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Arsenal transfer target Arthur Melo was called the ‘Brazilian Iniesta’ before struggling at Barcelona and Juventus
by Philippa Kaur 14 January 2022, 16:29
ARSENAL are reportedly on the verge of adding Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo to their depleted midfield.The Gunners are said to be close to finalising a loan deal for the former Barcelona talent from Juventus until the end of the season, as they look for cover for Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny, who are on AFCON duty.
Arthur Melo was touted as the Brazilian Iniesta back in his homelandCredit: Getty Images – Getty
However, after moving to Europe (first with Barcelona) he has lost his wayCredit: Getty
Back in his homeland, the now 25-year-old was compared to former Spain playmaker Andres Iniesta when he played for Gremio, winning Brazil’s league twice, as well as a Copa Libertadores – South America’s Champions League.
The heartbeat of his side, it was no wonder he was picked up by the Catalans in a £30million deal to replace the departing Iniesta in 2018.
However, he struggled to assert himself at the Nou Camp and when Juventus offered Barça £70m for the talent last summer, he was on the move again.
And it’s been a similar story for Arthur, who has hardly featured under Massimiliano Allegri in Turin and has struggled with the physicality of the Italian game.
Could he find his feet again in North London?
Natural talent
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Aged just 21, Arthur seemingly had the world at his feet.
He was touted as the best thing to come out of South American football since Gabriel Jesus, who has since gone on to star at Manchester City, when he emerged like a phoenix from the flames at Gremio.
The Imortal Tricolor faithful adored him, and he led the club to a glorious period of success.
Arthur was instrumental in their run to the Copa Libertadores final, before they defeated Lanus in the two-legged final.
And it was easy to fall in love with him as a player.
Again, like Iniesta, his balance and technique allowed him to give and receive the ball anywhere with ease, while keeping possession and moving the ball with intelligent passes.
European scouts had taken note.
Alongside Barcelona, an unnamed Premier League club was said to be keeping tabs on the youngster.
It was the LaLiga side, though, who moved first.
Sharing a similar style Iniesta, his balance and technique allowed him to give and receive the ball with easeCredit: Reuters
Praised for his excellent vision, Arthur also had an eye for a passCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Heavy is the crown
A month before Iniesta announced he was quitting Barcelona for a bumper pay day in Japan, the club agreed a deal in principle with Gremio for Arthur.
The mammoth £30million fee showed exactly what they thought of the deep-lying playmaker.
This was the man they would build their side around, signing Arthur up on a six-year contract.
Another Barça icon predicted big things. “Arthur can mark an era at Barcelona,” said former talisman Xavi.
But, whether it was the burden of filling Iniesta’s shoes or adapting to a European league, it didn’t work out as they had hoped.
There was public criticism from boss Ernesto Valverde and team-mate Luis Suarez.
Barbs included digs at his positional play and his reluctance to pass the ball forward.
Clearly, it was a confidence issue that was hindering his progress. But it was obvious after a while that Barcelona wasn’t going to be the club for him.
A £30million deal saw Arthur move to Barcelona as Iniesta’s replacementCredit: Getty
Arthur struggled for form at Barcelona and was criticised by team-mate Luis SuarezCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Sold to the highest bidder
After two seasons at Barcelona, Arthur was on the move again.
A huge £70million offer by the Old Lady of Serie A was too much for a club beginning to feel the financial strains of the coronavirus pandemic to turn down.
There was ill-feeling as he departed. At his Juventus unveiling he talked of unrest.
“There was more noise than I would have liked,” Arthur said.
“Once I knew that I was going to leave, I wanted to do things well. Barcelona had given me a lot. They were the club that opened the door to Europe for me, a dream I’d had since I was a kid. They are a club with a great history and with a great history of Brazilian footballers.
“I don’t know if (the club) behaved well, that’s always subjective and I am sure they will believe they did. It’s difficult to talk. I have my version, my story and I would have liked some things to be different but maybe for them everything was as it should have been.
“I am sure they will believe they did things as they should have done them. But it’s in the past now. Now I am at a great club with serious people who can help me with many things.”
Juventus paid £70m for Arthur’s servicesCredit: Getty
As he said farewell to Barcelona, Arthur delivered a parting shot to his former employersCredit: Getty
More struggles
You could argue that Arthur’s issues at Juventus are married to the Italian giants loss of identity.
Like his employers, he seems to have lost his way.
His former manager Andrea Pirlo, a master of the arts of deep-playmaking himself, once called him “Pig-headed” for holding on to the ball for too long and trying too many ‘Hollywood’ passes in a Champions League game against Ferencvaros.
The ex-Italy international did recognise Arthur’s ability in another interview.
“We talk and he prefers to play in a more advanced position, leaving more defensive tasks to another midfielder,” Pirlo said.
“He does it very well, every time we start to build play, he is ready, in the right place. He has vision, manages the ball very well and picks the right time to get out of the opposition’s press.”
