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      Manchester City’s Premier League Hearing, Explained

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      The world’s richest soccer league accused its champion of years of financial violations. A hearing that began this week could tarnish the club’s accomplishments and reshape the competition.After six years of investigations, delays and behind-the-scenes battles, a hearing finally began this week into allegations that Manchester City used a yearslong cheating scheme to transform itself into a global soccer powerhouse and a serial Premier League champion.The hearing is among the most consequential in British sports history, the culmination of a case that has been the talk of English soccer since the Premier League charged Manchester City with more than 100 violations of its financial regulations last year.The charges — that City corrupted the world’s richest soccer competition for a decade or more — threaten to rewrite years of Premier League history. And the repercussions might go well beyond the soccer field. In accusing City’s owner, the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, of presiding over years of rule-breaking, the case could veer into the highest levels of international diplomacy.And then there are the fans. With the suggestions that cheating helped to deliver trophies to City while wealthy rivals were left empty-handed, the hearing has incited the passions of tens of millions of soccer followers around the world.Whatever is decided will shape the Premier League for years to come: Either Manchester City will have been found to have corrupted the world’s richest soccer competition, or the league will have been unable to enforce its rules against one of its most powerful members.What is the Manchester City case about?It is now 19 months since the Premier League announced a set of charges against Manchester City so wide in scope that the reputational damage to the team’s decade of success will most likely be stained even if it prevails. The charges date back to 2009, a year after City’s purchase by the brother of the ruler of Abu Dhabi. That acquisition began a turbocharged era of spending — and success — for a club that had not won a championship since 1968.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo has different meal to every other Al-Nassr player in canteen as Man Utd legend watches team-mates eat

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO eats a different meal to every other Al-Nassr player.And he even watches teammates as they chow down to ensure no-one strays from their healthy routine.Alex Telles has lifted the lid on Cristiano Ronaldo’s diet at Al-NassrCredit: ReutersThe legend loves eating high-quality foodsRonaldo is still banging in the goals at the age of 39, with 68 strikes in 75 games for his Saudi side.The Portugal legend’s longevity remains a top talking in the beautiful game.And his professional approach to physical wellbeing is second to none.Ronaldo loves taking care of himself with numerous naps and cold therapy.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut most important is his diet.Ronaldo loves eating natural quality foods, with protein high on the list.And former Al-Nassr teammate Alex Telles, who also played alongside CR9 at Manchester United, has now revealed how seriously Ronaldo takes his food at training.The veteran is given a special plate of grub which keeps him at the top of football.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSBut he also keeps teammates in check too by monitoring their caloric intake and quality of dishes.Telles, who playing in his native Brazil with Botafogo, revealed: “Ronaldo has his own meal. The food is different, the nutritionist arrives with the plate already served.Cristiano Ronaldo and Rio Ferdinand in hysterics as they remember Man Utd nicknames from ‘Shrek’ and ‘SatNav’ to ‘J-Lo’Ronaldo even keeps an eye on what teammates are munchingTelles also played alongside Ronaldo at Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty“What does he eat? Natural things, salmon, quinoa, avocado.“Then he keeps an eye on the other players’ plates in a healthy joke.“At first the guys were afraid to go for dessert. We know how fit he is, how he likes to take care of himself.“Everyone likes to follow good examples. He eats a protein after lunch. After 15 days there were about 20 proteins on the table.“Everyone asked the nutritionist for them, to see if there was some magic in there.” More

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      Liverpool fan dies in Milan after he was hit by car ‘while crossing a motorway at 1am’ before Champions League game

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      A LIVERPOOL fan has tragically died after he was hit by a car in Milan ahead of the team’s clash with AC Milan.The 52-year-old was reportedly struck by an oncoming car while he tried to cross the A4 highway near the airport in Bergamo.A Liverpool fan has died before his team’s game in MilanCredit: Google MapsLiverpool is set to face Milan in San Siro this eveningCredit: Getty Images – GettyThe fan was trying to cross the highway to reach the NH Hotel, where he was staying around 1am local time.The man had a ticket for Liverpool’s Champions League game in his pocket when he died, according to local media. He had reportedly landed to Orio al Serio airport at 11.53pm on the flight from Manchester.According to Il Corriere della Serra another man with his son were spotted but did not cross the highway.They were reported to the authorities by eyewitnesses who are working with Italian cops to help them identify them and file a complaint for not providing any assistance.Cops are also investigating if the fan was “in an altered psychophysical state that may have influenced his actions.” The tragic accident happened hours before Liverpool’s start of their Champions League campaign. The team is set to face Milan at San Siro in the Champions League this evening.Most read in Football More

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      TNT Sports snap up Sky Sports pundit, 37, and will make debut TONIGHT in Champions League coverage

