Europa Conference League

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      Fans urge TNT Sports to ‘fix it now’ after discovering ‘incredibly annoying’ technical blunder during Aston Villa game

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      FOOTBALL fans blasted TNT Sports coverage of Aston Villa’s Europa Conference League clash against Legia Warsaw after a bizarre technical blunder.Unai Emery’s Villa made their long-awaited return to the European stage after a 13-year absence.

      TNT Sports had a huge technical blunder in their Europa Conference League coverageCredit: Getty
      Fans fumed at TNT Sports commentary of Aston Villa’s clash with Legia WarsawCredit: Reuters
      But fans were left fuming after realising the commentary of the game was ahead of the match footage.
      Taking to Twitter to share their complaints, one fan asked: “Anyone’s commentary AHEAD on TNT ?!😂”
      A second said: “Commentary ahead of the game on TNT Sports 2, please fix, it’s incredibly annoying.”
      “The commentary on this Villa game is so far ahead of the play. Sort it out,” demanded a third.
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      A fourth said: “Fancy sorting out the commentary (which is well ahead of your pictures) on the Legia vs Aston Villa match @tntsports?”
      A fifth wrote: “Get the Legia Warsaw vs Aston Villa commentary sorted please – it’s over two seconds out of sync, and that’s hopeless. (When Villa hit the bar, we were already told they’d scored from the rebound).”
      A sixth complained: “Only thing worse than Villa’s defending is the TNT Sport commentary feed.”
      While another added: “The commentary on this Villa game is miles ahead 😂.”
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      Villa pulled a tough Conference League group out of the draw.
      They face Legia Warsaw, AZ Alkmaar and Zrinjski Mostar and will need to qualify in first or second to progress into the knockout stages.
      They thrashed Hibernian 8-0 in the Play-offs to make it to the group stage proper, while their domestic start has also been solid.
      They have claimed high-scoring wins over Everton, Burnley and Crystal Palace but been thumped by Newcastle and Liverpool by four and three-goal margins respectively.
      Mauricio Pochettino’s out-of-form Chelsea team are their next opponent on Sunday. More

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      Dream Team to ramp up several notches in Gameweek 5 as European competitions get underway

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      THE international break may have provided a momentary lull but Dream Team will go up several notches once Gameweek 5 gets underway.That’s because EIGHT clubs will be in continental action in midweek after a full round of Premier League fixtures at the weekend.

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      Dream Team ramps up once the European competitions startCredit: DREAM TEAM
      Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle will begin their Champions League campaigns before Liverpool, Brighton and West Ham get going in the Europa League – with Aston Villa being England’s representative in the Europa Conference League.
      Gaffers only have to reflect upon last season, when Pep Guardiola’s side and the Hammers triumphed in their respective quests, to understand the value the European competitions bring to Dream Team.
      The formula is simple: more fixtures equals more point-scoring opportunities.
      The likes of James Maddison (£4.1m), Raheem Sterling (£3.8m) and Bryan Mbeumo (£3.7m) are justifiably popular after their electric performances across the first few Gameweeks but without European games to bolster their schedules, their rivals are likely to gain ground in the coming weeks.
      Saying that, it would be a risky move to ditch an asset like Tottenham’s in-form No10 because his imposing tally of 46 points is evidence of the fact he’s more than capable of making up for his comparatively relaxed schedule with massive domestic hauls – he’s taken Bournemouth and Burnley for 15 points each in his last two league outings.
      Can Maddison maintain top spot among midfielders without European games?Credit: Rex
      However, it’s generally advisable for Dream Team bosses to ensure they have ample active players in midweek once the European group stages commence.
      Striking this balance can be difficult.
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      For example, which player will score more points in Gameweek 5: Maddison against Sheffield United or Moussa Diaby (£3.5m) against Crystal Palace and Legia Warsaw?
      The latter averages seven points-per-game this season while the former averages 9.2 so in theory the Frenchman should comfortably outscore the England playmaker given he has potentialyl twice as many minutes at his disposal.
      However, any gaffer that makes such a transfer could easily be punished if Maddison continues his fine form and Diaby fails to register a goal involvement in either of his fixtures.
      It’s also wise to consider which players have favourable continental fixtures and who might be up against it.
      For example, Arsenal and Man City were gifted relatively friendly groups in the Champions League while Man United will face Bayern Munich twice and Newcastle have a ‘group of death’ to negotiate.
      Newcastle will play PSG, Borussia Dortmund and Milan in the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty
      CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUPS:

