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    VAR official seen scrolling through betting site as shocking footage from top flight surfaces live on TV

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    A VAR official has landed in hot water after appearing to scroll through a betting site on live TV.A Bulgarian official is alleged to have been spotted using the site moments before kick-off between CSKA Sofia and Lokomotiv Sofia.A VAR official appeared to scroll a betting site before a matchHe was suspended after footage of the incident began to circulate on social media.Hawk-Eye Innovations, which is responsible for the VAR system in the Bulgarian First League, explained the decision in a letter to the Bulgarian Football Union.It said: “Hawk-Eye Innovations acknowledges with regret an incident involving one of its VAR operators during the Parva Liga match between PFC CSKA-Sofia and PFC Lokomotiv Sofia yesterday evening (2nd April 2025).“Live footage from the camera situation in the VAR operations room documented the individual utilising a personal smartphone during the match and appearing to engage in inappropriate activities which would constitute gross misconduct in relation to the responsibilities of their assigned role.”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe company said it would investigate the official during his suspension, as reported by NeedToKnow.It added: “If the individual has been found to have been engaging in such inappropriate activity, we will look to dismiss the individual in accordance with their contractual terms.”Fans were shocked by the revelation with one saying: “Lol that’s wild.”Another added: “Everything you need to know about VAR…”Most read in FootballA third wrote: “Nah this is some nasty business.”And another commented: “We are in a very bad situation…”‘People like you will be happy’ – Postecoglou snaps at Sky Sports reporter in ‘generational meltdown’ after Chelsea loss More

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      ‘I was on the point of doing something crazy’ – Liverpool legend admits VAR would have changed history in Everton clash

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      LIVERPOOL icon Dirk Kuyt has admitted his infamous Merseyside derby tackle was “crazy” and he should have been sent off.The shocking challenge was made during an ill-tempered fixture in 2007.Dirk Kuyt avoided a red card for a reckless tackle on Phil NevilleCredit: Sky SportsKuyt then stepped up and scored a late winner from the spotCredit: PA:Press AssociationLiverpool beat Everton 2-1 as David Moyes’ side went down to nine-men after red cards to Tony Hibbert and Phil Neville.Kuyt scored both goals for the Reds, including a dramatic 92nd minute penalty to win it.The strike was highly controversial as the Dutchman somehow escaped an early bath for a reckless and wild lunge on Neville.Kuyt went in two-footed above the Everton skipper’s knee but was given just a yellow by referee Mark Clattenburg.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLOpening up on the moment, Kuyt told The Telegraph: “I was very lucky to come away from that because if I had a red card, I would not have managed to score the winning goal. “It’s crazy when you play these kinds of games because there’s a lot of adrenaline, a lot of emotion.“I flew through the air and thank God there was no VAR there at the time. “When I was in the air, I knew I was way too late and I was on the point of doing something crazy. Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK”I tried to hold my legs inside me just to be lucky not to touch him. I think I was very lucky not to get the red card.”Liverpool face Everton tonight and tempers could flare again after a huge bust-up at the end of their 2-2 thriller just seven weeks ago.Everton and Liverpool stars sent off in post-match brawl as police intervene with Slot seeing red for handshake stuntKuyt, 44, is currently the manager of Belgian side Beerschot and it is his “dream” to one day fill Arne Slot’s shoes as Liverpool boss.Kuyt is now manager of Belgian outfit BeerschotCredit: AFP More

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      Premier League announce major change to VAR to be introduced for last seven games of the season