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      TNT SPORTS have swooped to snap up Karen Carney from Sky Sports.The former player-turned-pundit is one of the biggest names in football analysis.Karen Carney has been snapped up by TNT Sports from Sky SportsCredit: PAShe will make her Champions League debut tonight alongside Laura WoodsCredit: GettyAnd she will make her bow for TNT Sports in tonight’s Champions League coverage.Carney, 37, won 144 caps for England and is often seen on the screen giving her views on football’s top matches.But the ace has now switched sides after agreeing a deal to join TNT Sports.The broadcaster is showing this season’s European matches alongside Amazon Prime Video.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe latter is showing Liverpool’s highly-anticipated trip to AC Milan later tonight.But before that, TNT Sports will be the place to catch Aston Villa against Young Boys, as well as a host of other games.The likes of Laura Woods, Ally McCoist and Rio Ferdinand will all be on the screen this evening.And Carney will also feature in TNT Sports’ Goals Show Xtra programme.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSIt starts at 7.30pm, allowing the broadcaster to bring live updates of the Liverpool game on Prime Video – as well as the latest scores from the other European matches.Carney said: “I am thrilled to be joining the TNT Sports team and being involved in the Uefa club competitions.The new Champions League format explained“I’m really excited and can’t wait to get watching the games with you all.”Carney is not the only big name appearing on the show though.Goals Show Xtra will be presented by Matt Smith while featuring a panel including two-time Champions League winner Owen Hargreaves.Respected European experts Julien Laurens, James Horncastle and Rafa Honigstein will also provide their views on the continent’s top sides.And the group will return for tomorrow’s evening match between Manchester City and Inter Milan. More

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      ‘It’s the new garlic bread,’ rants Roy Keane as Man Utd legend slams method Gary Neville swears by as a ‘waste of time’

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      ROY KEANE left Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Ian Wright in stitches after slamming ice baths as the “new garlic bread”.Manchester United legend Neville, 49, revealed he has an ice bath at home which he goes in for six minutes at a temperature of five degrees.Roy Keane dismissed the idea of ice baths being a good training methodCredit: The OverlapGary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Ian Wright were left in stitches at Keane’s commentsCredit: The OverlapBut his former Red Devils team-mate Keane, 53, was quick to quash the idea of it having any positive effect.Speaking on a boat in Istanbul on The Overlap On Tour, he said: “All that’s a waste of time, I’m telling you lads.”I looked into it, I’ve done my homework on it. Ice baths, the new garlic bread. “I’m telling you, it’s a waste of time. It’s the new thing. Leave it.”READ MORE ON MAN UTDThe garlic bread comment appears to be in reference to Peter Kay’s famous comedy catchphrase from more than 20 years ago.Keane insisted he had done his “homework” on ice baths and was not just “throwing comments out there like a lot of people”, but admitted he would only tell Wright what he knew after the cameras cut.Neville stuck to his guns by claiming it was one of many “minor details” which add up to make an impact.CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSWright agreed on the positive impacts of ice baths, before Keane chimed back at Neville by saying: “Were you having ice baths the last two or three years of your career?”Most read in FootballNeville confirmed he was, before Keane shut him down, adding: “But you were finished. What benefit was it? People running past you.”Roy Keane’s Biggest TV Rants The remark left the group in fits of laughter as they agreed to disagree.The latest Overlap video was released just 24 hours after it was confirmed Neville was joining indie band The Reytons on tour as their replacement bass player.The bizarre move follows Neville’s DJ set at Kendall Calling music festival last month. More

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      Inside the Subbuteo World Cup as tournament comes to Kent as players get FINGERS insured and hold training camps

