News

Liverpool’s Klopp turns peacemaker, uses ‘age’ to calm down De Zerbi

Juergen Klopp adopted the role of peacemaker on Sunday when the Liverpool manager stepped in to pacify Brighton & Hove Albion boss Roberto de Zerbi during an angry exchange with officials on the touchline of a 2-2 Premier League draw.

De Zerbi was shown a yellow card by referee Anthony Taylor in the 69th minute at the Amex Stadium for his remonstration as Brighton were denied a penalty after Kaoru Mitoma’s shot hit the arm of Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.

The Italian manager continued to protest after being booked, before Klopp intervened and attempted to calm him down.

“In the moment when he got a bit outraged I used my age and tried to calm him down,” 56-year-old Klopp, who has himself clashed with referees on numerous occasions in the past, told reporters.

“I just saw if I am in a moment like this, there’s a moment of no going back that appears.

“I think he was close to that and then I tried to calm him down. I am not sure if he needed it or not, you can ask him, but he probably told me something about the penalty, but I had no clue what he was talking about. I think he wanted a penalty…”

Asked about the incident, De Zerbi told reporters: “I love Klopp and he can do what he wants, because I have big respect for him and I consider him as one of the best coaches in the world,” De Zerbi told reporters.

“I like his behaviour and when he says something, 99 percent of the time I agree with him. In that situation, I think there was a clear penalty. I told the referee, I think in a good way, what I thought.”

Ligue 1

NBA Star Durant Invests In PSG

Basketball star Kevin Durant has taken a minority stake in Paris Saint-Germain, the European champions announced Friday, without saying how many shares the power forward had acquired

Kevin Durant, who won gold in the Paris 2024 basketball, has taken a stake in the city’s best-known football club Paris Saint-Germain

The club said in a statement that owners Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) had “signed an investment and strategic partnership agreement with Kevin Durant, one of the most decorated US basketball players of all time and a leading investor in sports and entertainment properties.”

It said Durant would acquire the stake “via his media and investment arm Boardroom”.

The club said QSI would cooperate with Boardroom “on a wide-series of commercial, investment, and content initiatives” including merchandise, media content US and international strategy and “potential Basketball/Multi-Sport expansion.”

“With Kevin, we look forward to developing ambitious initiatives that will drive the continued global growth of Paris Saint-Germain and QSI,” said Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Chairman of QSI.

Durant, 36, is a power forward with the Phoenix Suns. He won two NBA titles with the Golden State Warriors and has four Olympic gold medals, the last from the 2024 Paris Games.

He said in the PSG statement that PSG and Paris were “a Club and a city that is so close to my heart. This club has big plans ahead, and I can’t wait to be a part of the next phase of growth.”

France24.com

News

AFC Completes 5th Coach Education Conference

The AFC has concluded its three-day Coach Education Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, it’s 5thedition, that covered a range of topics aimed at advancing coach education programmes across the confederation.

Titled ‘Shaping the Future of Coach Education’, AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh’s keynote address focussed on developing ‘Tomorrow’s Coaches’.

The second day led with a presentation on the membership requirements of the UEFA Coaching Convention, covering aspects such as organising national courses and increasing the percentage of female tutors in the MAs’ coach education landscape.

Debate covered the specific needs of MAs, and the importance of reality-based learning, different styles of leadership, and adapting to technological advancements.

A panel featuring Qatar Football Association (QFA)’s Fahad Abdullah Al Zarraa, Aspire Academy’s Maria Ruiz de Ona, AFC Grassroots and Youth Football Development Consultant Robin Russell, and Education 4 Peace Foundation Founder Mark Milton, highlighted the importance of prosocial responsibility in football.

Participants also received insights into tactical trends and standout individual performances from the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2025, the Champions League Elite, and the Women’s Champions League.

The final day featured presentations by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation Technical Director Nasser Larguet, and the Football Association of Ireland Head of Coach Education Niall O’Regan, who shared insights into their coach education programmes.

“The AFC Coach Education Conference has not only enabled us to exchange ideas but also hear of success stories which undeniably motivate MAs in improving their existing programmes,” said Faye Chambers, Coach Education Instructor at Football Australia .

“Moreover, a lot of work is being done to empower more women coach educators through exclusive courses, and the impact can clearly be seen, as over the years, more and more women are taking up leadership roles in football, which is a clear indication of the progress being made on the Continent.”

Insideworldfootball.com

News

Somalia Set For Historic Beach Soccer Debut

The Somali Football Federation (SFF) has launched training programs for beach soccer coaches and referees under its REACH Initiative, aimed at getting the ball rolling in all corners of the country which is now preparing for its first ever beach soccer tournament.

The minister for youth and sport, Mohamed Abdulkadir Ali, and Somali Football Federation president, Ali Abdi Mohamed, jointly inaugurated the start of the SFF’s first beach soccer development programme on June 18.

Sixteen coaches and 16 referees from the federation’s beach soccer department are benefiting from the 6-day training courses which are being conducted by Salim Jamal Muwonge (coaching instructor) and Bayige Ivan Kintu (refereeing instructor). Both are from Uganda.

“The launch of such training programs shows a historic moment in our country’s footballing sector particularly it is a significant development in the beach soccer department” minister Abdulkadir Ali, said. The minister pointed out that his government is committed to helping SFF in terms of infrastructure development. “The government is working on the establishment of a beach soccer facility.”

Somali Football Federation president, Ali Abdi Mohamed, said that the revival of futsal competitions after years of absence and the start of women’s football in the country were some of the greatest things his administration achieved after his election as president, two years ago.

“Again we stood to get beach soccer going in the country for the first time and the launch of the training programs today is our first step towards that,” said Abdi Mohamed.

Insideworldfootball.com