal+. You can be lucky once, but not every time. We deserve our victory. We made an effort, we came back every time, we never gave up.

Wearing a T-shirt bearing the "14" logo that was as eloquent as it was unattractive, Ancelotti added another layer of praise in the Stade de France press room: "At the start of the season, nobody thought we could win this competition. We deserved it. We suffered a lot along the way, but we never lost heart. Even when Kylian Mbappé opted to stay at PSG after a whirlwind telenovela? "Today, Mbappé doesn't exist, there's the Real Madrid party," said president Florentino Perez on Spanish channel Movistar, with the insolence of people who succeed in everything.

Text by Nicolas Stival 20Minutes.fr

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