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      WEMBLEY, MARACANA, Stadio Olimpico, Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre.All of these venues will have one thing in common come Monday. They will have hosted a World Cup final.The Subbuteo World Cup is coming to Tunbridge WellsCredit: Facebook/English Subbuteo AssociationPlayers from 26 nations will battle it outCredit: Facebook/English Subbuteo AssociationTunbridge Wells will host more than 300 playersCredit: Facebook/English Subbuteo AssociationIt seems odd that a commuter town 30 miles outside London should stage the climax to a huge international football tournament.But if you’re into Subbuteo it’s no surprise at all. This weekend, 300 players from 26 nations plus hundreds more fans are flocking to a leafy part of Kent to see the famous table-top game ‘come home’.Subbuteo was devised by former RAF man Peter Adolph in 1947, in the village of Langton Green on the outskirts of Tunbridge Wells.It is still regarded as the cradle of a unique game which has stood the test of time and seen off the challenge of video games to be bigger than ever.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe Subbuteo World Cup is everything that a real one is, with the exception that the players are one inch high plastic figures being flicked around a piece of cloth by fully grown adults in two halves of 15 minutes. Thankfully, there is no VAR.Other than that it is much the same as any modern day FIFA World Cup, boasting all the colour, controversy drama and passion of the man-size game.Tournament host and English Subbuteo Association ‘technical director’, Stewart Grant told SunSport: “We have players coming over from Australia, Brazil, Singapore and Japan and even a player from Ukraine.“He is actually French but he lived out there before the war so he is playing for Ukraine. And there’s a team from Tunisia – the only African nation being represented.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS“There are multiple categories. There are groups, seedings and then like any other World Cup it goes into a knockout format and on to the final.“It can get very passionate, it really can. It’s very intricate in how players flick the ball and move forwards.The new Champions League format explained“It moves at such speed that when players score they will run off pumping their arms, chests and running around.“In the team event players bundle each other like you see on a real pitch. Players curse when they scuff a shot.“The passion levels can get very high and there will be disagreements like there is in real football. Especially among the Continentals, who take it very seriously. This year we want that passion. We want to get in people’s faces.“It never comes to pushing and shoving but there have been instances at local and national level where players have disagreed with something on the pitch, picked up their players and walked off.“We are actively encouraging people to come down in England kits, bring flags. And if a goal goes in, cheer it.“When we have gone abroad to places like Italy they all cheer their team on so much that it can be intimidating.“This is our chance to give it back and create a cauldron, so when people play us they are scared and are nervous.“We have got to semi-finals and quarters. But now we have the players that with the right draw, can go on and win it.”’THREE CENTIMETRE LIONS’England have yet to lift any of the numerous trophies up for grabs in the Veterans, Women’s, Individual, Team, Under-16 and Under-12 categories in the now biennial tournament.The ‘Three Centimetre Lions’ have a top squad and even staged training camps in Milton Keynes to make sure nothing is left to chance or a badly positioned digit.Vastly experienced campaigner Justin Finch once had his flicking finger insured for £50k.Ruby Matthews is a huge star in the Under-16 category. Hadley Chapman has been playing only 18 months but is already team captain for the U12s.The event has made it to broadcast with it being streamed live on X.Grant, also a Youtuber, said: “There is a multi camera set up and even guest commentaries. In Tunbridge Wells they are so passionate about this game originating there.“There are museum exhibitions, walking tours. They are so proud that the game came from there. The fact it is ‘coming home’ has brought everyone together.  We have brought Subbuteo back to where it was born.“That’s why it’s the biggest World Cup there has ever been. It is in our backyard.”The draw is on Friday and England have their work cut out to be crowned world champions like they were on home soil in ‘66 at Wembley under Bobby Moore.Spain has a great player in Carlos Flores but he can’t make it. There’s a lot of relieved people out thereStewart Grant, English Subbuteo Association ‘technical director’Grant said: “The Italians are the best in the world. The Belgians have a great youth set up with a lot of players coming through.“Spain has a great player in Carlos Flores but he can’t make it. There’s a lot of relieved people out there.“Some outsiders worth watching include the Maltese, who are very professional. Their national association is recognised by their Olympic Committee. They get a lot of funding.READ MORE SUN STORIES“Subbuteo’s a cross between football, chess and snooker. It’s sport in miniature.“If anyone thinks we are grown men playing with toys, come down on Saturday and Sunday and you will see a completely different approach.”The Subbuteo World Cup 2024 is set to take place this weekendCredit: Facebook/English Subbuteo Association More

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      Rodri sensationally claims players are close to STRIKING over schedule after Alisson said ‘our opinion does not matter’

