Fans react as Faustino Asprilla comments on Newcastle takeover

Former Newcastle United forward Faustino Asprilla is the latest name to chime in with comments on the prospective takeover of the club.

The Colombian enjoyed a two-year spell at the Magpies between 1996 and 1998 before returning to Parma, and the northeast outfit has clearly left behind a mark on Asprilla as he’s asking the same question as the majority of fans – what exactly is happening with the deal?

He tweeted that along with a highlights reel of his time at St James’ Park:

Some of the Magpies faithful have even been responding to the 50-year-old’s message on Twitter…

Reports first emerged over a month ago that a Saudi-backed consortium involving Amanda Staveley, the Reuben brothers and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were close to purchasing Newcastle for £300m from Mike Ashley after a torrid reign of 13 years at the helm.

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

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Though, any sign of confirmation still seems a little while away going by fresh claims in the press this week.

AND in other news, Craig Hope issues latest update on Newcastle takeover…

Spurs fans hail heroic ball boy after Champions League win

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have hailed the ball boy that proved integral to the club’s Champions League victory over Olympiacos earlier this week.

Teenager Callum Hynes, 15, showed some quick thinking against the Greek side, quickly receiving a new ball at a throw-in and giving it to Serge Aurier, whose early throw led to Son Heung-min crossing for Harry Kane to score.

That goal was Spurs’ equaliser, as they had fallen 2-0 behind in north London, and it proved critical in the turnaround, as they went on to win 4-2.

So impressive was young Callum’s intervention that manager Jose Mourinho gave him a high-five and a hug after the strike, even attempting to invite him to the dressing room after full-time.

And the schoolboy told the club’s official website: “It’s all a bit surreal. I was just doing my job and I still can’t quite believe what happened.

“I didn’t even see the goal! I was busy getting the ball that had come off and then I heard the cheer. I turned around and Harry was celebrating.

“I looked at the replay on the screen and watched exactly what happened. You can see from my smile it was just unbelievable. Jose didn’t have to do that. It was really nice of him to come over to me. It’s made my day, my life, really! I love Spurs and it was an amazing moment I’ll never forget.”

Spurs fans have subsequently taken to Twitter to hail the kid, who spent the journey home from the stadium revising for his maths exam the next morning!

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

Meanwhile, a Spurs star’s future may have been decided.

Which Football Teams are Suffering During the Pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on sports teams around the globe. Leagues and tournaments have been cancelled or postponed, no one is playing, fans aren’t packing out arenas, and teams are losing millions in revenue every single week. 

Many teams can survive the financial shortfall, but many more can’t. Losing money isn’t the only thing teams are, or could suffer from. Postponing, or possibly cancelling leagues can have a serious effect on many teams, and you can bet that many teams in promotion spots will be worrying about the future of the season. 

As mentioned above, the bigger teams such as Barcelona, Manchester United, Juventus, Manchester City, PSG and many others in top flight leagues will be able to see out this postponement and still be able to financially support the club, players, and all staff. 

Many of the lower league teams, across the globe, will feel this postponement the most. Many teams rely heavily on the income generated from thousands of supporters attending games each week, buying food and drink, and purchasing merchandise. 

These smaller clubs don’t have the same global reach as their much larger counterparts, and therefore don’t have solid streams of income. They need supporters in seats each week just to get through the season, and the off season. 

One of the biggest questions that needs to be answered is the one on whether or not domestic leagues will continue or be made null and void. This decision has a massive impact on many teams due to its ramifications. 

What would a void season look like? Everything stays the same and is restarted next season? The league is ended with the table as it is and champions are crowned, teams promoted and teams relegated? 

The biggest concern is not if the teams at the top of the league will be crowned champions, it is whether or not teams finishing at the top of their leagues will gain promotion. Promotion is a massive deal for many teams and usually means more than winning the trophy. 

Promotion ensures bigger crowds, more TV time and more broadcasting money, being able to travel to and play against the biggest teams in their country. Promotion generates millions for teams and is needed for long term success. 

Take the Premier League and Championship for example. Leeds United, West Brom and Fulham are all battling to gain promotion to the Premier League, they have all played incredibly well and making it back into the Premier League will be a huge boost for them. 

Voiding the season would take this opportunity away from them, and away from every other team that is in a promotion position across all leagues across the globe. It would be a major slap in the face, and right now, there is a strong possibility of it happening. 

There isn’t one team that is suffering more than another, since every team that isn’t in their top domestic division is far more reliant on broadcasting rights and supporters buying tickets compared to the much bigger teams. 

Teams will be hoping that they can go back to playing as soon as possible, with many probably being ok with playing behind closed doors, as they will at least still have their games broadcast. 

This adds another problem as the lower leagues don’t even have their games broadcast, and rely completely on supporters buying tickets every weekend. There is no way yet on if governments, or even other, much larger teams will help these smaller teams through this very difficult time. 

Finishing the season when it is safe to do so seems like the most obvious decision. There are too many teams that are in positions to benefit greatly from how they have played this season and taking that away can’t be the right way to go. 

