Dutch centre back Virgil van Dijk is one of seven Liverpool players on the 30-man shortlist for this year's Ballon d'Or, with the Champions League winners dominating the nominations for France Football magazine's prestigious award.

Van Dijk's club teammates Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Georginio Wijnaldum and Alisson are also on the list, along with Manchester City's Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Sergio Aguero.

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who have won the award 10 times between them, are included, but Messi's former teammate Neymar, who now plays for Paris St Germain, missed out.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made the cut, but there was no room for their teammate Harry Kane, while Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was another high-profile omission.

30-MAN SHORTLIST

Liverpool - Virgil van Dijk; Roberto Firmino; Alisson; Georginio Wijnaldum; Trent Alexander-Arnold; Sadio Mane; Mohammed Salah

Manchester City - Bernardo Silva; Riyad Mahrez; Kevin de Bruyne; Raheem Sterling; Sergio Aguero

Tottenham Hotspur - Son Heung-min; Hugo Lloris

Barcelona - Lionel Messi; Antoine Griezmann; Frenkie de Jong; Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Real Madrid - Eden Hazard; Karim Benzema

Juventus - Cristiano Ronaldo; Matthijs de Ligt

Bayern Munich - Robert Lewandowski

Ajax Amsterdam - Dusan Tadic; Donny van de Beek

Paris St Germain - Kylian Mbappe; Marquinhos

Arsenal - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Napoli - Kalidou Koulibaly

Atletico Madrid - Joao Felix

Dutch centre back Virgil van Dijk is one of seven Liverpool players on the 30-man shortlist for this year's Ballon d'Or, with the Champions League winners dominating the nominations for France Football magazine's prestigious award.

Dutch centre back Virgil van Dijk is one of seven Liverpool players on the 30-man shortlist for this year's Ballon d'Or, with the Champions League winners dominating the nominations for France Football magazine's prestigious award. Van Dijk's club teammates Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Georginio Wijnaldum and Alisson are also on the list, along with Manchester City's Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Sergio Aguero. Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who have won the award 10 times between them, are included, but Messi's former teammate Neymar, who now plays for Paris St Germain, missed out. Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made the cut, but there was no room for their teammate Harry Kane, while Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was another high-profile omission. 30-MAN SHORTLIST Liverpool - Virgil van Dijk; Roberto Firmino; Alisson; Georginio Wijnaldum; Trent Alexander-Arnold; Sadio Mane; Mohammed Salah Manchester City - Bernardo Silva; Riyad Mahrez; Kevin de Bruyne; Raheem Sterling; Sergio Aguero Tottenham Hotspur - Son Heung-min; Hugo Lloris Barcelona - Lionel Messi; Antoine Griezmann; Frenkie de Jong; Marc-Andre ter Stegen Real Madrid - Eden Hazard; Karim Benzema Juventus - Cristiano Ronaldo; Matthijs de Ligt Bayern Munich - Robert Lewandowski Ajax Amsterdam - Dusan Tadic; Donny van de Beek Paris St Germain - Kylian Mbappe; Marquinhos Arsenal - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Napoli - Kalidou Koulibaly Atletico Madrid - Joao Felix

Liverpool dominates Ballon d'Or shortlist with seven names

Sheffield United moved into the top half of the Premier League table with a 1-0 win over Arsenal at Bramall Lane on Monday that ended the Gunners’ eight-match unbeaten run.

Unai Emery’s side had not been beaten in any competition since their 3-1 loss to Liverpool on Aug 24, but they missed out on the chance to move up to third as the hosts earned a deserved victory.

Lys Mousset poked home the winner from close range on his first league start for the Blades after Nicolas Pepe wasted a gilt-edged chance for Arsenal earlier in the first half.

"For the club to host a game like this, the magnitude of it - to play well and get a win is massive,” Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder told Sky Sports.

"We came under pressure in the second half but we limited them to a few chances and we backed up a good performance with a good result.”

The result leaves Arsenal in fifth place on 15 points, two behind Leicester City and Chelsea, while Sheffield United moved into ninth on 12 points.

Arsenal came into the game with five wins in their last six games in all competitions, while the Blades had lost their last three home games in a row.

The defeat continued a poor run of away form for the Gunners, who have now picked up just two points from their last four league matches on the road.

Emery was left unhappy with the result and believed his side should have been awarded a penalty in the first half for a shirt pull by John Egan on Sokratis Papastathopoulos, which was waved away by referee Mike Dean.

"With VAR, the foul on Sokratis should have been reviewed," said the Arsenal manager.

"It was clear but we have to accept it. We did not deserve to lose and we will think about where we can improve."

Pepe squandered a glorious chance to give Arsenal the lead midway through the first half when he got on the end of a Sead Kolasinac cross but miscued his finish horribly from six yards out.

Mousset punished the visitors’ wastefulness when Jack O’Connell headed a corner into his path for the striker to bundle in from close range after half an hour.

Granit Xhaka connected well with a half-volley on the brink of half time but was denied by a flying save from Dean Henderson, and after the break Arsenal substitute, Dani Ceballos fluffed a volley from a promising position to give the goalkeeper a comfortable save.

