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European Leagues

Lewandowski responds to anger at Lamine Yamal snub

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has brushed off criticism for shouting at teenager Lamine Yamal and appearing to snub his 16-year-old teammate during Sunday’s win over Alaves.

Yamal only turned 16 in July – he was handed his debut by Xavi last season aged just 15 – but has already become a regular for the senior side. Indeed, the weekend was his sixth La Liga start this season and he has featured in every game in some capacity across all competitions.

But the youngster found himself at the centre of a mini storm involving Lewandowski. There was a moment in the Alaves game when Yamal didn’t play the ball when the veteran striker wanted, opting to shoot himself instead, followed by a swift verbal rebuke.

In the aftermath, Yamal went over to his much older teammate, offering a hand. But Lewandowski appeared to deliberately blank him. It sparked media reaction and suggestions the 35-year-old should do better as a senior star and a mentor-like figure to younger players.

Lewandowski, who scored both goals in the 2-1 Barcelona win, has hit back.

“Ignoring Lamine Yamal? There is nothing to comment on, it was a total accident. Sometimes I shout during a match, but that’s normal,” he insisted when addressing reporters.

Further footage later emerged showing Lewandowski exchanging much kinder words with Lamal during the game, offering his colleague constructive but calm advice which appeared to be welcomed and keenly taken on board.

The result marked a second successive La Liga win for Barcelona after losing the season’s first Clasico against Real Madrid last month, ensuring they just about keep pace with Catalan neighbours and surprise league leaders Girona.

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Premier League

Jamie Vardy matches Ronaldo’s record in Leicester 2-1 win over Spurs

Jamie Vardy

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has equaled a Premier League record previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Vardy scored in Leicester’s surprising 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. After Richarlison gave Tottenham the lead in the 33rd minute, Vardy equalized just after halftime in the 46th minute.

Moroccan youngster Bilal El Khannouss then scored the winning goal in the 50th minute, securing the Foxes’ crucial three points and lifting them out of the relegation zone.

With this goal, Vardy became the fifth player aged 37 or older to be involved in 10 or more goals in a Premier League season, as noted by Squawka. The last player to achieve this feat was Ronaldo during his second stint at Manchester United, when he scored 18 goals and provided three assists in the 2021-22 season.

Ryan Giggs reached the milestone in the 2011-12 season, while Teddy Sheringham and Gary Speed were the first to accomplish it.

At 38 years old, Vardy continues to perform at the highest level, having contributed seven goals and three assists in 21 league appearances this season.

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Premier League

‘He Can Never Play For Me Again’ – Man United’s Ruben Amorim slams Marcus Rashford

'He Can Never Play For Me Again' - Man United's Ruben Amorim slams Marcus Rashford

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said he would rather play his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital in his team than Marcus Rashford unless the out-of-favor forward starts to “give the maximum every day in training and in life.”

England international Rashford was left out of the team for the 11th successive game by Amorim during United’s 1-0 Premier League win at Fulham on Sunday.

The 27-year-old said last month that he was ready to seek a “new challenge” away from Old Trafford after being dropped for United’s 2-1 win against Manchester City at the Etihad on Dec. 15, but Rashford has so far been unable to find a new club during the January transfer window.

And despite strikers Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee scoring just one goal between them since the beginning of December, Amorim said he would not restore Rashford to the team unless he changes his attitude.

“It’s the same, it’s always the same reason,” Amorim said when asked why he continued to overlook Rashford. “The reason is the training, the way I see what footballers should do in training, in life, it’s every day, every detail.

“So if things don’t change, I will not change. It’s the same situation for every player. If you do the maximum, if you do the right things, we can use every player. And you can see it today on the bench, we miss a little bit of pace to go and change the game, move some pieces.

“But I prefer it like that. I will put Vital on before I put a player on that don’t give the maximum every day. So I will not change in that department.”

Amorim, who arrived from Portuguese champions Sporting CP in November, celebrates his 40th birthday on Monday. But after the Fulham win, he said he feels much older after his brief stint at United.

“It’s not 40 … I’m 50!” he said. “After two months at Manchester United, it’s 50. It’s a privilege to spend my 40th birthday here. That feeling of winning and three points is really important for us. You cannot see a great improvement in the team and that is a fact, but to win helps us to improve.

“We’ve had some lack of luck in some games. Today, was not the best match but we managed to win. The important thing is I have a clear idea of what I want to do. Sometimes I’m frustrated. We want to play a different style and we are going to play a different style in the future.”

 

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Serie A

How Samuel Chukwueze Became AC Milan ‘New god’

How Samuel Chukwueze Became AC Milan 'New god'

Super Eagles forward Samuel Chukwueze scored a dramatic late winner as AC Milan defeated Parma 3-2 at the San Siro, etching their name in Serie A history, according to Soccernet.ng.

Milan endured a challenging evening, falling behind twice to a resilient Parma side. However, the hosts displayed immense character to secure all three points in an enthralling encounter.

Christian Pulisic ended his nine-game Serie A goal drought by converting from the penalty spot to cancel out Parma’s opener.

But with the visitors leading 2-1 heading into the second minute of injury time, Tijjani Reijnders produced a composed close-range finish to restore parity.

Then, in the fourth minute of added time, Chukwueze was in the right place at the back post to bundle home the decisive goal, sparking wild celebrations at the San Siro.

According to Opta via Milan News, the Samuel Chukwueze-inspired victory is the first time in Serie A history that Milan won a match by scoring two goals after the 90th minute.

For Chukwueze, the moment could prove pivotal in earning a bigger role under new manager Sérgio Conceição.

The Super Eagles winger, who only recently recovered from a hamstring injury sustained in December, was making his first appearance under the Portuguese tactician.

Chukwueze’s last outing for Milan was on December 29 in a 1-1 draw with AS Roma, during Paulo Fonseca’s final game in charge before being replaced by Conceição.

Since then, Milan have defeated Juventus, Inter Milan in the Super Cup, and featured in clashes against Cagliari, Como, Juventus (again) and Girona in the Champions League — all without Chukwueze.

The Nigerian international now boasts two goals in 18 Serie A appearances this season, surpassing the single goal he managed in 24 league games last term.

Samuel Chukwueze opened his account on October 19, netting the winner in a 1-0 victory over Udinese. He also starred in the Coppa Italia, scoring twice in Milan’s 6-1 demolition of Sassuolo in December.

Milan will next face city rivals Inter on February 2, with Chukwueze hoping to build on his impactful return and help secure another memorable result.

 

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