      ARSENAL
      Sevilla
      PSV
      Lens

      MANCHESTER CITY
      RB Leipzig
      Red Star Belgrade
      Young Boys

      MANCHESTER UNITED
      Bayern Munich
      Copenhagen
      Galatasaray

      NEWCASTLE
      AC Milan
      PSG
      Borussia Dortmund

      In the Europa League, Liverpool’s group looks ripe for plentiful points assuming Jurgen Klopp plans to take the competition seriously – he is more accustomed to the Champions League these days.
      Brighton and West Ham’s groups are harder to gauge but given the former are one of the most dynamic attacking sides in the Premier League the likes of Kaoru Mitoma (£3.7m), Solly March (£3.9m) and Evan Ferguson (£3m) should enjoy themselves on Thursday nights.
      EUROPA LEAGUE GROUPS:

      WEST HAM
      Olympiacos
      Freiburg
      TSC

      BRIGHTON
      Marseille
      Ajax
      AEK Athens

      LIVERPOOL
      LASK
      Union Saint-Gilloise
      Toulouse

      Too good for the Europa League?Credit: PA
      The story of Villa’s season so far is that they’ve come undone against strong opposition (Newcastle, Liverpool) but swept aside weaker outfits (Everton, Hibs, Burnley) in some style.
      If that’s to be a long-term trend then Dream Team managers can expect healthy returns from Unai Emery’s boys in Europe’s tertiary competition.
      Last season, David Moyes’ side struggled domestically but the likes of Said Benrahma (£3.3m) and Jarrod Bowen (£4.8m) maintained lofty rankings by milking the Europa Conference League for all it was worth.
      Surely Matty Cash (£2.8m), Ollie Watkins (£4.4m) and company will do the same again this term.
      EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE GROUP:
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      Aston Villa
      AZ Alkmaar
      Legia Warsaw
      Zrinjski Mostar

      The start of the European competitions represents a pivotal turning point in the Dream Team season – don’t get left behind!

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      Graham Alexander tells his MK Dons players to use West Ham’s European hero Jarrod Bowen as inspiration to reach the top

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      GRAHAM ALEXANDER has told his MK Dons players they must believe they can be future European trophy winners like Jarrod Bowen.This summer the Dons boss used West Ham winger Bowen as a perfect case study for his team — after the former non-league Hereford player scored the winner in the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina to end the Hammers’ 43-year wait for a trophy.
      Graham Alexander is enjoying being back in EFL management with MK Dons
      Jarrod Bowen went from playing Hereford to being a European trophy hero
      Alexander himself laboured in League Two for several years with Scunthorpe but went on to become the oldest player to make his top-flight debut with Burnley aged 37.
      He told SunSport: “There are many examples of players who climbed the divisions — the likes of Jamie Vardy, Michail Antonio, Bowen and, although not as high-profile, myself. 
      “I played at this level for seven years from 16 to 23 but ended up in the Premier League, scoring against Manchester City and Arsenal. 
      “When I was in League Two I didn’t think of being a Premier League player. I wanted to get to the next level then the next one after that and kept doing that. 