United’s defence held firm and the home side threatened to double their lead through John Fleck, who hit a rasping shot into the side netting before striking a swerving effort from distance which had to be gathered at the second time of asking by Bernd Leno.

Sheffield United moved into the top half of the Premier League table with a 1-0 win over Arsenal at Bramall Lane on Monday that ended the Gunners’ eight-match unbeaten run.

Sheffield United moved into the top half of the Premier League table with a 1-0 win over Arsenal at Bramall Lane on Monday that ended the Gunners’ eight-match unbeaten run. Unai Emery’s side had not been beaten in any competition since their 3-1 loss to Liverpool on Aug 24, but they missed out on the chance to move up to third as the hosts earned a deserved victory. Lys Mousset poked home the winner from close range on his first league start for the Blades after Nicolas Pepe wasted a gilt-edged chance for Arsenal earlier in the first half. "For the club to host a game like this, the magnitude of it - to play well and get a win is massive,” Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder told Sky Sports. "We came under pressure in the second half but we limited them to a few chances and we backed up a good performance with a good result.” The result leaves Arsenal in fifth place on 15 points, two behind Leicester City and Chelsea, while Sheffield United moved into ninth on 12 points. Arsenal came into the game with five wins in their last six games in all competitions, while the Blades had lost their last three home games in a row. The defeat continued a poor run of away form for the Gunners, who have now picked up just two points from their last four league matches on the road. Emery was left unhappy with the result and believed his side should have been awarded a penalty in the first half for a shirt pull by John Egan on Sokratis Papastathopoulos, which was waved away by referee Mike Dean. "With VAR, the foul on Sokratis should have been reviewed," said the Arsenal manager. "It was clear but we have to accept it. We did not deserve to lose and we will think about where we can improve." Pepe squandered a glorious chance to give Arsenal the lead midway through the first half when he got on the end of a Sead Kolasinac cross but miscued his finish horribly from six yards out. Mousset punished the visitors’ wastefulness when Jack O’Connell headed a corner into his path for the striker to bundle in from close range after half an hour. Granit Xhaka connected well with a half-volley on the brink of half time but was denied by a flying save from Dean Henderson, and after the break Arsenal substitute, Dani Ceballos fluffed a volley from a promising position to give the goalkeeper a comfortable save. United’s defence held firm and the home side threatened to double their lead through John Fleck, who hit a rasping shot into the side netting before striking a swerving effort from distance which had to be gathered at the second time of asking by Bernd Leno.

Sheffield United end Arsenal's unbeaten run with impressive home win

Manchester United ended Liverpool's 100 per cent start to the Premier League season, and their 17 matches winning streak, with a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday.

But there was a disappointment for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side who were five minutes away from a surprise win before Liverpool substitute Adam Lallana grabbed an equaliser for the league leaders to cancel out Marcus Rashford's 36th-minute opener.

It was yet another Premier League game with VAR controversy which will continue to provoke debate about the system introduced this season.

The result cuts Liverpool's lead over second-placed Manchester City to six points and Juergen Klopp's side was far from their best.

"We were good enough for a point," said Klopp, "We were in charge 100% towards the end. We wanted a different result but to do that you have to play better."

United are now unbeaten in their last seven home games against Liverpool and while their battling display will boost morale, the 20-times champions are adrift in 13th place, 15 points behind the leaders.

"We have a team that works for each other and maybe this will turn their season," said Solskjaer.

"They are disappointed because they feel we should have won. Our fans showed they can see what's happening and we will get there."

It has been many years since United went into this fixture as clear underdogs with just two victories from their opening eight games.

On paper, the United line-up matched up poorly against Klopp’s side, especially with Paul Pogba out injured and Anthony Martial restricted to the bench as he returned from an injury lay-off.

Liverpool was without Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah, who was ruled out with an ankle injury with Divock Origi given a rare start alongside Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane in attack while Brazilian keeper Alisson Becker returned from injury.

Solskjaer’s headaches were added to when defender Axel Tuanzebe was injured during the warm-up, meaning Argentine Marcos Rojo had to be thrust into the starting 11.

But from the outset, United worked tirelessly, chasing down the ball in midfield and grew in belief while Liverpool never found their usual standard of fluency and invention.

Rashford scored after turning home a superb low cross from Dan James after the speedy Welshman had broken down the right flank.

The goal was subject to a video review and allowed to stand despite Liverpool claims that Victor Lindelof had fouled Origi at the start of the move.

Liverpool thought they had got level, two minutes before the interval, when Mane outfought Lindelof and poked home but the VAR review showed the Senegalese forward had handled the ball.

But Klopp's side, who had struggled to find openings, finally broke through in the 85th minute when Lallana slotted home Andy Robertson's low cross.

