More stories

  • in

    Arsenal’s Europa League clash ‘expected to go ahead’ despite Rapid Vienna player testing positive for coronavirus

    ARSENAL’S Europa League opener versus Rapid Vienna is expected to go ahead despite a positive coronavirus test inside the Austrian side’s squad.
    The club have confirmed an unnamed player’s diagnosis with the illness, which also struck down Mikel Arteta in the spring.

    2

    Rapid Vienna players will undergo extra testing while the unnamed player self-isolatesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    2

    Mikel Arteta will take his side to Austria for the 5.55pm kick-offCredit: Reuters

    Routine tests uncovered a single case of coronavirus with additional checks set to take place ahead of Thursday’s game.
    Arsenal are still due to travel to the Austrian capital for the Group B clash.
    A Rapid statement read: “As part of the routine Covid-19 tests at SK Rapid, a player tested positive after the evaluation.

    “SK Rapid reacted immediately and the Bundesliga prevention concept, which defines the procedure in confirmed cases in detail, came into play immediately.
    “The player who tested positive and has so far shown no symptoms is already in quarantine at home.
    “The responsible health authority was informed immediately, as was the team and the staff, who have undergone new tests.
    “The other tests all gave negative results, which is proof of the effectiveness of the prevention concept.

    “Training and match operations are therefore not at risk.”

    Arsenal qualified for the Europa League after winning last season’s FA Cup.
    Their European campaign was curtailed by a shock defeat to Olympiacos in the last-32 and Arteta is desperate for a better return this time around.
    The Gunners boss said in August: “It is a must for our club and financially because it is a bigger step forward in order to allow us to do more things in the future and have a better structure financially.”
    However, Mesut Ozil will not be able to contribute to their group campaign, which also features Molde and Dundalk, after being left out the squad.

    Arteta opens door for Arsene Wenger to return to Arsenal after helping shape club into Premier League giants More

  • in

    Champions League could be moved to ‘final eight’ one-off mini-tournament from 2023 as Uefa begin talks

    UEFA is ready to confirm end of season tournaments to find the winners of its three European competitions.
    But Euro chiefs are split on whether to introduce a ‘Final Eight’ or ‘Final Four’ format when the new schedule is confirmed for the 2024-25 season.

    2

    Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin has proposed a ‘final four’ format for the Champions LeagueCredit: EPA

    The success of July’s ‘one-off’ knockout tournaments, with Champions League quarter-final stages onwards played in Portugal, and Europa League in Germany has prompted Uefa’s way forward.
    The organisation’s President Aleksander Ceferin suggested on Friday that a ‘final four’ concept, with the semis and finals played out in a series of one-off ties, was the most likely option.
    Ceferin talked about a ‘week’ of football which would round off the club season and capture worldwide interest.

    But now Ceferin’s widely respected No 3, deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti, has raised the prospect of the tournament’s last eight stages being played out.
    Uefa – pushed by the influential European Club Association – recognises there is pressing demands for changes. 
    However, any format alterations will be on hold until the end of the next three-year TV contract cycle in 2024.
    Marchetti, though, said: “Everybody watched the final eight tournaments in August.

    A good rule is to never exclude something which proves valuable or has potential
    Giorgio Marchetti UEFA Deputy General

    “Single knockout matches obviously favour uncertainty and emotions. 
    “We received great feedback from clubs, broadcasters and other partners as well as from the fans. 
    “The circumstances made this format a must, but the result could not be better as well as the degree of satisfaction.”

    2

    Uefa’s format change could see Champions League and Europa semis-finals played as one-off tiesCredit: Reuters
    When asked if that implied a format change was now likely, Marchetti added: “A good rule is to never exclude something which proves valuable or has potential. 
    “We know there are many elements that need to be taken into account, such as calendar and organisational constraints, fans’ involvement, economic implications, but we will for sure study this format and its variations for our upcoming discussions.”
    Uefa will launch their new third-tier competition, the Europa Conference League – which includes a place for the winners of the Carabao Cup – next season.