After a disappointing campaign, Pirlo was sacked and Massimiliano Allegri arrived to revive the club’s failings.
But Arthur hasn’t had a look-in under his new boss.
Arthur lifts the Italian Super CupCredit: Getty
After being frozen out at Juventus, Arthur looks set to move to Arsenal on loanCredit: Rex
In fact, reports have suggested he has struggled with Allegri’s more physical approach in training.
Since leaving Brazil, Arthur is yet to find a club that loves him in Europe and is able to get the best out of his abilities.
If it is at Arsenal where he finds his feet, you can bet Gunners fans will be singing his name just as loud as Gremio’s followers once did. More
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Arteta salutes Arsenal ‘brotherhood’ after surviving SIXTY-SIX minutes with ten men after Xhaka red in Liverpool draw
by Philippa Kaur 13 January 2022, 22:07
MIKEL ARTETA saluted Arsenal’s band of brothers as his ten-man team pulled off an Anfield shut-out in their Carabao Cup semi-final.Granit Xhaka’s first-half red card for a foul on Diogo Jota left the Gunners to play with a man down for 66 minutes.
Mikel Arteta saluted Arsenal’s band of brothers as his ten-man team pulled off an Anfield shut-outCredit: Getty
But they still restricted Liverpool to just one shot on target all night to leave next Thursday’s return leg on a knife edge.
Arteta said: “The players revelled in the situation and showed great fight, determination, attitude and brotherhood.
“You could see the emotion they were playing with and they never gave up. To survive here that long with ten men is extremely difficult against this opponent.
“I said to them before the game that you need a certain attitude to play here because in difficult moments you have to act rather than react because then it becomes really complicated.
“We played the game we had to play which isn’t our game but we do not have any midfielders in the squad so whatever we did was not going to be natural.
“We played with a midfield three of Martinelli, Lonkonga and Saka and they have never played in that formation in their lives.
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“But it doesn’t matter about the formation. Tonight was all about the attitude of the player and the quality of their decision making.”
Man of the match Ben White admitted: “It wasn’t ideal to have that red card so early but Granit is looking at the ball and he doesn’t know where the man is.
“It’s hard enough to come here with 11 men but there is so much fight in this team and we showed that tonight. We dug deep and got the result we needed.”
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp claimed that the absence of star strikers Mo Salah and Sadio Mane as well as a number of players returning from false positive Covid tests had affected his team.
He said: “It’s strange because even without the symptoms the boys who came back were not exactly the same.
“It’s not an explanation but we have to consider that.
“I would have preferred to score the goal instead of them getting the red card because after that we had to change the system to be more creative and we couldn’t do that because we’re used to some movements that we don’t have right now.
The players revelled in the situation and showed great fight, determination, attitude and brotherhood.Mikel Arteta
“But it doesn’t mean that we cannot solve this issue and that’s exactly what we will do.
“This tie is only at half-time and I cannot remember any time in my life when I was sitting with 0-0 and thinking we have no chance any more.”
Now weary Arsenal have to pick themselves up for Sunday’s crucial North London derby and Arteta admitted that he is struggling to name a team after Cedric Soares and Calum Chambers were added to his lengthy injury list.
Asked whether the match could be called off, he said: “I don’t know. It’s a possibility in every game because of the amount of issues that everyone is having every week.
“But we always prepare for games thinking we are going to play and if something happens along the way, it is what it is.”
Ben White was named man of the match at AnfieldCredit: EPA More
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Watch Granit Xhaka’s reckless waist-high challenge on Diogo Jota as Arsenal midfielder is sent off vs Liverpool
by Philippa Kaur 13 January 2022, 19:28
GRANIT XHAKA once again proved his recklessness after being sent off for a waist-high challenge on Diogo Jota. The Swiss midfielder left the Gunners down to ten men for 66 minutes of their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg at Anfield.
Granit Xhaka was sent off against LiverpoolCredit: Rex
Granit Xhaka wiped out Diogo JotaCredit: AFP
It came after Xhaka took out Jota following a cross field pass by left-back Andrew Robertson.
Robertson’s pass put the Liverpool forward through on goal, before Xhaka’s misstimed tackle with the score level at 0-0.
He ended up booting Jota in the stomach as he tried to clear and immediately saw red for denying the goalscoring opportunity.
It is the fifth time Xhaka has been sent off for Arsenal, with the other four coming in the Premier League.
He was last sent for an early bath in Arsenal’s 5-0 hammering at champions Manchester City in August.
No player has received more Premier League red cards than Xhaka since his Arsenal debut in 2016.
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Xhaka was slammed by Liverpool legend and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher following his latest gaffe.
Carragher said: “Xhaka has two or three looks at Jota, he knows he’s there. It’s a perfect pass from Robertson and Jota just needs to get his chest on it.
“Xhaka does what Xhaka does. Makes and absolutely ridiculous challenge when Jota has still got so much to do.