Manchester United ended Liverpool's 100 per cent start to the Premier League season, and their 17 matches winning streak, with a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Manchester United ended Liverpool's 100 per cent start to the Premier League season, and their 17 matches winning streak, with a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday. But there was a disappointment for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side who were five minutes away from a surprise win before Liverpool substitute Adam Lallana grabbed an equaliser for the league leaders to cancel out Marcus Rashford's 36th-minute opener. It was yet another Premier League game with VAR controversy which will continue to provoke debate about the system introduced this season. The result cuts Liverpool's lead over second-placed Manchester City to six points and Juergen Klopp's side was far from their best. "We were good enough for a point," said Klopp, "We were in charge 100% towards the end. We wanted a different result but to do that you have to play better." United are now unbeaten in their last seven home games against Liverpool and while their battling display will boost morale, the 20-times champions are adrift in 13th place, 15 points behind the leaders. "We have a team that works for each other and maybe this will turn their season," said Solskjaer. "They are disappointed because they feel we should have won. Our fans showed they can see what's happening and we will get there." It has been many years since United went into this fixture as clear underdogs with just two victories from their opening eight games. On paper, the United line-up matched up poorly against Klopp’s side, especially with Paul Pogba out injured and Anthony Martial restricted to the bench as he returned from an injury lay-off. Liverpool was without Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah, who was ruled out with an ankle injury with Divock Origi given a rare start alongside Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane in attack while Brazilian keeper Alisson Becker returned from injury. Solskjaer’s headaches were added to when defender Axel Tuanzebe was injured during the warm-up, meaning Argentine Marcos Rojo had to be thrust into the starting 11. But from the outset, United worked tirelessly, chasing down the ball in midfield and grew in belief while Liverpool never found their usual standard of fluency and invention. Rashford scored after turning home a superb low cross from Dan James after the speedy Welshman had broken down the right flank. The goal was subject to a video review and allowed to stand despite Liverpool claims that Victor Lindelof had fouled Origi at the start of the move. Liverpool thought they had got level, two minutes before the interval, when Mane outfought Lindelof and poked home but the VAR review showed the Senegalese forward had handled the ball. But Klopp's side, who had struggled to find openings, finally broke through in the 85th minute when Lallana slotted home Andy Robertson's low cross.

Liverpool winning streak ends with draw at Manchester United

Manchester City will not win the Champions League this season unless they become more clinical in front of goal, manager Pep Guardiola said, after his team's 2-0 Premier League away win at Crystal Palace over the weekend.

Gabriel Jesus and David Silva were both on target as City ran out comfortable winners at Selhurst Park on Saturday, allowing Guardiola's second-placed team to close the gap to leaders Liverpool to six points.

Jesus' goal against Palace was the Brazilian's 50th for City but Guardiola pointed out that the 22-year-old had also missed several chances during the match.

"(Jesus) is so young," Guardiola told reporters. "We missed a lot of chances. We have to be clinical. When people talk about the Champions League being the target, we're still not ready... we can still improve."

City leads the league scoring charts with 29 goals this season, seven more than Liverpool, and despite his criticism, Guardiola said he was pleased with the forwards at his disposal.

Jesus was drafted into the starting line-up for the Palace game in place of Argentina international Sergio Aguero, who was involved in a minor car accident on his way to training on Wednesday.

"To compete with Sergio is maybe the most difficult thing... but Gabriel is so calm," Guardiola added. "Every training session he fights like an animal but he can improve."

City are next in action in the Champions League, where they host Italy's Atalanta on Tuesday.

Manchester City will not win the Champions League this season unless they become more clinical in front of goal, manager Pep Guardiola said, after his team's 2-0 Premier League away win at Crystal Palace over the weekend.

Manchester City will not win the Champions League this season unless they become more clinical in front of goal, manager Pep Guardiola said, after his team's 2-0 Premier League away win at Crystal Palace over the weekend. Gabriel Jesus and David Silva were both on target as City ran out comfortable winners at Selhurst Park on Saturday, allowing Guardiola's second-placed team to close the gap to leaders Liverpool to six points. Jesus' goal against Palace was the Brazilian's 50th for City but Guardiola pointed out that the 22-year-old had also missed several chances during the match. "(Jesus) is so young," Guardiola told reporters. "We missed a lot of chances. We have to be clinical. When people talk about the Champions League being the target, we're still not ready... we can still improve." City leads the league scoring charts with 29 goals this season, seven more than Liverpool, and despite his criticism, Guardiola said he was pleased with the forwards at his disposal. Jesus was drafted into the starting line-up for the Palace game in place of Argentina international Sergio Aguero, who was involved in a minor car accident on his way to training on Wednesday. "To compete with Sergio is maybe the most difficult thing... but Gabriel is so calm," Guardiola added. "Every training session he fights like an animal but he can improve." City are next in action in the Champions League, where they host Italy's Atalanta on Tuesday.

Manchester City not ready to win Champions League: Pep Guardiola

Angel Di Maria once again proved his worth with a double that earned Paris St Germain a 4-1 win at Nice and a five-point lead in the Ligue 1 standings on Friday.

The result put PSG on 24 points from 10 games as Nice, who reduced the arrears in the second half through Ignatius Ganago, finished with nine men after Wylan Cyprien and Christophe Herelle were sent off during the last 20 minutes.