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      MANCHESTER CITY midfielder Rodri has suggested that players could go on strike over extreme fixture scheduling.The Spaniard made 50 appearances for City last season and even begged Pep Guardiola to give him a rest back in April.Rodri claims players could strike over the fixture scheduleCredit: PAIt was the second time he voiced concerns about player welfare, having already claimed his workload was “not healthy” the previous year.But he doubled down on his stance ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League clash between Man City and Inter Milan.Asked how many games is optimum for a footballer, Rodri said: “Honestly I don’t have an exact number.”From my experience I can tell you 60-70 now, between 40-50 is the amount a player can play in the highest level, after you drop because it is impossible to sustain the highest level.Read More in Football”This year we can go to 70, maybe 80, in my humble opinion it is too much. Someone has to take care of ourselves.”We are the main characters of this sport or business.”Not everything is money or marketing, it is also the quality of the show. When I am not tired I perform better and if the people want to see better football, we need to rest.”The 28-year-old was then quizzed about the possibility of players going on strike over the issue.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAlisson Becker claims players’ opinions ‘do not matter’Credit: AFPHe added: “Yeah, I think we are close to that, it is easy to understand.”If you ask any player he will say the same, it is not the opinion of Rodri, if it keeps this way, there will be a moment where we don’t have any other option.”What’s new this season? Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson also voiced his disapproval of the fixture scheduling this week.The Brazilian slammed UEFA’s new Champions League format in which teams are forced to play at least eight group stage games as opposed to six.Ahead of Liverpool’s match against AC Milan, he said: “For the supporters, it is amazing – more games, more bigger games.”For us players, it is good that you are going to play against the best in Europe.”But it is always a good idea to add some games to the calendar that is not busy… I am being a little bit ironic!”Sometimes, nobody asks the players what they think about adding more games.”So maybe our opinion does not matter. But everybody knows what we think. Everybody is tired of it.”It is a matter of sitting down all together and listening to all the parties. We have the media and TV, UEFA and FIFA, Premier League, domestic competitions.”We are not stupid and understand that. We understand that people want more games.”But the reasonable thing would be, all the people I mentioned – those who make the calendar – to sit together and listen to all the parties inclusive of the players.”The comments from both Rodri and Alisson come just a fortnight after PFA chief executive Maheta Molango suggested players should be limited to a MAXIMUM of 60 games per season.The players’ union boss said: “We need to protect the players from themselves.”They love playing, they are committed to playing and they don’t want to lose their starting spot.”But the fans are paying 100 per cent prices and not seeing 100 per cent of the show.”We think there should be a maximum number of games, between 50 and 60 per season, which can vary depending on your age.”But players must not play more than five or six games back to back and they must be allowed a minimum three weeks of complete rest in the summer.”READ MORE SUN STORIESPlayers also have several international fixtures to contend with throughout the season as well as next summer’s new-look Club World Cup.Man City, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are among the European sides in line to compete at the tournament in the USA which runs from June 15 to July 13.Changes to the Premier League for 2024/25NOTHING stays the same forever.And that includes the Premier League, which is making a number of tweaks this season.Team news will now be released 75 MINUTES before kick-off, 15 minutes earlier than had been the case before.Things could get crowded on the touchline, with the number of substitutes permitted to warm-up boosted from three players per team to FIVE.There’s also a change to how added time is calculated when a team scores a goal, an update to the ‘multiball’ system and the introduction of semi-automated offsides – but not straight away.Go here to read about all the changes to the Premier League for 2024/25. More

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      I played under ‘superstitious’ Chelsea manager who always made us do same drill… I still don’t know what Sarriball is

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      A FORMER Chelsea defender has admitted he still does not know what Sarriball is after playing under “superstitious” manager Maurizio Sarri.The Italian’s style of play earned the nickname during his single season at Stamford Bridge in 2018/19.Maurizio Sarri’s was known for his ‘Sarriball’ style of play during his season at ChelseaCredit: ReutersThe former Blues boss has been called ‘superstitious’ by an ex-player due to his training ground drillsCredit: PA:Empics SportIt became synonymous with the Italian’s high-tempo passing approach during his time at Napoli before joining the Blues.During his only year in England, Sarri finished third in the Premier League, reached the League Cup final and won the Europa League.However, one of his former Chelsea players has revealed he remains unsure what Sarriball is over five years on.Gary Cahill made the surprise admission during an appearance on John Obi Mikel’s Obi One podcast.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHe told his former team-mate: “It was all just tactical. What is Sarriball? I played it and I still don’t know what it is mate! But he didn’t play me so…”The ex-England defender made just eight appearances under Sarri during an injury-hit final season with the Blues.Cahill went on to discuss Sarri’s approach to training, adding: “It was very stand still. He was a very superstitious manager, very different. “We used to do the centre (kick), set it back to one of the centre-backs, put a foot on it, and you used to just smash it diagonally, like the restart of a game.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS”But you’d work on that every Friday with full international players.”That only needs one session, doesn’t it? If it’s me and you, and you’ve got to put your foot on the ball, and I’ve got to smash it diagonally, that’s all we need, one session.Chelsea boss Maresca aims cheeky dig at Erik ten Hag after Jadon Sancho makes dazzling debut after Man Utd transfer”So that was the thing with the superstition, like every Friday or every day before a game, he’d practise it. “It just blew my mind – I was thinking, it’s alright the first few weeks when it’s fresh, a few months in it’s like, what’s happening here? Do we need to do this again?”Sarri returned to Italy following his single season with Chelsea, with spells at Juventus and Lazio, who he left in March.Meanwhile, Cahill later joined Crystal Palace and Bournemouth before retiring in 2022 aged 36.During seven years in West London, the centre-back made 290 appearances and scored 25 goals.He also won eight major trophies including the Champions League and two Premier League titles.Cahill made eight appearances under Sarri during his final season at Stamford BridgeCredit: EPAThe former England defender made 290 appearances during seven years with ChelseaCredit: Getty Images – Getty More