    Uefa admit delayed Euros can’t go ahead as planned with format set to be changed and some host cities set for axe More

  • in

    Arsenal chief Edu reveals how he and boss Mikel Arteta told Mesut Ozil of Europa League squad snub in face-to-face talks

    ARSENAL technical director Edu has revealed how he broke the news to Mesut Ozil and Sokratis Papastahopolos that they would not be playing for Arsenal this season.
    Edu and manager Mikel Arteta organised face-to-face meetings with the out of favour duo to explain why they were not in the club’s 25-man Uefa squad.

    3

    Edu and Mikel Arteta informed the likes of Mesut Ozil about their Europa League omissions in personCredit: Reuters

    3

    The German earns £350,000 per week but is not included in the Gunners’ 25-man squadCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    He said: “We needed to manage the number of foreign players in the squad because we are only allowed to have 17 on our list.
    “I talked to Mikel about the players who were probably going to be left out and we discussed how to treat that challenging situation.
    “The way we did it was to sit down with the players concerned and to be open with them and I also spoke to their agents.

    “The only way to do that was face-to-face and to clearly explain why Mikel has made that decision. And I think we did it quite well.”
    French defender William Saliba, who is set to be loaned out to a Championship club next week, and injured striker Gabriel Martinelli have also been omitted from the Europa League squad which was submitted to Uefa on Tuesday evening.
    And Edu admitted that getting the squad down to size after bringing in six new players during the summer was always going to be an issue.
    He said: “The market was really strange and it was difficult to manage well because nobody was 100 percent comfortable to do the deals.

    “Organising the loan deals was quite difficult and trying to swap players was even more difficult.

    3

    Defender Sokratis has also been left out of the squad for this season’s competitionCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    “We are facing a very tough situation with Covid and everyone is quite worried about the future and whether they have the money or not.
    “But when me and Mikel sat down to talk about the squad, I think we got all the players who we really focussed on.”
    Edu was particularly pleased to finally get the signing of £45million Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid over the line right on deadline day.
    And he confirmed that it was only thanks to a cash injection from Stan Kroenke that the Gunners were able to sign the Ghanaian international midfielder.
    He said: “If you saw my plan six or seven months ago when I did it with Mikel, Thomas was already there.

    “There were so many meetings to see how we were going to buy the player, if we had the financial resources, the legal process, talk to the player, talk to the agent.
    “But as soon as I received the green light from the board and the owners I was confident we could do it.
    “He’s an important player and it is a huge investment for the moment we’re in now. It’s not easy to spend a lot of money in this period of time.
    “But when I showed my plan to the owners they were very excited. They understood what we wanted to do and they pressed the green button.”

    Arsenal new-boy William Saliba in line for Championship loan transfer after failed St Etienne return More

  • in

    Mesut Ozil left out of Arsenal’s Europa League squad and Mikel Arteta will dump playmaker for Prem too

    MESUT OZIL has been dumped from Arsenal’s 25-man Europa League squad — after saving club mascot Gunnersaurus from extinction.
    And the £350,000-a-week German is almost certain to miss out again when the club submits their  squad to the Premier League in ten days.

    3

    Ozil has been left out of Arsenal’s Europa League squadCredit: PA:Press Association

    3

    Mesut Ozil is in training with Arsenal but has yet to feature this season

    That means Arsenal’s highest-paid player could have played his final game for the club — despite having another eight months of his Emirates contract to run.
    Arsenal’s Europa League squad was submitted to Uefa on Tuesday night, just hours after Ozil announced on Twitter he would pay the wages of Gunnersaurus mascot Jerry Quy, who has been made redundant by the club.

    The summer signings of Thomas Partey, Willian, Gabriel Magalhaes, Pablo Mari, Cedric Soares and Alex Runarsson have left manager Mikel Arteta spoiled for choice.

    But he is only allowed to register 25 players over the age of 21 — and at least eight of them must have served their apprenticeships with an English club.
    Now Arteta has taken the ruthless decision to omit Ozil after the club failed to negotiate a pay-off  to get him off the wage bill.

    3

    Mesut Ozil models a new Arsenal kit that he appears unlikely to play inCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    It looks like Ozil is on the scrapheap after failing to kick a ball for the club since the 1-0 win against West Ham on March 7.
    And although he will be expected to continue training, it means his only hope of playing again this season is to sign for a club in the EFL or rip up his contract by mutual agreement and leave as a free agent.