Kylian Mbappe came off the bench in the closing stages to round off the win to mark his return from injury.

Nice are&nbsp;ninth on 13 points.

Nantes, who are second on 19 points, will play Metz on Saturday with Olympique Lyonnais new coach Rudi Garcia making his debut at home against Dijon in the day’s opening match.

With Mbappe and Edinson Cavani on the bench and Neymar injured, Mauro Icardi started up front but it was Di Maria who got PSG going.

Icardi flicked the ball into the path of Di Maria, who raced into the area and beat Walter Benitez from close range to put the visitors ahead in the 15th minute.

Benitez was beaten again six minutes later when Di Maria was played through on the right flank by Leandro Paredes and found the back of the net with a lovely angled lob.

PSG comfortably held off Nice, until Ganago, set up by Kasper Dolberg, unleashed a fierce strike that went under the bar in the 67th minute.

But their hopes of levelling were dashed in the 74th minute when Cyprien was shown a second yellow card for protesting to referee Francois Letexier, who three minutes later handed Herelle a straight red card for elbowing Paredes.

“There was a foul against him and he got upset, there’s no logic there,” Ganago said of Cyprien’s red card.

Mbappe made his return from a thigh injury in the 82nd minute as he replaced Pablo Sarabia, scoring with a low shot from inside the box six minutes later.

One minute into added time, Icardi netted for the third match in a row when he tapped in from Mbappe’s cross.

Angel Di Maria once again proved his worth with a double that earned Paris St Germain a 4-1 win at Nice and a five-point lead in the Ligue 1 standings on Friday.

Angel Di Maria once again proved his worth with a double that earned Paris St Germain a 4-1 win at Nice and a five-point lead in the Ligue 1 standings on Friday. The result put PSG on 24 points from 10 games as Nice, who reduced the arrears in the second half through Ignatius Ganago, finished with nine men after Wylan Cyprien and Christophe Herelle were sent off during the last 20 minutes. Kylian Mbappe came off the bench in the closing stages to round off the win to mark his return from injury. Nice are ninth on 13 points. Nantes, who are second on 19 points, will play Metz on Saturday with Olympique Lyonnais new coach Rudi Garcia making his debut at home against Dijon in the day’s opening match. With Mbappe and Edinson Cavani on the bench and Neymar injured, Mauro Icardi started up front but it was Di Maria who got PSG going. Icardi flicked the ball into the path of Di Maria, who raced into the area and beat Walter Benitez from close range to put the visitors ahead in the 15th minute. Benitez was beaten again six minutes later when Di Maria was played through on the right flank by Leandro Paredes and found the back of the net with a lovely angled lob. PSG comfortably held off Nice, until Ganago, set up by Kasper Dolberg, unleashed a fierce strike that went under the bar in the 67th minute. But their hopes of levelling were dashed in the 74th minute when Cyprien was shown a second yellow card for protesting to referee Francois Letexier, who three minutes later handed Herelle a straight red card for elbowing Paredes. “There was a foul against him and he got upset, there’s no logic there,” Ganago said of Cyprien’s red card. Mbappe made his return from a thigh injury in the 82nd minute as he replaced Pablo Sarabia, scoring with a low shot from inside the box six minutes later. One minute into added time, Icardi netted for the third match in a row when he tapped in from Mbappe’s cross.

Di Maria sends PSG five points clear as Nice see red

Ajax Amsterdam has been banned from selling tickets to their fans for next month's Champions League game at Chelsea following crowd trouble in their match at Valencia, European soccer's governing body UEFA has said.

UEFA fined Ajax 50,000 euros&nbsp;due to the behaviour of their fans during a 3-0 win at Valencia earlier this month and an additional 18,000 euros for "improper conduct of the team".

"The Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body have decided ... to ban AFC Ajax from selling tickets to its away supporters for its next (1) UEFA competition match," UEFA said in a statement on Thursday.

The Dutch champions, who were given 30 days to contact Valencia and settle damages caused by their supporters at the Mestalla Stadium, said in a statement that they would ask UEFA for more information.

Group H leaders Ajax travel to Stamford Bridge on Nov. 5.

UEFA have also banned Eintracht Frankfurt from selling tickets to their fans for their Europa League trips to Standard Liege on Nov. 7 and Arsenal on Nov. 28.

Frankfurt was charged with various offences related to crowd trouble as well as a late kickoff in their 1-0 win at Vitoria Guimaraes earlier this month.

Ajax Amsterdam has been banned from selling tickets to their fans for next month's Champions League game at Chelsea following crowd trouble in their match at Valencia, European soccer's governing body UEFA has said.