“If the goalkeeper keeps coming, I think he maybe scares Jota and heads it away.
“But, was it a red card? There is no doubt. The way he has taken him out, the forced he’s done it with, it’s a ridiculous challenge.”
MARK HALSEY VERDICT
GRANIT XHAKA made it easy for Michael Oliver to send him off after his challenge on Diogo Jota.
The Arsenal midfielder tried stretching to reach Andy Robertson’s long ball but only succeeded in clattering into the Liverpool attacker.
It is not clear whether Oliver shows the red card for serious foul play or a denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO).
PREM PLAYER RED CARDS SINCE 2016-17IN all competitions
Granit Xhaka – 5
Fernandinho – 5
David Luiz – 4
Christian Kabasele – 4
With Xhaka’s boot connecting into Jota’s chest you could argue the challenge is endangering the player’s safety.
However, if it was DOGSO there is an element of doubt to the likelihood of Jota keeping or regaining control of the ball as his first touch bounces off his chest at pace.
Either way, Xhaka has forced Oliver into making a decision which went against him. More
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How Mikel Arteta replaces Thomas Partey in Arsenal midfield during Afcon as midfielder finally comes good against City
by Philippa Kaur 4 January 2022, 15:40
THE Arsenal community, whist bitter at the refereeing and VAR calls in the narrow defeat by Man City, are still revelling in the performance of their young team.Without their manager to cajole and instruct them from the touchline, Mikel Arteta’s boys outthought, outfought, and with 11 men outplayed the champions.
Thomas Partey delivered his best performance in an Arsenal shirt against Man City, but now heads to the AfconCredit: Getty
This Arsenal side proved they can go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the league, but it was also a coming-of-age performance by one individual.
On Saturday lunchtime we finally saw the Thomas Partey we all thought we had signed from Atletico, who until now we had only seen glimpses of. The Ghanaian dominated the midfield, and in truth the whole pitch with a measured, confident and majestic display.
His tackling, anticipation, passing and vision were all there for everyone to see and drew the biggest compliment any midfielder, let alone a Gunner can be paid.
Gilberto Silva, who let’s face it would know better than anyone, took to twitter to respond to an Arsenal club tweet about Partey and in a few short words delivered his amazing verdict – he looked like Vieira.
Of course, the depressing fact for the Arsenal coaching staff and we fans, is that Partey delivered the level of display just as he has to depart to lead Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Ghana are the second favourites for the tournament, after Egypt, who will also deprive us of an experienced potential stand-in, Mohamed Elneny.
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With both teams expected to reach the latter stages, Arsenal might be without two of their five first-team central midfielders until next month.
There is also the strong rumour that Ainsley Maitland-Niles might be departing to Roma on loan, which might leave Arteta with only Granit Xhaka and Albert Sambi Lokonga, backed up by recent 18-year-old debutant Charlie Patino.
It is not only the lack of numbers that is a concern but also the fact that whilst the Belgian Lokonga has played with Xhaka, earlier in the season, it did not offer the same platform or blend that either has with Partey and might mean Arteta has to reassess his option and structure.
On reflection, even if technical director Edu moves swiftly, it is unlikely that any new signing or loanees will be able to make an impact on in the short term so internal solutions are more likely to be looked at.
The obvious solution is simply to ask Sambi Lokonga to return to the starting eleven with no change in shape. In recent games Xhaka has played more advanced than Partey so the only question is whether that would continue or Arteta would prefer the Swiss captain’s experience deeper and allow the Belgian more licence.
Albert Sambi Lokonga could fill in for the departing ParteyCredit: AFP
Certainly, in the North London derby I am sure this will be the option, as it will be for Wolves away early in February.
A second option for the key match at Tottenham would be to bring Rob Holding into the defence and ask Ben White to play as the defensive midfielder. I am certain White would not let us down, but this would need some intense training work at Colney in the coming week or so.
Against lesser teams, and I would consider Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup and Burnley on current form, in this bracket, I think the Spaniard can risk playing Xhaka, restricting at least one of the fullbacks and playing double eights, with Smith Rowe joining Odegaard.
I hope Patino will get on if things are going well against Forest, to rest one of the central players .
In the two legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool the decision is tricky.
Whilst Klopp has played second strings in the competition to date and will be denied his star strikers in Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, he is only losing Naby Keita to the Afcon from his midfield.
So, again I expect Arteta to field Xkaka and Sambi, but I also anticipate that Patino will be on the bench.
A lot will depend on the timing of the Maitland-Niles transfer, and it may be that Arteta allows the player to leave but ask the player to help his current and boyhood club until close to the end of the window.
If this is the case, I am confident Arsenal and Arteta can juggle the squad until Partey returns and I would be reluctant to see a similar style replacement purchased anyway.
Lokonga is the longer-term Partey cover and if the club is to commit to spending money on a midfielder, it is the longer term Xhaka replacement and Partey partner that should be the focus.