    Ozil could still be registered by Arsenal after the close of the  January transfer window but it is highly unlikely as it appears Arteta has decided to move on without him

    Arsenal new-boy William Saliba in line for Championship loan transfer after failed St Etienne return More

  • in

    Europa League draw LIVE REACTION: Arsenal to play Dundalk, Tottenham to face Ludogorets, Celtic vs AC Milan in groups

    n
    🏆 The #UELdraw has now been completed!n
    👇 Here’s who we’ll be facing in this season’s group stage…n
    — Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 2, 2020n
    n”,”raw”:”
    CROSSING THE IRISH SEA
    Arsenal’s fixtures against Dundalk will be a mouthwatering tie for any Gunners fan of an Irish persuasion.
    Liam Brady, David O’Leary and Frank Stapleton will all have plenty of thoughts on this one.
    https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1311995888651382785?s=20 “},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601639863,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:57″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349148″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349148″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    AND THAT’S ALL THE TEAMS DRAWNn”,”raw”:”
    AND THAT’S ALL THE TEAMS DRAWN”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638897,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:41″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349147″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell even thread-even depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349147″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Jn
    Tottenhamn
    Ludogoretsn
    LASKn
    Antwerpn”,”raw”:”
    GROUP J
    Tottenham
    Ludogorets
    LASK
    Antwerp”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638874,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:41″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349145″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349145″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Ln
    Gent n
    Red Star Belgraden
    Hoffenheimn
    Liberecn”,”raw”:”
    GROUP L
    Gent
    Red Star Belgrade
    Hoffenheim
    Liberec”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638847,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:40″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349140″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell even thread-even depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349140″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Kn
    CSKA Moscown
    Dinamo Zagrebn
    Feyenoordn
    Wolfsbergn”,”raw”:”
    GROUP K
    CSKA Moscow
    Dinamo Zagreb
    Feyenoord
    Wolfsberg”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638817,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:40″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349138″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349138″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP In
    Villarrealn
    Qarabagn
    Maccabi Tel-Avivn
    Sivassporn”,”raw”:”
    GROUP I
    Villarreal
    Qarabag
    Maccabi Tel-Aviv
    Sivasspor
    “},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638790,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:39″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349137″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell even thread-even depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349137″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Fn
    Napolin
    Real Sociedadn
    AZ Alkmaarn
    Rijekan”,”raw”:”
    GROUP F
    Napoli
    Real Sociedad
    AZ Alkmaar
    Rijeka”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638766,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:39″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349136″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349136″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Hn
    Celticn
    Sparta Praguen
    AC Milann
    Lillen”,”raw”:”
    GROUP H
    Celtic
    Sparta Prague
    AC Milan
    Lille”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638758,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:39″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349135″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell even thread-even depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349135″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Gn
    Bragan
    Leicester Cityn
    AEKn
    Zorya Luhanskn”,”raw”:”
    GROUP G
    Braga
    Leicester City
    AEK
    Zorya Luhansk”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638721,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:38″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349134″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349134″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP En
    PSVn
    PAOKn
    Granadan
    Omonoian”,”raw”:”
    GROUP E
    PSV
    PAOK
    Granada
    Omonoia”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638695,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:38″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349133″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell even thread-even depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349133″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Dn
    Benfica n
    Standard Liegen
    Rangersn
    Lech Poznann”,”raw”:”
    GROUP D
    Benfica