Ajax Amsterdam has been banned from selling tickets to their fans for next month's Champions League game at Chelsea following crowd trouble in their match at Valencia, European soccer's governing body UEFA has said. UEFA fined Ajax 50,000 euros due to the behaviour of their fans during a 3-0 win at Valencia earlier this month and an additional 18,000 euros for "improper conduct of the team". "The Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body have decided ... to ban AFC Ajax from selling tickets to its away supporters for its next (1) UEFA competition match," UEFA said in a statement on Thursday. The Dutch champions, who were given 30 days to contact Valencia and settle damages caused by their supporters at the Mestalla Stadium, said in a statement that they would ask UEFA for more information. Group H leaders Ajax travel to Stamford Bridge on Nov. 5. UEFA have also banned Eintracht Frankfurt from selling tickets to their fans for their Europa League trips to Standard Liege on Nov. 7 and Arsenal on Nov. 28. Frankfurt was charged with various offences related to crowd trouble as well as a late kickoff in their 1-0 win at Vitoria Guimaraes earlier this month.

UEFA bans Ajax fans for Champions League trip to Chelsea

Premier League leaders Liverpool head to Old Trafford on Sunday to face Manchester United and rarely have the odds been so in favour of an away win.

Liverpool have won just five times at United in the Premier League era and the Red Devils have won the fixture 16 times, but the gulf in quality between the sides has widened significantly in recent years.

While Juergen Klopp's side has a 100 per cent&nbsp;record in the Premier League, United have just two league wins this season and after their 1-0 defeat by Newcastle United the international break, they are down in 12th place, 15 points behind their arch-rivals.

To add to their problems, United look set to be without goalkeeper David De Gea who picked up a groin injury on international duty with Spain.

"David needs a scan. I think he'll be out. It certainly looked like it anyway...so it's just one of those things," said manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Argentine Sergio Romero is expected to stand in for De Gea and can expect a busy time against Klopp's potent attack.

French midfielder Paul Pogba has not yet recovered fully from his ankle injury but there is better news on the fitness of forward Anthony Martial and full-backs Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

"I can't tell you 100 per cent (who) is going to be fit as something might happen," said Solskjaer.

"But hopefully Aaron and Anthony will last the training this week and be available for selection. If it's for half a game or 30 minutes I don't know but let's see where they're at," he said.

United's Spanish midfielder Juan Mata believes the clash with their old rivals offers an opportunity to kick-start the season.

"We have a great chance to change the dynamic and we are all very motivated to take the win. We are United, we are playing at home and we will give everything to be able to take the victory that our fans deserve in such a special game," Mata said.

Champions Manchester City faces a tricky trip to Selhurst Park to face a Crystal Palace team who beat them at the Etihad in January.

City are eight points adrift of Liverpool. Palace sits just two points behind City in the sixth position after an impressive start to the season, but this fixture is the first of a straight run of five against sides directly above them.

Tottenham Hotspur, beaten 3-0 at Brighton &amp; Hove Albion last time out, will look to bounce back against winless bottom club Watford.

Fourth-placed Leicester City host Burnley who are seventh and Frank Lampard's improving Chelsea entertain Newcastle on Saturday.

Third-placed Arsenal visits Sheffield United on Monday.

Premier League leaders Liverpool head to Old Trafford on Sunday to face Manchester United and rarely have the odds been so in favour of an away win. Liverpool have won just five times at United in the Premier League era and the Red Devils have won the fixture 16 times, but the gulf in quality between the sides has widened significantly in recent years.

Premier League leaders Liverpool head to Old Trafford on Sunday to face Manchester United and rarely have the odds been so in favour of an away win. Liverpool have won just five times at United in the Premier League era and the Red Devils have won the fixture 16 times, but the gulf in quality between the sides has widened significantly in recent years. While Juergen Klopp's side has a 100 per cent record in the Premier League, United have just two league wins this season and after their 1-0 defeat by Newcastle United the international break, they are down in 12th place, 15 points behind their arch-rivals. To add to their problems, United look set to be without goalkeeper David De Gea who picked up a groin injury on international duty with Spain. "David needs a scan. I think he'll be out. It certainly looked like it anyway...so it's just one of those things," said manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Argentine Sergio Romero is expected to stand in for De Gea and can expect a busy time against Klopp's potent attack. French midfielder Paul Pogba has not yet recovered fully from his ankle injury but there is better news on the fitness of forward Anthony Martial and full-backs Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. "I can't tell you 100 per cent (who) is going to be fit as something might happen," said Solskjaer. "But hopefully Aaron and Anthony will last the training this week and be available for selection. If it's for half a game or 30 minutes I don't know but let's see where they're at," he said. United's Spanish midfielder Juan Mata believes the clash with their old rivals offers an opportunity to kick-start the season. "We have a great chance to change the dynamic and we are all very motivated to take the win. We are United, we are playing at home and we will give everything to be able to take the victory that our fans deserve in such a special game," Mata said. Champions Manchester City faces a tricky trip to Selhurst Park to face a Crystal Palace team who beat them at the Etihad in January. City are eight points adrift of Liverpool. Palace sits just two points behind City in the sixth position after an impressive start to the season, but this fixture is the first of a straight run of five against sides directly above them. Tottenham Hotspur, beaten 3-0 at Brighton & Hove Albion last time out, will look to bounce back against winless bottom club Watford. Fourth-placed Leicester City host Burnley who are seventh and Frank Lampard's improving Chelsea entertain Newcastle on Saturday. Third-placed Arsenal visits Sheffield United on Monday.