On one hand, it would be incredibly tricky to fit the rest of the season in, and when would next season even start then? But there is a lot on the line for many clubs, and a lot can suffer greatly if there isn’t any football played over the next few months. 

There are also multiple players, managers and owners who are in self-isolation after being diagnosed with the virus. Even though football players are some of the fittest athletes in the world, it is impossible to say how much or how little being infected will affect their health. 

The best thing that can happen is if some sort of plan is made to allow teams to start playing again as soon as possible, whether that is in front of crowds or behind closed doors. At this point, many clubs probably won’t care too much.

It is essential to finish the season somehow, either ending it with the tables as they are now, and promoting and relegating teams. Finishing the season now and starting next season the same way this one finished would be a gross injustice. 

It is also essential for all lower league teams to know if they will be receiving financial help during this time, as a complete cancellation could see many teams finding it impossible to keep their club running. 

Celtic skipper Scott Brown gives his verdict on Jeremie Frimpong

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking after Celtic’s 4-0 win over Livingstone in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, captain Scott Brown has called out Jeremie Frimpong’s “pathetic” shooting ability.

The veteran midfielder soon went onto laud the young full-back for his efforts at the weekend and during the course of the season.

What’s he said?

The Hoops had gone three games without beating Livi but they put that unwanted record to bed on Saturday courtesy of a romping victory.

Odsonne Edouard opened the scoring in the first half before a brace from James Forrest and a strike from Brown himself sealed all three points.

It was a result that saw Celtic go three points above their title rivals Rangers as Neil Lennon’s men have now gone eight matches without dropping a point.

A number of players caught the eye for Celtic but one that Brown was particularly pleased with was Frimpong. Although he had some choice words to say about his shooting, he went onto laud the 18-year-old. He said after the game:

“He’s a great wee lad but his shooting is pathetic but everything else about his game has been incredible. The energy he brings, his pace going down the line is brilliant, his composure is great for one so young.”

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Fantastic impact

Frimpong has gone down brilliantly at Celtic Park, earning rave reviews not only from his skipper but also from supporters after the match finished.

The Dutchman had two opportunities of his own throughout the 90 minutes, both of which were saved, something that probably led to Brown’s sarcastic comments.

But his attacking play was bustling and full of energy. One of those shots was the cause of a goal as the right-back drove a strike which was saved before Forrest fired home the rebound.

The former Manchester City man has started three Scottish Premiership games in 2019/20 since making the switch from England and in that time he’s picked up one assist for his troubles.

Arriving in Scotland almost unheard of, he’s made terrific strides and he recently credited Lennon for why he’s made such a bright start to life at his new club.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: “Me and Neil, sometimes we work on my crosses because when I first came I would get there but my end product wouldn’t be that great.”

This has really shone through in terms of his attacking play, and although he’ll be judged more for his defensive contributions, finding the back of the net could be something he looks to improve after Brown’s remarks.

Wolves’ Adama Traore is proving to have a Diogo Jota-like impact this season

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Wolverhampton Wanderers are just starting to finally find their feet in the Premier League as the country’s top two tiers embark on a two-week hiatus for international duty.

Their 2-1 win over Aston Villa at the weekend saw them rise to eighth in the league, just one place behind where they finished last season, so their recent exploits have certainly gone under the radar.

After enduring a slow start, Wolves are now in the top half for the first time since the opening day, though some of their shortfalls can be attributed to having to deal with a rigorous Europa League qualification campaign.

Now they have one foot in the knockout stages of the competition.

Much of last season was pinned on the partnership of striker Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota, the pair contributed to 34 of their 47 league goals.

But while the Mexican has continued his rich vein of form, bagging 13 in all competitions so far, his Portuguese teammate has struggled to make the same impact, scoring just once in the league.

Another player has stepped up to the plate, however.

Adama Traore has always been a marmite figure amongst fans at Molineux, epitomised in his transition from last season where he was blasted against Southampton to now being lauded for netting a brace against the reigning champions Manchester City.

He’s also provided five assists in all competitions, which is the number Jota recorded in the top-flight last term.

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Per WhoScored, Traore is also managing an average of 3.6 dribbles and 1.1 key passes per game, making him one of Wolves’ most threatening attacking outlets.

The Spaniard also provided the assist for Jimenez’s winner on Sunday against Villa, which could go to show that he been forming a new partnership up top, certainly in the void of the Portuguese forward.

Leeds fans fear the worst as Phil Hay provides injury update

Leeds United fans on Twitter are fearing the worst after Phil Hay confirmed that Liam Cooper has pulled out of the Scotland squad due to injury.

The United captain has a muscle tear according to the journalist, and there has been no return date attached to this update.

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Unsurprisingly, this has led to some fans fearing the worst as numerous times this season players have gone down with seemingly inconsequential injuries only for them to miss a number of weeks of action.