    Standard Liege
    Rangers
    Lech Poznan”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638666,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:37″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349132″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349132″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Cn
    Leverkusenn
    Slavia Praguen
    Hapoel Beer Shevan
    Nicen”,”raw”:”
    GROUP C
    Leverkusen
    Slavia Prague
    Hapoel Beer Sheva
    Nice”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638646,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:37″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349131″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell even thread-even depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349131″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Bn
    Arsenaln
    Rapid Viennan
    Molden
    DUNDALKn”,”raw”:”
    GROUP B
    Arsenal
    Rapid Vienna
    Molde
    DUNDALK”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638619,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:36″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349130″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349130″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP An
    Roman
    Young Boysn
    Clujn
    CSKA Sofian”,”raw”:”
    GROUP A
    Roma
    Young Boys
    Cluj
    CSKA Sofia”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638580,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:36″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349129″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell even thread-even depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349129″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    HERE COMES POT FOURn
    The last team in each group is about to be drawnn”,”raw”:”
    HERE COMES POT FOUR
    The last team in each group is about to be drawn”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638541,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:35″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349128″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349128″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Ln
    Gentn
    Red Star Belgraden
    Hoffenheimn”,”raw”:”
    GROUP L
    Gent
    Red Star Belgrade
    Hoffenheim”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638518,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:35″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349127″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell even thread-even depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349127″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP En
    PSV Eindhovenn
    PAOKn
    Granadan”,”raw”:”
    GROUP E
    PSV Eindhoven
    PAOK
    Granada”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638502,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:35″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349126″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349126″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Kn
    CSKA Moscown
    GNK Dinamon
    Feyenoordn”,”raw”:”
    GROUP K
    CSKA Moscow
    GNK Dinamo
    Feyenoord”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638478,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:34″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349125″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell even thread-even depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349125″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Jn
    Tottenhamn
    Ludogoretsn
    LASKn”,”raw”:”
    GROUP J
    Tottenham
    Ludogorets
    LASK”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638451,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:34″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349124″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349124″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Fn
    Napolin
    Real Sociedadn
    AZ Alkmaarn”,”raw”:”
    GROUP F
    Napoli
    Real Sociedad
    AZ Alkmaar”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638432,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:33″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349123″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell even thread-even depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349123″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP In
    Villarrealn
    Qarabagn
    Maccabi Tel Avivn”,”raw”:”
    GROUP I
    Villarreal
    Qarabag
    Maccabi Tel Aviv”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638413,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:33″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349122″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349122″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Hn
    Celticn
    Sparta Praguen
    AC Milann”,”raw”:”
    GROUP H
    Celtic
    Sparta Prague
    AC Milan
    “},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638380,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:33″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}},{“id”:”349120″,”type”:”new”,”post_id”:”12821627″,”css_classes”:”liveblog byuser comment-author-aterrell even thread-even depth-1 liveblog-entry liveblog-entry-class-349120″,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    GROUP Dn
    Benfica n
    Standard Liegen
    RANGERSn”,”raw”:”
    GROUP D
    Benfica
    Standard Liege