Follow David Seager’s Twitter for more views on Arsenal.
Roma target Ainsley Maitland-Niles may be asked to stay until the end of the transfer windowCredit: Getty
Wonderkid Charlie Patino could get his chance in both the Carabao Cup and FA CupCredit: Getty More
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Football thugs high on cocaine fuelling terrifying surge in violence – with the drug found at every stadium we tested
by Philippa Kaur 30 December 2021, 06:32
FOOTBALL thugs high on cocaine are fuelling a terrifying surge in violence at stadiums, a Sun investigation has found.Every ground we swabbed had traces of the class A drug, which sparked the shameful scenes at Wembley in July’s showpiece Euro 2020 final.
Sun reporter Liam Coleman holding up a cocaine detection wipe at an Arsenal game at Emirates stadium
Police chiefs are now calling for tougher punishments for cocaine users at grounds — including more use of bans — to prevent a return to the hooliganism seen in the 1980s.
Britain’s top football cop, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, warned that more fans than ever were taking the drug at games, creating a “toxic mix” of violence.
He said: “As we see more violent incidents, cocaine is one of those factors along with alcohol that will make it worse, and make people more violent.”
One supporter also said cocaine at football was so rife that fans even snort it in their seats.
We discovered lines had been racked up on top of loo roll holders at Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, while our reporter was offered “charlie” outside a Brighton match earlier this month.
At The Etihad — home of Premier League champions Manchester City — empty drug bags and one containing cocaine were found on a cubicle floor. Traces of the drug were also found on top of toilets at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium.
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Our findings come after an FA report last month revealed cocaine was the catalyst for thousands of ticketless fans storming Wembley for the England-Italy Euro final.
Fans were openly snorting the drug at the showpiece event, with one yob bragging to The Sun how he put a lit flare in his bum during a 15-hour drug-fuelled bender.
Charlie Perry, 25, boasted how he had “banged a load of powder” during the big day and was then filmed firing off the flare in footage that went viral.
Just before the pandemic, cocaine binges were blamed for a 45 per cent increase in trouble at football grounds over the previous two years — including violence, pitch invasions and assaults on players.
However, cops and fans say more coke than ever is being snorted at grounds — which was backed up by our probe. Sun reporter Liam Coleman used cocaine detection wipes on surfaces in loos at Man City, Spurs, Brighton, Chelsea and Arsenal this month — with 44 out of the 58 swabbed cubicles testing positive for cocaine.
Mr Roberts told The Sun clubs are looking at installing specialist surfaces in toilets to make it harder to take drugs, as well as bringing in more sniffer dogs.
MORE COCAINE THAN EVER
However, the officer — head of football policing for England and Wales — admitted it was tough to catch users.
He said: “Cocaine is now more common in broader society than ever before, and that includes football clubs and football fans.
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“It’s an issue with society, but that being said it is then clearly going to impact football as well.
“Where people are high on emotions which you do get in football, and then you add in cocaine use, that’s a pretty toxic mix as how people behave and it often leads to extreme violence.”
He wants a Football Banning Order for anyone caught with drugs in a ground. Breaching one of those is a criminal offence, punishable by up to six months in prison.
There are currently around 1,400 orders active across the UK, but Mr Roberts believes a bigger push would see a drop in drug use.
It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on peopleChief Constable Mark Roberts
However, he added: “It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on people, and then you’re still probably not going to find it anyway.
“It’s something that’s easy to smuggle into the ground.
“People can discreetly take it, probably easier than drinking a pint, so the hope will be we work with clubs and identify measures to make it just a bit harder for fans to take drugs.
“Whether that is putting liquids on toilet cisterns, having regular checks and sniffer dogs at every ground.” Recommendations from the Euro 2020 report included stronger police powers against the use of illegal drugs.
The independent review by former Government drugs tsar Baroness Casey slammed the thousands of football fans “fuelled by alcohol and drugs”.
Experts at Oxford University have confirmed that cocaine use makes supporters more aggressive at football matches.
‘DOING BUMPS IN THE STANDS’
One survey revealed that more than 30 per cent of fans had witnessed cocaine being taken inside a stadium — with six per cent admitting to personal use.
However, drug possession or use was reported at only 103 of 2,663 regulated matches in England and Wales over the entire 2019-20 season, with the vast majority — 81 per cent — involving cocaine.
Despite clubs promising tougher measures on stopping drugs being brought into grounds, one fan claimed cocaine usage was rife before and during games.
The supporter, who does not want to be named, told The Sun: “You see huge queues in the toilets, you see them doing bumps off keys in the stands, or just off their hands. It’s everywhere.
“I’ve never known it like this before, and it just feels like it’s getting worse and worse.”
All the clubs where we found traces of drugs told The Sun they condemned use. Several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, said they had sniffer dogs in place at every match and that fans were searched using security wands before entering the ground.