Liverpool head to United with widest gulf in years

Manchester United will try to sign one or two players in the January transfer window to improve their chances of finishing in the top four but will not spend big on transfer fees and wages, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said.

United are 12th in the Premier League ahead of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/liverpool-head-to-united-with-widest-gulf-in-years-256390">Sunday's home game </a>against league leaders Liverpool after a poor start to the season that has been further disrupted by injuries to key players.

Solskjaer sanctioned the departures of forwards Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez in the close season without reinforcing United's attack and the Norwegian also has goalkeeper David De Gea and midfielder Paul Pogba out injured.

"We're looking at one or two new signings. We're one or two players light," Solskjaer told Sky Sports. "If the right ones are available in January then we might do something. If not, these players will give everything (for a top four finish).

"I'm not going to go down the route of bringing players in on big contracts and big fees if they're not the right ones for the whole group and for the future. The money is there to strengthen in January and in the summer."

United started the season with a 4-0 win over Chelsea but have scored five goals in seven league matches since and Solskjaer said an injury to forward Anthony Martial, who has not played since August, was a factor in their struggles.

"There's many reasons, but one of them is injuries to Anthony," the 46-year-old former United player said. "Creating chances has been a challenge for us with teams dropping deep.

"But we're practising patterns every single week. When we get the players fit, I'm going to make Marcus and Anthony score those scruffy goals, as that's what I did."

Manchester United will try to sign one or two players in the January transfer window to improve their chances of finishing in the top four but will not spend big on transfer fees and wages, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said.

Manchester United will try to sign one or two players in the January transfer window to improve their chances of finishing in the top four but will not spend big on transfer fees and wages, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said. United are 12th in the Premier League ahead of Sunday's home game against league leaders Liverpool after a poor start to the season that has been further disrupted by injuries to key players. Solskjaer sanctioned the departures of forwards Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez in the close season without reinforcing United's attack and the Norwegian also has goalkeeper David De Gea and midfielder Paul Pogba out injured. "We're looking at one or two new signings. We're one or two players light," Solskjaer told Sky Sports. "If the right ones are available in January then we might do something. If not, these players will give everything (for a top four finish). "I'm not going to go down the route of bringing players in on big contracts and big fees if they're not the right ones for the whole group and for the future. The money is there to strengthen in January and in the summer." United started the season with a 4-0 win over Chelsea but have scored five goals in seven league matches since and Solskjaer said an injury to forward Anthony Martial, who has not played since August, was a factor in their struggles. "There's many reasons, but one of them is injuries to Anthony," the 46-year-old former United player said. "Creating chances has been a challenge for us with teams dropping deep. "But we're practising patterns every single week. When we get the players fit, I'm going to make Marcus and Anthony score those scruffy goals, as that's what I did."

Manchester United will reinforce squad in January, says manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Bulgarian police said on Wednesday they had detained six people in connection with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/euro-2020-qualifier-anti-racism-body-says-england-game-should-have-been-abandoned-256082">racist abuse faced by England's black players</a> during a Euro 2020 qualifier in Sofia with more arrests likely.

England thrashed Bulgaria 6-0 on Monday to hand the hosts their heaviest ever home defeat but the match was marred by a section of home supporters taunting the visiting players with Nazi salutes and monkey chants.

"Six people were detained so far and we're searching for three more as we have collected evidence about their involvement in the incidents" Senior Commissioner Georgi Hadzhiev, director of the Sofia police department, said.

Hadzhiev added that the operation was still underway and they were trying to identify more suspects.

The match on Monday at the Vasil Levski stadium was temporarily halted by the Croatian&nbsp;referee under a three-step protocol devised by European soccer governing body UEFA.

UEFA said it had opened disciplinary proceedings against Bulgaria on a number of charges including racist behaviour and the throwing of objects.

Bulgarian police said on Wednesday they had detained six people in connection with the racist abuse faced by England's black players during a Euro 2020 qualifier in Sofia with more arrests likely.

Bulgarian police said on Wednesday they had detained six people in connection with the racist abuse faced by England's black players during a Euro 2020 qualifier in Sofia with more arrests likely. England thrashed Bulgaria 6-0 on Monday to hand the hosts their heaviest ever home defeat but the match was marred by a section of home supporters taunting the visiting players with Nazi salutes and monkey chants. "Six people were detained so far and we're searching for three more as we have collected evidence about their involvement in the incidents" Senior Commissioner Georgi Hadzhiev, director of the Sofia police department, said. Hadzhiev added that the operation was still underway and they were trying to identify more suspects. The match on Monday at the Vasil Levski stadium was temporarily halted by the Croatian referee under a three-step protocol devised by European soccer governing body UEFA. UEFA said it had opened disciplinary proceedings against Bulgaria on a number of charges including racist behaviour and the throwing of objects.

Bulgarian police detain six over racist chants at England game

France must wait to claim a place at Euro 2020 after the world champions were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Turkey in a high-octane qualifying game on Monday.