      “It was my belief the Premier League was too far for me as a player and I’m sure Jarrod Bowen would have been thinking that at Hereford rather than, ‘I’ll be playing in a European final one day and scoring the winner!’
      “This’s what players must believe. It might not happen overnight, might not happen in the next month or the next two seasons.
      “But if you keep making improvements and dedicating yourself to your job and career, if you’re good enough you can do anything if you make the right decisions and show the right level of commitment and quality.”
      It was while playing at Preston under Bowen’s Hammers boss David Moyes in the third tier that Alexander’s game improved leaps and bounds.
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      Bowen in his non-league days playing for Hereford
      Alexander converts from the spot for Burnley against Arsenal
      He said: “I turned my life upside down. I thought I knew what dedication was then I moved to a club and played under Moyes and thought, ‘That’s dedication.’ It wasn’t just Moyes driving me, it was my team-mates too.
      “Vardy left Fleetwood in 2012 then he’s won the Premier League in 2016. Anything is possible.”
      Alexander’s managerial career has seen him ruthlessly sacked twice — providing proof madness reigns supreme in some boardrooms.
      First Scunthorpe wielded the axe five years ago when they were FIFTH in League One with Alexander set to take the club into the play-offs for the second successive season.
      That decision backfired disastrously with Scunny suffering THREE relegations. 
      Under Alexander, they could have been promoted to the Championship — but instead today they are hosting South Shields in the National League North!
      Graham Alexander made the journey himself from fourth tier to the Premier League
      Our man Justin Allen caught up with Alexander in Milton Keynes
      Alexander is the League two manager of the month for August
      And then three years ago Gary Neville lost control of his senses by firing the former Scotland international with the club FIFTH in League Two.
      This was despite Alexander getting the club promoted to the EFL for the first time in their history, finishing 11th in their maiden fourth-tier season and reaching the EFL Trophy final, which they went on to win.
      The ambitious Class of 92-owned club are still in League Two, 17th in the table.
      Alexander said: “Football management is wild and brutal so what I’ve gone on to realise is you do the best you can. 
      “All people in positions of responsibility must make decisions, including me, and I won’t get them all right and it’s the same for owners.
      “Scunthorpe were my first club as a player and I went back to manage them. I left when they were high up in League One so it’s horrendous to see where they are now.
      “When I got the sack at Salford, I wasn’t shocked. I wanted to continue with the players and what we were doing but it was a unique scenario where on reflection it was right for both sides to part because I was being asked to not be myself.”
      Neville has since admitted he was wrong to sack Alexander, who added: “I’ve spoken to the guys at Salford since. I’ve got no problems with it, life’s too short.
      Alexander had Scunthorpe flying high in League One five years ago yet since his sacking they have crashed all the way to National League North
      He was bizarrely sacked at Salford by Gary Neville
      “I just put it in the bin and move on. I didn’t need Gary to say those kind things. 
      “Only one person gets to be first on the moon so to be part of that group that was the first to bring Salford into the EFL, I’m immensely proud.”
      Alexander has bounced back well.
      First he took charge of SPL club Motherwell where he not only saved them from relegation but guided them to fifth in his full season in charge — qualifying for the Europa Conference League.
      In fact, during his 18 months at Fir Park only Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers won more league points than Motherwell.
      Only one person gets to be first on the moon so to be part of the group that was the first to bring Salford into the EFL, I’m immensely proudGRAHAM ALEXANDER
      And now he is back in League Two with MK Dons where they go into today’s home game with leaders Notts County sitting second after six matches — as they bid to bounce straight back to League One after relegation.
      He has also been named the SkyBet manager of the month in the division.
      Alexander has a big family link with Milton Keynes as all three of his children were born in the city — as he lived in the city while playing for Luton in the 1990s.
      And he said: “I saw this job as an opportunity to work for a good club.
      “When you see the infrastructure and what the club has tried to do over 20 years, it’s had spells of progression where it’s been close to where it thought it could get to and then dropped back down. 
      “I remember the club being in the Championship seven years ago when I was managing Fleetwood — but they haven’t progressed as far as they would have liked to. 
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      “Football is tough. You must win on the pitch and the game in that regard hasn’t changed. 
      “We’ve got 12 points from our first six games, which we’re content but not ecstatic about. However, if we can continue in that vein, we have a great chance of doing something good this season.” More

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      I won European Cup with Aston Villa 40 years ago – I’m still a registered player and continue to play in my SEVENTIES