Another Premier League club said they use dogs outside away turnstiles for every game and on occasions outside home turnstiles.
Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat itPremier League Spokesperson
Bosses at Tottenham Hotspur described the drug issue as a “societal problem” and that it took a zero-tolerance approach to drugs in the stadium.
The club, where a fan was photographed appearing to snort a line of cocaine on the pitch in 2017, also said it works closely with the Metropolitan Police on drug-related issues, and anyone found with illegal substances are banned.
Meanwhile, bosses at Brighton and Hove Albion said it was “increasingly concerned” about the use of cocaine at matches.
The club added: “We will continue to take all necessary and possible steps to prevent any illegal substance coming into our stadium, and we will continue to impose very severe sanctions on anyone found to be carrying or using any illegal substance in or around our stadium.”
The Premier League said it also condemns the use of drugs at stadiums, and its clubs are working alongside police to tackle the problem. A spokesman said: “Possession or use of cocaine is a criminal offence and can result in a football banning order. Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat it.
“Our clubs continue to work closely with police on this issue.”
Coke & booze go hand in hand with violence
FANS can spend up to £300 a week on drugs for each match, one Premier League club supporter said.
The season ticket-holder, who wanted his identity hidden, said: “Class As are becoming more prevalent, there’s more of a buzz for it these days. It’s beers, as much coke as possible, everyone is bang on it.
“It’s the only thing that will straighten you out after a day on the booze, it’s what you need.
“You don’t want pills, you will start loving people. Coke and booze go hand in hand with violence, it’s what we all want.
“It’s also just the nature of the football. You get boozed up all day, and then do the gear.”
The fan added: “They get it in bulk. If it’s a home game then you’re more likely to get a few grams in, but away days you’re talking lots more.
“I know blokes who go with their kids and they still do it.
“It’s so easy to get it both inside and outside the ground
“Football is like going clubbing but during the day, and spending all day with close pals and they share the same passions, which bring you closer together.
“If you’re all sharing the gear and the booze, then it brings you closer together.
“Unless they get sent behind bars for years like they did with the hooligans, it’s not going to make a blind bit of difference.”
We found traces of coke in ten of 14 toilet cubicles in the South Stand of the Eithad Stadium during Man City v Leeds, Dec 14
During a Chelsea game against Everton on December 16, five out of the six loo-roll holders wiped in the Matthew Harding Lower Stand in Standford Bridge went blue, meaning cocaine was present
Eleven of 14 toilets had traces of cocaine with lines on roll holders in the bathrooms at Tottenham stadium
Five of six cubicles in the West Stand at Brighton’s Amex stadium had traces of cocaine – our reporter was also offered drugs
Stewards replace barricades after they were knocked over by supporters outside Wembley Stadium in London, during the Euro 2020 final match between England and Italy, on July 11, 2021Credit: AP
Moment England hero Harry Maguire’s dad’s ribs were broken in a horror crush during the security meltdown at the Euro 2020 Final at Wembley More
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Football thugs high on cocaine fuelling terrifying surge in violence – with the drug found at every stadium tested
by Philippa Kaur 29 December 2021, 07:44
FOOTBALL thugs high on cocaine are fuelling a terrifying surge in violence at stadiums, a Sun investigation has found.Every ground we swabbed had traces of the class A drug, which sparked the shameful scenes at Wembley in July’s showpiece Euro 2020 final.
Sun reporter Liam Coleman holding up a cocaine detection wipe at an Arsenal game at Emirates stadium
Police chiefs are now calling for tougher punishments for cocaine users at grounds — including more use of bans — to prevent a return to the hooliganism seen in the 1980s.
Britain’s top football cop, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, warned that more fans than ever were taking the drug at games, creating a “toxic mix” of violence.
He said: “As we see more violent incidents, cocaine is one of those factors along with alcohol that will make it worse, and make people more violent.”
One supporter also said cocaine at football was so rife that fans even snort it in their seats.
We discovered lines had been racked up on top of loo roll holders at Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, while our reporter was offered “charlie” outside a Brighton match earlier this month.
At The Etihad — home of Premier League champions Manchester City — empty drug bags and one containing cocaine were found on a cubicle floor. Traces of the drug were also found on top of toilets at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium.
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Our findings come after an FA report last month revealed cocaine was the catalyst for thousands of ticketless fans storming Wembley for the England-Italy Euro final.
Fans were openly snorting the drug at the showpiece event, with one yob bragging to The Sun how he put a lit flare in his bum during a 15-hour drug-fuelled bender.
Charlie Perry, 25, boasted how he had “banged a load of powder” during the big day and was then filmed firing off the flare in footage that went viral.
Just before the pandemic, cocaine binges were blamed for a 45 per cent increase in trouble at football grounds over the previous two years — including violence, pitch invasions and assaults on players.