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      PREM chiefs will finally roll out semi-automated offside technology for the final seven rounds of top flight games, starting on April 12.Club bosses approved the introduction of the new system last summer, with a planned launch in the autumn.A major VAR change is heading to the Premier League imminentlyCredit: ReutersSemi-automated offsides are coming into play later this monthCredit: PREMIER LEAGUEUS-based Genius Sport devised the specialist cameras – up to 28 per match – which deploy the “mesh tracking” of 10,000 plus data points for each player.But a series of issues and concerns about the accuracy of the system saw the launch date put back.While it was used for the first time at seven of the eight FA Cup fifth round ties, an eight minute delay before Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez’ “goal” against Wolves was eventually ruled out brought a cautious response from Prem leaders.All clubs had been warned that even with SAOT there will still be some situations – such as the one at Bournemouth – where crosshairs and lines will have to be used rather than simply taking the computer call and illustrating it with virtual animation.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut last weekend’s quarter final games in the Cup passed off without any concerns.And Premier League bosses confirmed the decision, arguing: “The technology maintains the integrity of the VAR process while enhancing the speed, efficiency, and consistency of offside decision-making.”Prem chief football officer Tony Scholes is convinced that SAOT will speed up decision-making on offsides, cutting 30 seconds-plus off the time taken.Ongoing technical developments backed by Fifa should also see the swift end of assistants keeping their flags down on “tight” offsides, with automatic signalling if a player has broken the defensive line by more than a few inches.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSThe first match to experience it will be Man City’s Etihad clash against Crystal Palace on April 12.A full statement read: “The Premier League will introduce semi-automated offside technology on Saturday 12 April (Match Round 32). This follows non-live testing in the Premier League and live operation in the FA Cup this season.Moment Nottingham Forest fans ‘try to bribe Anthony Taylor’ during VAR check as hilarious footage goes viral“Semi-automated offside technology automates key elements of the offside decision-making process to support the video assistant referee (VAR).“It provides more efficient placement of the virtual offside line, using optical player tracking, and generates virtual graphics to ensure an enhanced in-stadium and broadcast experience for fans.“The technology maintains the integrity of the process while enhancing the speed, efficiency, and consistency of offside decision-making.“The Premier League has worked in collaboration with PGMOL and sports data and technology company Genius Sports to develop the new semi-automated offside technology system.” More

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      Premier League referee salaries revealed as officials are controversially blocked from boosting earnings abroad

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      PREMIER LEAGUE referees’ huge pay packets have been revealed – and show they are among the country’s top earners. Their salaries appear to reflect their growing status in the game and the increasing pressure they are under every week as billions watch worldwide.The salaries of Premier League referees has been revealedCredit: RexFigures provided by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb in a meeting of the 72 EFL clubs revealed what kind of money the Prem’s officials are pocketing, as reported by The Times.They showed that the average salary for a Premier League referee it between £170,000 and £180,000.While the top referees are earning around £250,000 per year.Officials are paid their salary at a base rate, which is then boosted by performance bonuses and match fees.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThat base rate ranges between £72,000 and £148,000, and varies according to experience and seniority in the role.Senior officials, such as Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver, are likely to earn around £250,000 a year from their Premier League roles.While less-experienced refs, identified in ‘Select Group 1′, will earn closer to £125,000.When pension and national insurance contributions are factored in, it’s understood that the PGMOL averaged a total cost of £240,000 per referee. Most read in FootballBy comparison, the average salary for pilots and air traffic controllers is significantly less at £91,208.Chief refereeing officer Howard Webb revealed the figures in a meeting of the 72 EFL clubsCredit: PACASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSLyon manager Paulo Fonseca faces SEVEN-MATCH ban after squaring up to referee in incredible meltdownWhile chief executives (£81,328) , IT directors (£81,588) and specialist medical practitioners’ (£73,320) salaries are all dwarfed by the officials’ pay packets too.However, top city workers such as those in finance, insurance and lawyers can earn far more than the Prem’s referees.Officials can boost their earnings outside the Premier League too, with many of the top referees chosen to take charge of Uefa sanctioned games in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.While they can also officiate at Fifa-run events like the Club World Cup and the World Cup proper.A report last year claimed that referees in the Champions League are paid between £5,300 and £9,000 per game.And major tournaments like the World Cup have been reported to earn officials between £38,700 and £54,000 – before match bonuses are added.Outside of those organisations, Premier League officials will find it difficult to boost their incomes.That’s because the PGMOL have now effectively prevented officials from taking charge of matches in the Gulf states.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe decision came last year, after Michael Oliver, Darren England and Dan Cook officiated a match in the United Arab Emirates less than 48 hours before a shocking VAR mistake in Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur last season.Concerns were voiced around how that looked for the Premier League given Manchester City’s United Arab Emirates ownership, and Newcastle United’s links to the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.Officials failed to realise that Luis Diaz was onside during a clash between Liverpool and Tottenham last season More

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      Fans in stitches as Federico Chiesa doesn’t realise he’s scored after VAR announcement played over Wembley tannoy