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      MIDFIELD legend Des Bremner played for Hibs and Aston Villa more than 40 years ago — and still turns out today in his SEVENTIES!Villa’s European Cup-winning star moved south in 1979 after seven years at Hibs and remains registered with the FA as a player… for Shard End Over-63s in Birmingham.
      Des Bremner played for Hibernian in the 1970sCredit: Rex
      Bremner later won the European Cup with Aston VillaCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      And he will be back at Easter Road on Wednesday night — and Villa Park next week — to see his two old clubs.
      Bremner, 70, said: “I’m thinking of going with a half green and half claret-and-blue scarf!
      “I loved it at Easter Road, we had a really good side. But when I was 27 I got the chance to go to Villa.
      “It had been an ambition of mine to play in England — but I never believed I’d play in a European Cup-winning team.
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      “I go to my local pub and the guys who are my generation are the only ones who mention that European Cup final — although I’m thinking about taking my medal up to Edinburgh with me.
      “I’m 70 but I still play walking football once a week. It keeps me active and I enjoy it, though you can’t tackle — and I always liked a tackle!”
      Bremner played in a couple of Battle of Britain Euro ties with Hibs.
      He revealed: “We took Leeds to penalties in the Uefa Cup in 1973 after two goalless games.
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      “I scored mine but Pat Stanton hit the post with his and that knocked us out.
      “Then the season after we played Liverpool — we won at home but John Toshack scored a hat-trick at Anfield to beat us.” More

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      Aston Villa fans set to watch Europa Conference League clash for FREE as TV rights revealed

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      ARMCHAIR Aston Villa fans will be able to watch their side’s first European tie for 13 years live on TV on Wednesday.SunSport can reveal BBC Scotland has obtained the rights to broadcast the Battle of Britain first-leg Europa Conference League clash in Edinburgh.
      Aston Villa fans can watch the match against Hibernian on BBC ScotlandCredit: Alamy
      They will broadcast the action from Easter Road on various satellite platforms, iPlayer and the BBC Sport Scotland website.
      Villa fans have only been allocated 1,000 tickets for the eagerly anticipated cross-border clash at Easter Road, with stay-at-home fans fearing they faced a TV blackout.
      However, Hibernian have struck an agreement with the Beeb which will allow fans to watch the action, with coverage starting at 5:30pm for the match which has a 5.45pm kick-off.
      At the qualifying stage of the Europa Conference League TV rights are negotiated by the home club, rather than UEFA.
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      The return leg at Villa Park on Thursday, August 31 will be covered live by TNT Sports, formerly known as BT Sports, with an 8pm kick-off.
      Villa are appearing in Europe for the first time since 2010 after finishing seventh in the Premier League last season.
      The club’s previous European campaign saw them eliminated by Austrian side Rapid Wien in the Europa League play-off round.
      A victory against Hibernian would see Villa through to their first continental group stage since the 2008/09 UEFA Cup.
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      Next week’s second leg will be followed by the draw for the group stage on September 1.
      Villa are the only English club in the Europa Conference League, which was won by West Ham last season. More

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      Conference League clash delayed and crowd sprayed with tear gas after fan’s cheeky stunt sparks riot

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      NK MARIBOR’S Europa Conference League clash with Fenerbahce was delayed by 28 minutes after a fan’s cheeky stunt sparked a riot.The Slovenian side hosted their Turkish counterparts already trailing 3-1 from last week’s first leg.
      Fenerbahce fans clashed with their Maribor counterparts in ugly scenesCredit: Getty
      Fenerbahce supporters reportedly stormed into the Maribor sections of the groundCredit: Getty
      Maribor fans were alleged to have taken a Fenerbahce bannerCredit: Getty
      All hell broke loose during the second half of the matchCredit: Getty
      With Maribor 1-0 down in Thursday’s return fixture, pandemonium broke out in the stands.
      Fenerbahce supporters alleged that a Maribor fan dressed as stewards to steal their banner.
      The visiting supporters didn’t take kindly to the reported act, attacking the home end in order to get their banner back.
      What followed were wild scenes in which riot police battled to get matters back under control.
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      Fenerbahce players and manager Ismail Kartal could be seen begging their fans to stand down.
      The riot took a long time to simmer down, with 28 minutes of stoppage time being required at the end of the match.
      Irfan Kahveci’s strike on 17 minutes had given Fener the lead on the night.
      Further efforts by Sebastian Szymanski and Dusan Tadic completed a 3-0 away leg victory and 6-1 aggregate triumph.
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      After the match, Fenerbahce fans claimed on social media that they had been tear gassed by police.
      The Turkish side will face FC Twente of the Eredivisie in the Europa Conference League play-off round.
      FC Twente defeated Latvian side Riga 5-0 on aggregate.
      Fenerbahce manager Ismail Kartal begged fans to come to orderCredit: Getty
      Players also pleaded with their own supportersCredit: Getty
      Riot police got involved in the unrestCredit: Getty More