However, cops and fans say more coke than ever is being snorted at grounds — which was backed up by our probe. Sun reporter Liam Coleman used cocaine detection wipes on surfaces in loos at Man City, Spurs, Brighton, Chelsea and Arsenal this month — with 44 out of the 58 swabbed cubicles testing positive for cocaine.
Mr Roberts told The Sun clubs are looking at installing specialist surfaces in toilets to make it harder to take drugs, as well as bringing in more sniffer dogs.
MORE COCAINE THAN EVER
However, the officer — head of football policing for England and Wales — admitted it was tough to catch users.
He said: “Cocaine is now more common in broader society than ever before, and that includes football clubs and football fans.
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“It’s an issue with society, but that being said it is then clearly going to impact football as well.
“Where people are high on emotions which you do get in football, and then you add in cocaine use, that’s a pretty toxic mix as how people behave and it often leads to extreme violence.”
He wants a Football Banning Order for anyone caught with drugs in a ground. Breaching one of those is a criminal offence, punishable by up to six months in prison.
There are currently around 1,400 orders active across the UK, but Mr Roberts believes a bigger push would see a drop in drug use.
It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on peopleChief Constable Mark Roberts
However, he added: “It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on people, and then you’re still probably not going to find it anyway.
“It’s something that’s easy to smuggle into the ground.
“People can discreetly take it, probably easier than drinking a pint, so the hope will be we work with clubs and identify measures to make it just a bit harder for fans to take drugs.
“Whether that is putting liquids on toilet cisterns, having regular checks and sniffer dogs at every ground.” Recommendations from the Euro 2020 report included stronger police powers against the use of illegal drugs.
The independent review by former Government drugs tsar Baroness Casey slammed the thousands of football fans “fuelled by alcohol and drugs”.
Experts at Oxford University have confirmed that cocaine use makes supporters more aggressive at football matches.
‘DOING BUMPS IN THE STANDS’
One survey revealed that more than 30 per cent of fans had witnessed cocaine being taken inside a stadium — with six per cent admitting to personal use.
However, drug possession or use was reported at only 103 of 2,663 regulated matches in England and Wales over the entire 2019-20 season, with the vast majority — 81 per cent — involving cocaine.
Despite clubs promising tougher measures on stopping drugs being brought into grounds, one fan claimed cocaine usage was rife before and during games.
The supporter, who does not want to be named, told The Sun: “You see huge queues in the toilets, you see them doing bumps off keys in the stands, or just off their hands. It’s everywhere.
“I’ve never known it like this before, and it just feels like it’s getting worse and worse.”
All the clubs where we found traces of drugs told The Sun they condemned use. Several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, said they had sniffer dogs in place at every match and that fans were searched using security wands before entering the ground.
Another Premier League club said they use dogs outside away turnstiles for every game and on occasions outside home turnstiles.
Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat itPremier League Spokesperson
Bosses at Tottenham Hotspur described the drug issue as a “societal problem” and that it took a zero-tolerance approach to drugs in the stadium.
The club, where a fan was photographed appearing to snort a line of cocaine on the pitch in 2017, also said it works closely with the Metropolitan Police on drug-related issues, and anyone found with illegal substances are banned.
Meanwhile, bosses at Brighton and Hove Albion said it was “increasingly concerned” about the use of cocaine at matches.
The club added: “We will continue to take all necessary and possible steps to prevent any illegal substance coming into our stadium, and we will continue to impose very severe sanctions on anyone found to be carrying or using any illegal substance in or around our stadium.”
The Premier League said it also condemns the use of drugs at stadiums, and its clubs are working alongside police to tackle the problem. A spokesman said: “Possession or use of cocaine is a criminal offence and can result in a football banning order. Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat it.
“Our clubs continue to work closely with police on this issue.”
Coke & booze go hand in hand with violence
FANS can spend up to £300 a week on drugs for each match, one Premier League club supporter said.
The season ticket-holder, who wanted his identity hidden, said: “Class As are becoming more prevalent, there’s more of a buzz for it these days. It’s beers, as much coke as possible, everyone is bang on it.
“It’s the only thing that will straighten you out after a day on the booze, it’s what you need.
“You don’t want pills, you will start loving people. Coke and booze go hand in hand with violence, it’s what we all want.
“It’s also just the nature of the football. You get boozed up all day, and then do the gear.”
The fan added: “They get it in bulk. If it’s a home game then you’re more likely to get a few grams in, but away days you’re talking lots more.
“I know blokes who go with their kids and they still do it.
“It’s so easy to get it both inside and outside the ground
“Football is like going clubbing but during the day, and spending all day with close pals and they share the same passions, which bring you closer together.
“If you’re all sharing the gear and the booze, then it brings you closer together.
“Unless they get sent behind bars for years like they did with the hooligans, it’s not going to make a blind bit of difference.”