For example, Pablo Hernandez missed over a month of football after limping off against Derby after re-injuring himself for the U23s, and Adam Forshaw’s hip problem is still ongoing with no return date scheduled.

Of course, some fans overreacted by saying he’d never play again or that he’ll be out for the rest of the season, but there was general concern around the fanbase that he’d be out for an extended period of time.

It remains to be seen how long the Scot will be out for, but the fans are clearly concerned that they’ll be without the defender for quite a while.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

Barcelona fans react to Marcelo Gallardo’s rumoured appointment

Barcelona are certainly going through some tough times.

The Catalan giants recently dropped points against Levante in a 3-1 defeat in La Liga, and followed it up with a goalless draw with Slavia Prague at the Camp Nou in the Champions League in midweek.

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Needless to say, those kinds of performances don’t really instil much confidence into the fans’ hearts.

But one thing that seemingly makes them happy these days are rumours and updates regarding the potential departure of their current manager, Ernesto Valverde.

According to Claudio Borghi, who spoke to CDF (via TNT sports), Marcelo Gallardo, River Plate’s boss, could be coming in to replace Valverde this winter.

Upon hearing this update, many Cules are actually hoping the story is true and want to see Gallardo at the helm of their club.

Others are a bit sceptical and are afraid that this might rumour not be real.

You can see some of their reactions and replies down in the collection of tweets below:

Spurs fans criticise Danny Rose after dinner report

Tottenham Hotspur fans have criticised Danny Rose after The Daily Mail reported that he played a prominent role in organising a dinner for manager Mauricio Pochettino and his coaching staff.

The report states that the left-back was at the centre of a plan to invite the Argentine and his backroom team to the Mayfair restaurant, Novikov.

Spurs, of course, have been in appalling form throughout the opening of the 2019/20 Premier League season, winning just three of their opening 10 games.

Pochettino’s side have also struggled in the Champions League, drawing 2-2 with Olympiacos and losing 7-2 to Bayern Munich, though they did beat Red Star Belgrade 5-0 last week.

And fans have rounded on Rose, insisting that he should focus on improving as a player instead of trying to arrange meals behind-the-scenes.

Thus far this season, the 29-year-old, valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, has made 10 appearances, registering one assist; he is suspended for the clash with Everton this weekend after collecting five yellow cards in the top-flight.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

Liverpool fans think potential Nike deal will bring Kylian Mbappe to Anfield

#Mbappe2020 is trending on Twitter after Liverpool fans added two and two together and managed to make 180.

That’s £180m in case you were wondering, Kylian Mbappe’s Transfermarkt valuation, as Reds fans are convinced the PSG superstar is going to arrive next summer as part of their potential deal with Nike.

This comes after the news that the club have won their court battle against New Balance, via The Guardian.

New Balance were fighting for the right to continue making Liverpool’s kits from the summer of 2020, when their current deal ends, and the Reds are now expected to switch over to a £30m per year deal with Nike.

Of course, Nike bring an added element of star power, marketing brilliance and a wide array of partnered athletes, one of which is Mbappe, and Reds fans are flooding Twitter believing that the potential deal with Nike will bring the wonderkid to Anfield, because that’s how transfers work, right?

The World Cup winner has a ridiculous 106 senior goals for club and country at the tender of age of just 20.

Take a look at some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where even BT Sport have jumped on the bandwagon…

Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois might finally be showing his true colours

Real Madrid recorded a vital 1-0 victory over Galatasaray in the Champions League group stages on Tuesday night.

Was it pretty? Not particularly, no. But even a 1-0 victory is better than no victory at all.

For significant periods, Real Madrid were looking shaky and uncomfortable on the Turkish pitch as their hosts had them pinned down and were creating numerous chances on the night.

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Luckily for them, they had Thibaut Courtois between the sticks.

And yes, this is definitely not something many Madridistas are used to hearing but the big Belgian goalie really did save their skin more than just once.

The 27-year-old has been a highly criticised figure at the club ever since he started producing sub-par performances week in, week out while donning the royal white of the Galacticos.

In fact, many of the fans were calling for Zidane to actually drop him before the clash and lo and behold, he ended up becoming the hero of the day.

Not only did Courtois finally tally a clean sheet in an important Champions League game but he also made three saves against Galatasaray, and with all three coming from inside the box too.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

When we compare that to his usual 1.1 saves per game in La Liga so far in the ongoing campaign, it really does put things into perspective.

Could this display actually mean that Courtois is slowly but surely getting back to his best?

It might as well because this was no ordinary game – it was a do or die situation for Real and with all the pressure from the fans on his shoulders, he had every reason to crumble.

But he didn’t.

The Courtois that we saw the other night is the exact Courtois Real saw at Chelsea and at his national team and that’s the goalkeeper who they thought would be worthy of donning their No.1 shirt.

But now comes the more difficult part of the job – keeping this up in the future fixtures.

The 27-year-old was a huge part of their victory over Galatasaray but now he needs to maintain this form.

It remains to be seen if he will be able to do so.

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