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      Fans convinced there has been a mistake in Europa League draw as baffling new rule is introduced

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      FOOTBALL fans were left baffled with UEFA’s new rule in the Europa League draw.The European governing body has decided that this year there will be no country protection in the play-offs before the group stage.
      Fans are baffled by the new Europa League rule that excludes country protectionCredit: Getty
      That means Zorya Luhansk may face fellow Ukrainian outfit DniproCredit: Getty
      That means two teams from the same nation can actually play against each other in Europe.
      Thus, Zorya Luhansk could face fellow Ukrainian outfit Dnipro in the final qualifying round.
      Dnipro are playing Slavia Prague in the third qualifying round and the winner will square up against Zorya.
      However, fans have yet to adapt to the new rule and some even wondered if UEFA completed yet another blunder during today’s draw.
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      One fan tweeted: “Is the top fixture even allowed to stand btw?
      “Dnipro and Zorya are both Ukrainian and could play each other. Unless I’m wrong about something.”
      Another commented: “Why Zorya can play against Dnipro? I need an explanation.”
      A third said: “In the Uefa Europa League draw, #Dnipro was drawn against the winner between Slavia Prague and #Zorya Luhansk.
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      “Unlike the Champions and Conference League, the 2023/2024 Europa League regulations do not provide so-called “country protection” for the playoff round. Weird. #UELDRAW.”
      This fan wrote: “Dnipro vs Zorya ? How ?”
      And that one wondered: “What is @UEFA doing?”
      Liverpool and Brighton may meet the winner of that exchange in the the Europa League group stage after finishing fifth and sixth respectively in the Premier League last season.
      The Reds and the Seagulls will be joined by West Ham, who won the Europa Conference League. More

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      Juventus KICKED OUT of Europe by Uefa and handed huge fine for financial rule breaches

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      UEFA have BOOTED Juventus out of Europe after breaching financial rules.It means the Italian side will no longer be able to compete in the upcoming season’s Europa Conference League.
      Juventus have been booted out of Europe by UefaCredit: Getty
      The club have been slapped with a £17.15m fineCredit: Getty
      In addition to the ban, they have also been handed a hefty fine by Europe’s governing football body.
      Uefa handed them a fine worth £17.15million, though half of this sum is conditional.
      In a statement, Uefa stated the additional £8.6m would only come into play if Juventus’ financial statements for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025 do not comply with accounting requirements listed in the body’s Licensing and Financial sustainability rules.
      The breaches relate to player registration rights between 2019 and 2021, with an official investigation being opened by Uefa in December.
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      The ban means Juventus will likely be replaced by Fiorentina in next season’s competition.
      It also sees Aston Villa elevated from the unseeded to the seeded pot for August’s two-legged play-offs.
      In response to the decision, Juventus president Gianluca Ferrero said: “We regret the decision of the Uefa Club Financial Control Body.
      “We do not share the interpretation that has been given of our defence, and we remain firmly convinced of the legitimacy of our actions and the validity of our arguments.”
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      The club’s statement added they have decided not to appeal the decision.
      Juventus were handed a ten-point deduction in May by the Italian FA after being found guilty of inflating transfer fees to create millions of pounds worth of “capital gains” for tax purposes.
      The initial punishment had seen them hit with a 15-point deduction before this was revoked pending a new investigation, which concluded with the Bianconeri being hit with a ten-point penalty.
      The Serie A giants were not the only club to be handed a fine by Uefa, with Chelsea also being handed an £8.6m fine for FFP breaches during their time under previous owner Roman Abramovich.
      This related to a seven-year period from 2012 to 2019. More