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      FEDERICO CHIESA’S Liverpool career has not quite gone to plan since he joined Liverpool from Juventus last summer.But the Italian does now have a Wembley goal to his name after netting in stoppage time to halve Newcastle’s League Cup Final lead.Chiesa had a delayed reaction to the referee’s callCredit: GettyChiesa’s goal made for an intense period of extra timeCredit: APThe Italian’s cameo left fans wondering why Slot does not let him play more oftenCredit: PA MediaHowever, he was unable to prevent Newcastle lifting the trophy with a 2-1 win.Chiesa was put through a nervous wait before the goal was confirmed, though, as the VAR team took their time pondering an offside call.The goal would ultimately stand, prompting a panicked period of injury time as Liverpool desperatey pushed for an equaliser, to no avail.As the referee announced the decision over the Wembley Stadium tannoy, the camera panned to Chiesa, who wore a blank expression.Read more football newsThe referee announced to the crowd that Chiesa was onside when the ball was played, meaning the linesman’s flag in-game was overruled by VAR.But Chiesa appeared shocked and almost ready to protest.The Italian is a confident English speaker, regularly giving interviews in English before and since moving to Merseyside.Despite that, fans were quick in taking to social media to react to his confusion.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSSeveral pointed out the gaffe, with one writing: “Funny how Chiesa reacted after VAR overturned the offside and confirmed he scores.”Man don’t understand English.”Juventus star Federico Chiesa leaves Turnin on private flight for transfer deal with Liverpool Despite that, supporters were very complimentary of his performance, producing an impressive cameo after coming off the substitute’s bench in the 74th minute.His incisiveness was a refreshing change from the contributions of Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota, who managed just one shot between them.One fan wrote on X: “Start Chiesa the rest of the season. Left wing, right wing, at the nine, I don’t care. Start him.”Others questioned why he has struggled for minutes as the 27-year-old has made just three Premier League appearances since signing thanks to a series of niggling injuries.The League Cup final loss caps a miserable week for Liverpool, who on Tuesday were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain after a penalty shootout. More

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      Uefa ready to open talks over shock rule change after controversial Julian Alvarez penalty disallowed vs Real Madrid

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      UEFA ready to open talks over a shock rule change after Julian Alvarez’s penalty was controversially disallowed against Real Madrid.The Spanish derby went to a shootout in the Champions League last 16 after Atletico won 1-0 on the night to level 2-2 on aggregate.Julian Alvarez’s penalty was disallowed in the shootoutCredit: GettyBut controversy struck when former Manchester City star Alvarez slipped while taking his spot-kick. His effort went in but was soon chalked off and overturned to a miss after replays revealed the slip caused him to twice touch the ball before it went in.It violated Uefa’s rules on penalties but, after Atletico launched an appeal, the governing body ruled the stipulation could be looked at and changed.Uefa said in a statement: “Atletico de Madrid enquired with UEFA over the incident, which led to the disallowance of the kick from the penalty mark taken by Julian Alvarez at the end of yesterday’s UEFA Champions League match against Real Madrid.READ MORE IN football “Although minimal, the player made contact with the ball using his standing foot before kicking it, as shown in the attached video clip. “Under the current rule (Laws of the Game, Law 14.1), the VAR had to call the referee signalling that the goal should be disallowed.”UEFA will enter discussions with FIFA and IFAB to determine whether the rule should be reviewed in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional.” Madrid progressed 4-2 on penalties with ex-Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger scoring the deciding spot kick.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBut, had Alvarez’s kick have counted, Atletico would have had one final penalty to take the contest to sudden death.Atletico manager Diego Simeone fumed in the post-match press conference. Fans can’t believe what Antoine Griezmann swapped his shirt for with fan after Atletico winHe said: “Don’t be afraid to speak. Are you afraid because you’re going to be punished? “If you’re afraid, don’t say anything. Raise your hand if you think Julian knocked twice. No one? No one. Okay.”Honestly, I won’t lie to you, being eliminated the way we’ve been is not an easy thing to accept.”Simeone continued: “I just saw the image of the penalty. “The referee said that when Julian stepped and kicked, he touched the ball with his foot, but the ball didn’t move. “That’s something to discuss about whether it was a goal or not, but I’m proud of my players.”When he plants his foot and kicks, the ball doesn’t move even a little bit. But if VAR called it, I’ve never seen a penalty called by VAR, but it’s still valid, and they’ll have seen that he touched it. “I want to believe they’ll have seen that he touched it.”READ MORE SUN STORIESMadrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said: “I think they had detected it already at the VAR when we were hesitating. “We haven’t warned them, not me at least because I didn’t realise. I’ve seen the replay and I think he touches it with his left foot, the second touch.”Real Madrid won the shootout in very controversial circumstancesCredit: Alamy More

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      ‘Historic robbery’ – Fans furious as Julian Alvarez’s penalty controversially ruled out after Real Madrid protests