    RANGERS”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1601638364,”date_formatted”:”2nd October 2020″,”time_formatted”:”12:32″},”author”:”Alex Terrell”,”avatar”:{“src”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75622bf9fec0da44f98a717e21d53376?s=96&d=mm&r=g”,”width”:30,”height”:30}}],”archived”:false},”pageMeta”:{“activeCarouselIndex”:0,”articleId”:12821627,”articleMountId”:”main-content”,”section”:{“slug”:”football”,”id”:339,”sectionName”:”sport/football”,”type”:”UNKNOWN”,”theme”:”theme-football”},”spotId”:”sp_5v3VPY0c”,”pushlyKey”:”KtL4100XTLLEgUtYDKtO1stRdc1XNxnLUb5i”,”commentsAllowed”:true,”pageType”:”article”,”isSection”:false,”pageTags”:[“Europa League”,”Explainers”,”Sport Live Blogs”,”Arsenal”,”Leicester City”,”Tottenham Hotspur”],”renderedArticleId”:12821627,”sharingEnabled”:true,”socialHeadline”:”Europa League group stage draw: UK time, live stream FREE, TV channel and pots”,”socialSharingServices”:[“twitter”,”facebook”],”urlAbsolute”:”https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/12821627/europa-league-draw-live-stream-arsenal-tottenham/”,”cssManifest”:{“adsDesktop.css”:”/assets/client/adsDesktop.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”adsMobile.css”:”/assets/client/adsMobile.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”article.css”:”/assets/client/article.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”articleSocial.css”:”/assets/client/articleSocial.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”boxout.css”:”/assets/client/boxout.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”brightcoveDesktop.css”:”/assets/client/brightcoveDesktop.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”brightcoveMobile.css”:”/assets/client/brightcoveMobile.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”comments.css”:”/assets/client/comments.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”core.css”:”/assets/client/core.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”coreMobile.css”:”/assets/client/coreMobile.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”customiser.css”:”/assets/client/customiser.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”liveblog.css”:”/assets/client/liveblog.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”oembed.css”:”/assets/client/oembed.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”opta.css”:”/assets/client/opta.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”page-404.css”:”/assets/client/page-404.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”pagination.css”:”/assets/client/pagination.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”rails.css”:”/assets/client/rails.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”,”section.css”:”/assets/client/section.e217514010118f44eca7.1.css”},”cssBundles”:[{“src”:”article.css”,”lazy”:false},{“src”:”articleSocial.css”,”lazy”:false},{“src”:”liveblog.css”,”lazy”:false},{“src”:”adsDesktop.css”,”lazy”:false},{“src”:”comments.css”,”lazy”:true},{“src”:”opta.css”,”lazy”:false}],”siteContext”:{“site”:”sun”,”lang”:”en-gb”,”articleDateFormat”:”D MMM YYYY,H:mm”,”timezone”:”Europe/London”,”sourcepoint”:{“enabled”:true,”accountId”:259,”siteId”:5048,”mmsDomain”:”https://cmp.cdn.thesun.co.uk”,”privacyManagerId”:165581,”baseEndpoint”:”https://cmp.cdn.thesun.co.uk”,”amp”:{“accountId”:259,”propertyHref”:”https://thesun.co.uk.amp”,”propertyId”:7736,”privacyManagerId”:165581,”stageCampaign”:false,”checkConsentHref”:”https://cmp.cdn.thesun.co.uk/wrapper/tcfv2/v1/amp”,”promptUISrc”:”https://cmp.cdn.thesun.co.uk/amp/index.html”,”mmsDomain”:”https://cmp.cdn.thesun.co.uk”,”pmTab”:”purposes”,”targetingParams”:{“color”:”red”},”policy”:{“default”:{“timeout”:{“seconds”:5,”fallbackAction”:”reject”}}}}},”isProd”:true,”features”:{“enable-newsletter”:false,”dockedPlayer”:true,”podWidgets”:true,”swipe”:false,”swipeOnBoarding”:false,”digitalPersonalisation”:false,”digitalPersonalisationServerSide”:false,”burgerMenu”:false,”galleryAds”:true,”newBrightcove”:false,”redisAMPCacheEnabled”:true,”redisCacheAMPVersion”:31,”stickySocial”:false,”nextBestAction”:false,”redisArticleCacheEnabled”:true,”redisSectionCacheEnabled”:true,”billboardTeaser”:false,”firstScrollAnalytics”:true,”pushlyNotification”:true,”redisBrotliCompressionEnabled”:false,”optimizelySnippetEnabled”:true,”fsStickyWidgets”:true,”liveblogV2Enabled”:false}},”site”:”sun”,”isProd”:true},”siteLinks”:{“help”:”https://help.thesun.co.uk”,”login”:”https://login.thesun.co.uk”,”profile”:”https://home.thesun.co.uk”},”articleTeaser”:[{“content”:{“kicker”:”MCNEILL DEAL”,”headline”:”Man Utd steal 600-goal wonderkid Charlie McNeill from City in shock £750k move”,”lead”:”THE Red Devils have confirmed the arrival of TWO new faces to their Under-18s squad. As well as ex-City star McNeill, United welcome former Atletico Madrid youngster Alejandro Garnacho in a double-swoop with one eye on the future.”,”url”:”https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/12833581/man-utd-mcneill-transfer-city-garnacho/”},”theme”:”theme-football”},{“content”:{“kicker”:”‘FIDDLE'”,”headline”:”Man Utd fans say Champions League draw ‘fixed’ as they’ll face PSG and RB Leipzig”,”lead”:”RED DEVILS supporters reacted with shock and suspicion after United were dumped in a nightmare group. As social media erupted, there were even claims the draw was ‘fixed’ in favour of neighbours City.”,”url”:”https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/12821967/man-utd-champions-league-draw-fix-claim-psg/”},”theme”:”theme-football”},{“content”:{“kicker”:”WHAT