Turkey's Kaan Ayhan equalised eight minutes from time after France substitute Olivier Giroud opened the scoring in the 76th as the visitors stayed top of Group H with 19 points from eight games, ahead of Les Bleus due to a 2-0 win in Konya last June.

Iceland is third on 15 points after goals by Arnor Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson earned a 2-0 home victory over Andorra, with Albania fourth on 12 points following a 4-0 away win against Moldova.

French police were on high alert after President Emmanuel Macron said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/day-5-of-turkeys-military-operation-in-syria-255702">Turkey's military operation </a>against Kurdish forces in Syria could lead to an “unsustainable humanitarian situation” and threatened to “help the Islamic State group re-emerge in the region".

With up to 40,000 Turkey fans expected at the stadium, some 1,000 police officers were on duty in and around the Stade de France to prevent potential crowd trouble, but the atmosphere remained peaceful throughout the evening.

"We could have avoided that goal," France coach Didier Deschamps said. "We did everything we needed to win that game, we had the chances, they didn't, but it is what it is.

"It's a good point. We'll have to finish the job in November," he added, saying Turkey, who have picked up four points against France, deserved to top the group.

"We are the two best teams in the group. Qualifiers are always complicated, it's a long road. We should have been more efficient. They defended a lot and they deserve to be where they are."

France take on Moldova and Turkey host Iceland in the next round of matches in November.

The world champions were still without injured goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, striker Kylian Mbappe and midfielder Paul Pogba, and Wissam Ben Yedder started up front in place of Giroud, who paid for his lack of playing time with Chelsea.

France were the most dangerous side as Turkey struggled to cope with the pace of Kingsley Coman but the visiting defence, which had conceded only two goals in qualifying so far, held firm.

France midfielder Moussa Sissoko's low shot was blocked by keeper Mert Gunok and Antoine Griezmann's curled shot went just wide as Les Bleus piled on the pressure.

Turkey, however, created a chance to opening the scoring on the hour only for Burak Yilmaz to sky his attempt over the bar at the end of a quick counter-attack.

With Ben Yedder struggling to find space, Deschamps replaced him with Giroud in the 72nd minute and it the substitute took four minutes to make an impact, heading home Griezmann's corner kick.

The hosts' joy, however, was short-lived as Turkey levelled six minutes later when Ayhan nodded in a free kick.

France must wait to claim a place at Euro 2020 after the world champions were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Turkey in a high-octane qualifying game on Monday. Turkey's Kaan Ayhan equalised eight minutes from time after France substitute Olivier Giroud opened the scoring in the 76th as the visitors stayed top of Group H with 19 points from eight games, ahead of Les Bleus due to a 2-0 win in Konya last June.

France must wait to claim a place at Euro 2020 after the world champions were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Turkey in a high-octane qualifying game on Monday. Turkey's Kaan Ayhan equalised eight minutes from time after France substitute Olivier Giroud opened the scoring in the 76th as the visitors stayed top of Group H with 19 points from eight games, ahead of Les Bleus due to a 2-0 win in Konya last June. Iceland is third on 15 points after goals by Arnor Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson earned a 2-0 home victory over Andorra, with Albania fourth on 12 points following a 4-0 away win against Moldova. French police were on high alert after President Emmanuel Macron said Turkey's military operation against Kurdish forces in Syria could lead to an “unsustainable humanitarian situation” and threatened to “help the Islamic State group re-emerge in the region". With up to 40,000 Turkey fans expected at the stadium, some 1,000 police officers were on duty in and around the Stade de France to prevent potential crowd trouble, but the atmosphere remained peaceful throughout the evening. "We could have avoided that goal," France coach Didier Deschamps said. "We did everything we needed to win that game, we had the chances, they didn't, but it is what it is. "It's a good point. We'll have to finish the job in November," he added, saying Turkey, who have picked up four points against France, deserved to top the group. "We are the two best teams in the group. Qualifiers are always complicated, it's a long road. We should have been more efficient. They defended a lot and they deserve to be where they are." France take on Moldova and Turkey host Iceland in the next round of matches in November. The world champions were still without injured goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, striker Kylian Mbappe and midfielder Paul Pogba, and Wissam Ben Yedder started up front in place of Giroud, who paid for his lack of playing time with Chelsea. France were the most dangerous side as Turkey struggled to cope with the pace of Kingsley Coman but the visiting defence, which had conceded only two goals in qualifying so far, held firm. France midfielder Moussa Sissoko's low shot was blocked by keeper Mert Gunok and Antoine Griezmann's curled shot went just wide as Les Bleus piled on the pressure. Turkey, however, created a chance to opening the scoring on the hour only for Burak Yilmaz to sky his attempt over the bar at the end of a quick counter-attack. With Ben Yedder struggling to find space, Deschamps replaced him with Giroud in the 72nd minute and it the substitute took four minutes to make an impact, heading home Griezmann's corner kick. The hosts' joy, however, was short-lived as Turkey levelled six minutes later when Ayhan nodded in a free kick.

Euro 2020 qualifier: Turkey hold world champions France

Paris St Germain forward Neymar will be out of action for four weeks because of a thigh injury, the Ligue 1 leaders said on Monday.