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      FOOTBALL fans were left furious after Julian Alvarez saw his penalty shootout goal ruled out following a VAR intervention.Conor Gallagher’s early goal for Atletico Madrid after 27 seconds had forced extra-time and penalties with holders Real Madrid during the second leg of the Madrid derby Champions League last 16 clash.Julian Alvarez saw his penalty shootout kick against Real Madrid controversially ruled outCredit: RexVAR ruled out the kick on grounds of a double touch before it went inCredit: ReutersBoth sides were unable to find a decisive winner, with Vinicius Jr blazing a spot-kick over the bar in the second half, so a shootout was needed to separate the teams at the end of more than 210 minutes of action.With the away side kicking first, the first three penalties were all scored.Ex-Manchester City star Alvarez then stepped up for his sides second penalty at the Wanda Metropolitano.Catastrophe struck as the Argentine slipped during his run-up, but his effort still managed to find its way into the net.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHowever, VAR seemed to spot something wrong with the kick.And upon a review, Alvarez saw his goal ruled out for an extraordinary double touch.Atletico scored their next penalty through Angel Correa, but were sent crashing out of the competition by their neighbours once again when Marcos Llorente saw his kick saved by Thibaut Courtois.Fans were left fuming about the inexplicable intervention by VAR, accusing it of favouring the 15-time European Champions.Most read in FootballCheltenham 2025 – all you needOne fan on social media said: “Football will never see anything like this again. A historic robbery has taken place at the Metropolitano with the whole world watching. Payments have come in clutch.”A second said: “Cancelling a penalty because there might have been a double touch is abhorrent. At the very least, Álvarez should be given a chance to retake it. Carlo Ancelotti to step down as Real Madrid boss”But if there isn’t even clear-cut evidence of a double touch, why nullify it? There’s no other way to put it: it’s anti-football.”A third added: “The Julian Alvarez penalty kick is all the evidence we needed towards proving that Real Madrid has some pact with the devil in the Champions League.”Atleti boss Diego Simeone was incandescent as ever when discussing the intervention, asking reporters to raise their hand if they saw the apparent double touch.He then shouted: “Did anyone here see Julián touch the ball twice? Raise your hand! Come on, come on! Raise your hand! Nobody’s raising theirs, ready! Next question…”However, slowed-down replays from of the incident showed there was indeed a slight double-touch.Football lawmakers, IFAB, clearly write in the laws of the game that the double touch of a penalty kick is forbidden.Law 14.2 states: “The kicker touches the ball again before it has touched another player; an indirect free kick (or direct free kick for a handball offence) is awarded.”Law 10, which clarifies the rules around shootouts, also adds: “If the kicker is penalised for an offence committed after the referee has signalled for the kick to be taken, that kick is recorded as missed and the kicker is cautioned.”Real Madrid’s progression into the quarter-finals sees them play Arsenal, who were eliminated at this stage by Bayern Munich last season.The first leg will commence at the Emirates on April 8, with the second leg commencing the following week on April 16.These two clubs have remarkably only met once before in the Champions League in 2005/06.Arsenal emerged as 1-0 victors over a two-legged semi-final thanks to Thierry Henry goal early in the second half at the Bernabeu.READ MORE SUN STORIESThat season was the last time the Gunners made it to the final of the competition.The winner of the tie will play one of Paris Saint-Germain or Aston Villa for a spot in the final at the Allianz Arena. More

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      Inter Milan manager’s gesture backfires horribly after shock intervention in Champions League penalty decision

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      SIMONE INZAGHI’S hand gesture backfired after his chosen player MISSED a penalty against Feyenoord in the Champions League.With Inter Milan 2-0 up, goalscorer Marcus Thuram drew a foul in the box after Jeyland Mitchell clipped the back of the Frenchman’s leg in the 63rd minute.Inter Milan boss Inzaghi’s gesture backfired after his chosen player scuffed a penalty against FeyenoordPiotr Zielinski missed out on the chance of putting Inter 3-0 upCredit: ReutersAfter initially waving on, referee Espen Eskas overturned his decision after being sent to the monitor.The camera panned to Inter boss Inzaghi who was holding seven fingers up to his players waiting near the penalty spot.He was indicating he wanted midfielder Piotr Zielinski to take the spot-kick in the first-leg of their last-16 clash.That’s despite talismanic striker Lautaro Martinez still being on the pitch.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSAnd, in a dramatic turn of events, Zielinski’s limp shot was easy kept out by goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther.Inzaghi’s mistimed intervention came about because No.1 penalty taker Hakan Calhanoglu was sitting on the bench.Zielinski had just returned to the starting line up at the expense of former Manchester United star Henrikh Mkhitaryan.Martinez scored his penalty in Argentina’s shootout victory over the Netherlands in the semi-final of the Qatar World Cup in 2022.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSHe was also due to take the fifth spot-kick for Argentina in the final against France, but his country had already claimed a 4-2 win before his turn came.Martinez doubled Inter’s lead in the 50th minute, after Thuram grabbed their opener.Champions League last 16 draw sees Liverpool take on PSG and Arsenal face PSV Zielinski had scored his last two spot-kicks, both in the same game in a 4-4 thriller against Juventus in Serie A in October.Usual penalty taker Halhanoglu has endured a torrid time in 2025 and was benched after coming off injured during Inter’s 1-1 draw against title rivals Napoli. More