THE DEL”,”headline”:”Spurs ‘reject PSG’s £4m Dele Alli loan offer but French side could bid again'”,”lead”:”TOTTENHAM have turned down a second loan bid from Paris Saint-Germain. But the North Londoners are bracing themselves for a third bid from the Ligue 1 champions.”,”url”:”https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/12832789/tottenham-reject-psg-dele-alli-transfer/”},”theme”:”theme-football”},{“content”:{“kicker”:”A BIT RICH”,”headline”:”Prem clubs refuse EFL bail-out after finding out Championship owners worth £32bn”,”lead”:”TOP-FLIGHT teams are again resisting rising pressure from the Government to stump up £250m for the lower divisions – after staggering figures revealing the wealth of second-tier clubs’ owners. But Prem sides do have sympathy for Leagues One and Two.”,”url”:”https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/12823883/championship-bail-out-premier-league-parry-billionaire-owners/”},”theme”:”theme-football”},{“content”:{“kicker”:”NEW SAN-INGS?”,”headline”:”Arsenal fans convinced bizarre Cazorla clip is clue Aouar & Partey are coming”,”lead”:”GUNNERS have been heavily linked with the duo. And footage of fans favourite Santi Cazorla practising his Cockney accent, in front a mesmeric background which was posted on the Arsenal’s Instagram sent some supporters into a frenzy.”,”url”:”https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/12833636/arsenal-santi-cazorla-video-aouar-partey-transfers/”},”theme”:”theme-football”},{“content”:{“kicker”:”SAD STORY”,”headline”:”Sadio Mane tests positive for coronavirus and will miss Aston Villa game”,”lead”:”THIS Senegal winger has joined new-signing Thiago Alcantara in returning a positive result for Covid-19 this week. The pair will now both sit out the Premier League clash with Villa, with Thiago already missing the Carabao Cup penalty shootout defeat.”,”url”:”https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/12834056/sadio-mane-positive-coronavirus-liverpool/”},”theme”:”theme-football”},{“content”:{“kicker”:”IF, NOT WEN”,”headline”:”Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger reveals holding talks over Man Utd manager job”,”lead”:”GUNNERS icon Wenger admits he was offered the job at Old Trafford as well as many of Europe’s other top clubs. But he refused to reveal when he could have taken the gig at former rivals United.”,”url”:”https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/12833087/arsenal-arsene-wenger-offered-man-utd-job/”},”theme”:”theme-football”},{“content”:{“kicker”:”HAT’S OFF”,”headline”:”Harry Kane’s hat-trick No12 puts him seventh on all-time list, way behind Ronaldo”,”lead”:”THE Spurs star scored three times as his side booked their spot in the Europa League proper in a 7-2 drubbing of Maccabi Haifa. And his treble moved him up the rankings of players with the most hat-tricks of all-time, behind a host of superstar strikers.”,”url”:”https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/12830339/harry-kane-most-hattricks-ronaldo-messi/”},”theme”:”theme-football”},{“content”:{“kicker”:”ON YOUR MARKS”,”headline”:”Southampton and West Ham to fight for Liverpool’s forgotten man Grujic”,”lead”:”MIDFIELDER Marko Grujic was Jurgen Klopp’s first signing when joining from Red Star Belgrade in January 2016. He was handed a rare opportunity to impress on Thursday night as the Reds were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on penalties by Arsenal.”,”url”:”https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/12826654/liverpool-grujic-southampton-west-ham/”},”theme”:”theme-football”},{“content”:{“kicker”:”DIO-GO GO GO”,”headline”:”Dalot in talks with AC Milan but Roma want him as part of Smalling deal”,”lead”:”MAN UTD are keen to offload both defenders this transfer window. Milan had been chasing Dalot on a loan move, with Solskjaer bluntly stating he must go permanently or no deal – with Roma now entering the mix for the Portuguese outcast. “,”url”:”https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/12832558/man-utd-dalot-smalling-transfer-milan-roma/”},”theme”:”theme-football”}],”optimizelyUrl”:”//www.thesun.co.uk/assets/optimizely/16003990469.js”,”enableSkimlinks”:false,”digitalPersonalisation”:{“newskitApiKey”:”JlWiVPQWkbQU3M4xZGXvGcDbGHrvGQZb”,”newskitEndpoint”:”https://newskit.newsapis.co.uk/graphql”}}; window.admantx_data = {“admants”:[“bs_custom_chanel_kw”,”adx_sport”,”bs_custom_deloitte_kw”],”categories”:[“soccer”,”sports”],”feelings”:[“success”,”pride”,”positive_emotions”,”emotions”,”neutral_sentiment”,”sentiment”],”entities”:[“tottenham”,”europa_league”,”milan”,”alex_terrell”,”rio_ave”,”leicester”,”group_stage”,”arsenal”,”zagreb”,”wolfsburg”,”toni_borevkovic”,”shootout”,”psv”,”prag”,”poland”,”nicosia”,”maccabi_haifa”,”liège”,”harry_kane”,”granada”,”gianluigi_donnarumma”,”eindhoven”,”dundalk”,”basel”,”azerbaijans_qarabag”,”yerevan”,”wien”,”union_of_european_football_associations”,”tjaronn_chery”,”tel_aviv”,”sparta”,”spains”,”sheva”,”scotland”,”sarajevo”,”rome”,”rijeka”,”poznan”,”pawel_kieszek”,”odsonne_edouard”,”nyon”,”nikita_rukavytsya”,”nice”,”nelson_monte”,”naples”,”nagorno-karabakh”,”moscow”,”molde”,”luhansk”,”lucas_moura”,”lille”,”liberec”,”leverkusen”,”judetul_cluj”,”hakan_calhanoglu”,”haifa”,”greece”,”giovani_lo_celso”,”gent”,”europe”,”england”,”dun_dealgan”,”cyprus”,”croatia”,”braga”,”belgrade”,”bayern_munich”,”bayer”,”azerbaijan”,”athens”,”armenia”,”arizona”,”ararati_marz”,”antwerpen”,”alkmaar”]};