We found traces of coke in ten of 14 toilet cubicles in the South Stand of the Eithad Stadium during Man City v Leeds, Dec 14
During a Chelsea game against Everton on December 16, five out of the six loo-roll holders wiped in the Matthew Harding Lower Stand in Standford Bridge went blue, meaning cocaine was present
Eleven of 14 toilets had traces of cocaine with lines on roll holders in the bathrooms at Tottenham stadium
Five of six cubicles in the West Stand at Brighton’s Amex stadium had traces of cocaine – our reporter was also offered drugs
Stewards replace barricades after they were knocked over by supporters outside Wembley Stadium in London, during the Euro 2020 final match between England and Italy, on July 11, 2021Credit: AP
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Football thugs high on cocaine fuelling terrifying surge in violence at stadiums
by Philippa Kaur 28 December 2021, 21:00
FOOTBALL thugs high on cocaine are fuelling a terrifying surge in violence at stadiums, a Sun investigation has found.Every ground we swabbed had traces of the class A drug, which sparked the shameful scenes at Wembley in July’s showpiece Euro 2020 final.
Sun reporter Liam Coleman holding up a cocaine detection wipe at an Arsenal game at Emirates stadium
Police chiefs are now calling for tougher punishments for cocaine users at grounds — including more use of bans — to prevent a return to the hooliganism seen in the 1980s.
Britain’s top football cop, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, warned that more fans than ever were taking the drug at games, creating a “toxic mix” of violence.
He said: “As we see more violent incidents, cocaine is one of those factors along with alcohol that will make it worse, and make people more violent.”
One supporter also said cocaine at football was so rife that fans even snort it in their seats.
We discovered lines had been racked up on top of loo roll holders at Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, while our reporter was offered “charlie” outside a Brighton match earlier this month.
At The Etihad — home of Premier League champions Manchester City — empty drug bags and one containing cocaine were found on a cubicle floor. Traces of the drug were also found on top of toilets at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium.
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Our findings come after an FA report last month revealed cocaine was the catalyst for thousands of ticketless fans storming Wembley for the England-Italy Euro final.
Fans were openly snorting the drug at the showpiece event, with one yob bragging to The Sun how he put a lit flare in his bum during a 15-hour drug-fuelled bender.
Charlie Perry, 25, boasted how he had “banged a load of powder” during the big day and was then filmed firing off the flare in footage that went viral.
Just before the pandemic, cocaine binges were blamed for a 45 per cent increase in trouble at football grounds over the previous two years — including violence, pitch invasions and assaults on players.
However, cops and fans say more coke than ever is being snorted at grounds — which was backed up by our probe. Sun reporter Liam Coleman used cocaine detection wipes on surfaces in loos at Man City, Spurs, Brighton, Chelsea and Arsenal this month — with 44 out of the 58 swabbed cubicles testing positive for cocaine.
Mr Roberts told The Sun clubs are looking at installing specialist surfaces in toilets to make it harder to take drugs, as well as bringing in more sniffer dogs.
MORE COCAINE THAN EVER
However, the officer — head of football policing for England and Wales — admitted it was tough to catch users.
He said: “Cocaine is now more common in broader society than ever before, and that includes football clubs and football fans.
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“It’s an issue with society, but that being said it is then clearly going to impact football as well.
“Where people are high on emotions which you do get in football, and then you add in cocaine use, that’s a pretty toxic mix as how people behave and it often leads to extreme violence.”
He wants a Football Banning Order for anyone caught with drugs in a ground. Breaching one of those is a criminal offence, punishable by up to six months in prison.
There are currently around 1,400 orders active across the UK, but Mr Roberts believes a bigger push would see a drop in drug use.
It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on peopleChief Constable Mark Roberts
However, he added: “It’s really difficult to police, frankly, unless you do full-body searches on people, and then you’re still probably not going to find it anyway.
“It’s something that’s easy to smuggle into the ground.
“People can discreetly take it, probably easier than drinking a pint, so the hope will be we work with clubs and identify measures to make it just a bit harder for fans to take drugs.
“Whether that is putting liquids on toilet cisterns, having regular checks and sniffer dogs at every ground.” Recommendations from the Euro 2020 report included stronger police powers against the use of illegal drugs.
The independent review by former Government drugs tsar Baroness Casey slammed the thousands of football fans “fuelled by alcohol and drugs”.
Experts at Oxford University have confirmed that cocaine use makes supporters more aggressive at football matches.
‘DOING BUMPS IN THE STANDS’
One survey revealed that more than 30 per cent of fans had witnessed cocaine being taken inside a stadium — with six per cent admitting to personal use.
However, drug possession or use was reported at only 103 of 2,663 regulated matches in England and Wales over the entire 2019-20 season, with the vast majority — 81 per cent — involving cocaine.
Despite clubs promising tougher measures on stopping drugs being brought into grounds, one fan claimed cocaine usage was rife before and during games.
The supporter, who does not want to be named, told The Sun: “You see huge queues in the toilets, you see them doing bumps off keys in the stands, or just off their hands. It’s everywhere.