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      Michael Oliver NOT given Premier League game after horror blunder to not send off Millwall star for brutal kung-fu kick

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      BLUNDER ref Michael Oliver has not been given a Premier League game this weekend, following his stunning initial decision not to send off a Millwall player for a kung-fu kick on Saturday.Oliver, 40, needed a VAR intervention to persuade him to issue a red card to Lions keeper Liam Roberts for his outrageous challenge on Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.Michael Oliver has been dropped from this weekend’s Premier League actionCredit: RexThe referee initially did not give a free kick for Liam Roberts’ kick on Jean-Philippe MatetaCredit: ReutersMateta required 25 stitches for the gash on his earCredit: ReutersThe whistler had not even awarded a free-kick for the horrifying incident in the FA Cup, which saw Mateta taken to hospital and have TWENTY-FIVE stitches for a gashed ear.Eagles chairman Steve Parish branded the reckless tackle as “endangering a fellow professional, maybe even his life”.The home side went on to win the FA Cup 3-1 at Selhurst Park and knock out the Championship outfit.The forward was later discharged from hospital after all scans were clear and he was “feeling well”.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLMillwall manager Alex Neil and Roberts both reached out to Mateta to check on his well-being after the game.Oliver has not been given a match to ref this weekend, and is not down to be a fourth official or VAR.He will officiate Harry Kane’s all-German Champions League clash though as Bayern Munich take on Bayer Leverkusen in their last-16 first leg.The clash will take place tomorrow night at the Allianz Arena.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSPGMOL sources pointed to the fact that ref rotation is a common occurrence in the Premier League.Oliver had the weekend of February 15-16 off too, which followed his reffing of a feisty Merseyside derby which ended 2-2 and saw two players and two coaches sent off.Crystal Palace star Mateta stretchered off with horror injury after shock kung-fu kick from Milwall keeper who sees redArne Slot was furious with Oliver after the Merseyside derby last monthCredit: ReutersLiverpool boss Arne Slot was left fuming after the match by Oliver’s performance.The Dutchman was given a two-match ban and a £70,000 fine for his meltdown after the full-time whistle.Slot told Oliver that he would “F*****G BLAME” him should Liverpool go on to lose the Premier League title.The Reds are the favourites to lift the title at the end of the season despite dropping two points against the Toffees.The FA has backed Oliver on this occasion after publishing the full written reasons for the penalties imposed on Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff.Both clubs were also punished for the incidents that were sparked by Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure’s stoppage-time celebrations.A three-person commission explained: “It was reported by the Referee that following the full-time whistle, he was approached by Arne Slot who had entered the field of play to confront the referee and the match officials team. “Tensions were running high. It was alleged that Arne Slot’s manner was confrontational and aggressive. “It was alleged that he initially used abusive words whilst shaking the referee’s hand.”Including that the referee had ‘f****** give them everything’ and that he hoped that the Referee “was proud of that performance.” “The referee thereafter confirms (having reviewed the video footage to clarify) that he was approached again by Arne Slot around one minute later. “In this exchange, Arne Slot once again shook the referee’s hand and said, ‘If we don’t win the league, I’ll f****** blame you.” “It is then further alleged that Arne Slot turned to the assistant referee and shouted twice that it was ‘a f****** disgrace.’READ MORE SUN STORIES”As a result, he was shown a red card by the referee.”Oliver also reported that Hulshoff, who also received a two-game touchline ban but was only fined £7,000, had continued the verbal tirade.Steve Parish on Mateta injuryCrystal Palace chairman Steve Parish spoke to the media at half time about the injury to Jean-Philippe Mateta…He told the BBC: “So far what we know is he’s got a bad gash behind his ear and a head injury. He’s at the hospital so we hope for the best.”There’s a lot of emotion in football but we need to talk about that challenge.”In all the time I’ve watched football, I’ve never seen a challenge like it.”I looked to see how old the keeper is, he’s 30 years old.”That is the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I think I’ve ever seen.”And he needs to have a long, hard look at himself that lad.”Because he’s endangering a fellow professional, maybe even his life, with a challenge like that.” More