    Jump directly to the content

    IN THE HAT

    ARSENAL have been drawn against Irish minnows Dundalk, alongside Rapid Vienna and Molde.
    Tottenham have been given Ludogorets, LASK and Antwerp, while Leicester face Braga, AEK and Zorya Luhansk.

    Celtic and Rangers are also in the group stages, with the Hoops facing seven-time Champions League winners AC Milan.
    EUROPA LEAGUE GROUP DRAW
    GROUP A: Roma, Young Boys, Cluj, CSKA Sofia.
    GROUP B: ARSENAL, Rapid Vienna, Molde, DUNDALK.
    GROUP C: Leverkusen, Slavia Prague, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, Nice.

    GROUP D: Benfica, Standard Liege, RANGERS, Lech Poznan.
    GROUP E: PSV, PAOK, Granada, Omonoia.
    GROUP F: Napoli, Real Sociedad, AZ Alkmaar, Rijeka.
    GROUP G: Braga, LEICESTER CITY, AEK, Zorya Luhansk.

    GROUP H: CELTIC, Sparta Prague, AC Milan, Lille.
    GROUP I: Villarreal, Qarabag, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Sivasspor.
    GROUP J: TOTTENHAM, Ludogorets, LASK, Antwerp.
    GROUP K: CSKA Moscow, Dinamo Zagreb, Feyenoord, Wolfsberg.
    GROUP L: Gent, Red Star Belgrade, Hoffenheim, Liberec.

    Load more entries… More

  • in

    Arsenal’s Europa League draw pits them against Dundalk and Rapid Vienna as Tottenham face 3,300-mile trip to Ludogorets

    ARSENAL have been handed a favourable Europa League draw with Rapid Vienna, Molde and Dundalk in Group B.
    Jose Mourinho will also fancy his chances of progressing with Spurs drawn against Ludogorets, LASK and Royal Antwerp.