“I’ve never known it like this before, and it just feels like it’s getting worse and worse.”
All the clubs where we found traces of drugs told The Sun they condemned use. Several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, said they had sniffer dogs in place at every match and that fans were searched using security wands before entering the ground.
Another Premier League club said they use dogs outside away turnstiles for every game and on occasions outside home turnstiles.
Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat itPremier League Spokesperson
Bosses at Tottenham Hotspur described the drug issue as a “societal problem” and that it took a zero-tolerance approach to drugs in the stadium.
The club, where a fan was photographed appearing to snort a line of cocaine on the pitch in 2017, also said it works closely with the Metropolitan Police on drug-related issues, and anyone found with illegal substances are banned.
Meanwhile, bosses at Brighton and Hove Albion said it was “increasingly concerned” about the use of cocaine at matches.
The club added: “We will continue to take all necessary and possible steps to prevent any illegal substance coming into our stadium, and we will continue to impose very severe sanctions on anyone found to be carrying or using any illegal substance in or around our stadium.”
The Premier League said it also condemns the use of drugs at stadiums, and its clubs are working alongside police to tackle the problem. A spokesman said: “Possession or use of cocaine is a criminal offence and can result in a football banning order. Ground regulations clearly state that drugs are prohibited and measures such as detection dogs are used frequently to combat it.
“Our clubs continue to work closely with police on this issue.”
Coke & booze go hand in hand with violence
FANS can spend up to £300 a week on drugs for each match, one Premier League club supporter said.
The season ticket-holder, who wanted his identity hidden, said: “Class As are becoming more prevalent, there’s more of a buzz for it these days. It’s beers, as much coke as possible, everyone is bang on it.
“It’s the only thing that will straighten you out after a day on the booze, it’s what you need.
“You don’t want pills, you will start loving people. Coke and booze go hand in hand with violence, it’s what we all want.
“It’s also just the nature of the football. You get boozed up all day, and then do the gear.”
The fan added: “They get it in bulk. If it’s a home game then you’re more likely to get a few grams in, but away days you’re talking lots more.
“I know blokes who go with their kids and they still do it.
“It’s so easy to get it both inside and outside the ground
“Football is like going clubbing but during the day, and spending all day with close pals and they share the same passions, which bring you closer together.
“If you’re all sharing the gear and the booze, then it brings you closer together.
“Unless they get sent behind bars for years like they did with the hooligans, it’s not going to make a blind bit of difference.”
We found traces of coke in ten of 14 toilet cubicles in the South Stand of the Eithad Stadium during Man City v Leeds, Dec 14
During a Chelsea game against Everton on December 16, five out of the six loo-roll holders wiped in the Matthew Harding Lower Stand in Standford Bridge went blue, meaning cocaine was present
Eleven of 14 toilets had traces of cocaine with lines on roll holders in the bathrooms at Tottenham stadium
Five of six cubicles in the West Stand at Brighton’s Amex stadium had traces of cocaine – our reporter was also offered drugs
Stewards replace barricades after they were knocked over by supporters outside Wembley Stadium in London, during the Euro 2020 final match between England and Italy, on July 11, 2021Credit: AP
Moment England hero Harry Maguire’s dad’s ribs were broken in a horror crush during the security meltdown at the Euro 2020 Final at Wembley More
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Arsenal transfer target Jonathan David set to quit Lille next summer amid Premier League interest, reveals his agent
by Philippa Kaur 23 December 2021, 11:38
JONATHAN DAVID will leave Lille at the end of the season – putting Premier League clubs on notice, his agent said. Already this season, the forward has 15 goals in 26 appearances, attracting transfer attention from across Europe.
Jonathan David will leave Lille at the end of the season, his agent saidCredit: Getty
He is contracted with Lille until 2025, but his agent revealed they will push to leave next summer.
Nick Mavromaras said on Radio Canada: “For us, the goal is to finish the season in Lille, but it will be his last season there for several reasons.
“I think the Premier League is a good option for him. I think that he likes Spain a lot also because he likes the feeling of the ball and the very technical players.
“These two leagues are a big priority for him, but nothing is excluded.”
Real Madrid and Arsenal are also among the club believed to be tracking the Canadian international.
David, 21, has been hailed as one of the most promising talents on the market right now, but could come at a cost.
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Agent Mavromaras added: “I can’t say the price today. It’s down to Lille. But in the end, that’s football.
“Jonathan isn’t going to show it, but he knows he is one of the best young forwards in the world.
“There’s also Erling Haaland who could cost between €75m and €100m.
“If you want to be part of that list, you have to learn to manage the pressure.”
David played his youth football in Ottawa before joining Greek’s Gent, where he stayed from 2018-2020 before joining Lille.
Real Madrid and Arsenal are also among the club believed to be tracking the forwardCredit: Getty More

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