    3

    Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have been handed a favourable Europa League groupCredit: Reuters

    But Mourinho will also be cursing his luck that his side will need to face the mammoth 3,300-mile trip to take on Bulgarian opposition Ludogorets, particularly with a hectic fixture schedule.
    Leceister, who make their Europa League debut, were handed the toughest draw out of the Premier League trio.
    Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes found themselves drawn in Group G against Portuguese top seeds Braga, managed by former Swansea boss Carlos Carvahal.
    Leicester also have two long-distance trips to eastern Europe, facing AEK Athens and the Ukrainians of Zorya Luhansk

    Arteta will no doubt be delighted with the draw having avoided the likes of Real Sociedad and AC Milan.
    The draw will prove a huge scalp for Irish side Dundalk who will host the Gunners inside their 4,500-seater stadium.
    As with the Champions League, the group stage will be congested in to just an eight-week window, starting on October 22, with two blocks of three consecutive Thursday dates separated by the November international break.
    But while the English sides were relatively content, Scotland’s two representatives face major tests of their mettle.

    3

    Jose Mourinho will also fancy his chances of progressingCredit: EPA

    3

    Leicester have been handed the toughest draw out of the Prem trioCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    Champions Celtic face Euro giants AC Milan, who made it through after a 24-penalty shoot-out in Portugal on Thursday, plus Sparta Prague and French side Lille.
    And across Glasgow, Steven Gerrard’s Rangers take on Portuguese Euro perennials Benfica, Belgium’s Standard Liege and Lech Poznan of Poland.
    The Gunners will be hoping to improve on last season’s performance after Olympiakos knocked them out in the Round of 32.
    Despite a 1-0 win in Greece, Arteta’s men collapsed to a 2-1 defeat at the Emirates and were punished on away goals.
    Spurs are making their first appearance in the competition since the 2016/17 season.
    After finishing third in their Champions League group, they were knocked out by Gent in the Round of 32.

    Rangers stars dance round dressing room singing Sweet Caroline after dumping Galatasaray out Europa League More

  • in

    AC Milan progress in Europa League after epic 24-penalty shootout with one Rio Ave player’s miss hitting BOTH posts

    AC MILAN booked their place in the Europa League group stage after a dramatic 24-penalty shootout to knock out Rio Ave.
    With every player on the field forced to take at least one penalty, Rio Ave squandered three spot-kicks in the pouring rain to book their spot in the next round.

    6

    Nelson Monte was left in disbelief when his kick hit both postsCredit: EPA

    6

    Gianluigi Donnarumma made the crucial save to send AC Milan throughCredit: EPA

    The Italian giants went ahead after 52 minutes through Alexis Saelemaekers before Francisco Geraldes sent the game into extra-time.
    Gelson then fired the Portuguese side into the lead before Hakan Calhanoglu sent the clash to pens after equalising with the last kick of the game.
    But the drama was only just to begin.

    Both teams bagged five perfect penalties including Rio’s Filipe Augusto who showed nerves of steel to score a Panenka and send it to sudden death
    AC Milan’s Davide Calabria and Sandro Tonali’s penalties were matched by Gelson Dala and Gabriel to make it 7-7.
    Lorenzo Colombo then handed the hosts a golden opportunity to qualify when he blasted it over the bar.
    But Nelson Monte was left in disbelief when his penalty hit both posts before bouncing out.

    Rafael Leao and Jaime Pinto then scored before goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma blazed his penalty over the bar.

    6

    Ismael Bennacur missed on his second attemptCredit: Reuters

    6

    But it didn’t matter as AC Milan booked their spot in the next roundCredit: AP:Associated Press

    6

    Rio Ave players were left devastated after the penalty dramaCredit: Reuters

    6

    Donnarumma was the hero despite missing his penalty kickCredit: AP:Associated Press

    Rio’s keeper Pawel Kieszek then did exactly the same before Ismael Bennacur and Francisco Geraldes both missed on their second attempts.
    Finally Simon Kjaer made it 9-8 to AC Milan and it proved decisive when Donnarumma made the crucial save to book their spot in the group stages.
    It is still a way off the longest penalty shootout ever recorded which came in a Namibian Cup clash between KK Palace and the Civics.
    It required a staggering 48-penalties as KK Palace ran out 17-16 winners.

    Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal do practice penalties after beating Liverpool in the Carabao Cup More