"Neymar underwent an MRI (scan) this afternoon... a medical check-up will be done in eight days but his return to competition is expected in four weeks depending on the evolution (of the injury)," PSG said in a statement.

Neymar picked up the injury during Brazil's 1-1 draw against Nigeria in a friendly game in Singapore on Sunday.

The striker is set to miss PSG's two Champions League games against Club Brugge next week and on November&nbsp;6.

Paris St Germain forward Neymar will be out of action for four weeks because of a thigh injury, the Ligue 1 leaders said on Monday. "Neymar underwent an MRI (scan) this afternoon.

Paris St Germain forward Neymar will be out of action for four weeks because of a thigh injury, the Ligue 1 leaders said on Monday. "Neymar underwent an MRI (scan) this afternoon... a medical check-up will be done in eight days but his return to competition is expected in four weeks depending on the evolution (of the injury)," PSG said in a statement. Neymar picked up the injury during Brazil's 1-1 draw against Nigeria in a friendly game in Singapore on Sunday. The striker is set to miss PSG's two Champions League games against Club Brugge next week and on November 6.

Injured Neymar sidelined for four weeks: PSG

England bounced back from their first tournament qualifying defeat for ten&nbsp;years with a 6-0 thrashing of toothless Bulgaria on Monday in a Euro 2020 Group A clash marred by racist incidents in the first half that stopped the game.

The match at the Vasil Levski stadium was temporarily halted by the referee in the first half under a three-step <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-trust-uefa-to-deal-with-racist-abuse-southgate-255129">UEFA protocol</a> to tackle racist abuse from the crowd.

Racist chanting was heard from the stands and reported by England players to manager Gareth Southgate, with the referee informed and a public announcement made on two occasions.

"The officials were onto everything very quickly," said Southgate. "We reported everything very quickly when we heard things."

"I explained to the players that if anything else did happen in the second half we would be coming off. We all saw the second half was calmer and that allowed our players to do their talking with the football."

Most of the Bulgaria players and coach Krasimir Balakov said they had not heard any abuse of the England team.

"It's a very delicate subject," Balakov told reporters. "I do not think there is a single person in Bulgaria who would say that racism is something pleasant."

"But at the same time, it is very strange how this topic is interpreted in football. I have heard absolutely nothing (during the game)."

On the pitch, Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling both netted twice after Marcus Rashford got the opener and captain Harry Kane finished off the rout, Bulgaria's heaviest home defeat, as the visitors recovered from a<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/harry-kane-says-englands-defeat-to-czech-republic-is-a-wakeup-call-255480"> 2-1 loss to the Czech Republic</a> on Friday.

England, who moved closer to a place at Euro 2020, are top of the group with 15 points from six games, three ahead of the Czechs and four in front of Kosovo who beat Montenegro 2-0.

England debutant Tyrone Mings was an early victim of racist abuse, turning towards the fans when chants were aimed in his direction. Croatian referee Ivan Bebek stopped the game in the 28th minute after Raheem Sterling was a target for abuse.

A public announcement condemned the racist abuse before stating that the match would be abandoned if it continued.

The game was stopped again in the 43rd minute but resumed after the referee consulted England manager Gareth Southgate.

A group of black-clad Bulgarian fans, some of whom were making right-wing salutes, were moved from an area behind the dugout with home team captain Ivelin Popov trying to appeal to the supporters in a heated discussion at halftime.

Popov did not even go to the dressing room, attempting to explain to fans that their behaviour was unacceptable.

European soccer governing body UEFA had ordered the Bulgarian Football Union to partially close the Vasil Levski national stadium for England's visit after supporters were found guilty of racist behaviour in matches earlier this year.

On the pitch, Barkley struck twice after Rashford score in the seventh minute as Southgate’s side highlighted the gap in quality with the hosts before Sterling netted before halftime.

England’s victory was rounded off by Sterling's second goal midway through the second half and a cool finish from Kane five minutes from the end against bottom side Bulgaria.

"We have no class," coach Krasimir Balakov said of his side. "I understand all the people who have bought tickets and wanted something different, but against this England team, with this dynamic, and with these players that cost millions...".

The game was being played in front of a reduced crowd after UEFA ordered a partial stadium closure due to racist behaviour by Bulgarian supporters in June's qualifiers against the Czechs and Kosovo.

Racism was a major talking point ahead of the game, with England striker Tammy Abraham indicating last week that the players could act as a group and leave the pitch if subjected to abuse.

Bulgarian supporters made monkey chants at visiting black players when England last travelled to Sofia for a European qualifier in 2011, prompting UEFA to fine the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) 40,000 euros.&nbsp;

England bounced back from their first tournament qualifying defeat for ten years with a 6-0 thrashing of toothless Bulgaria on Monday in a Euro 2020 Group A clash marred by racist incidents in the first half that stopped the game.

England bounced back from their first tournament qualifying defeat for ten years with a 6-0 thrashing of toothless Bulgaria on Monday in a Euro 2020 Group A clash marred by racist incidents in the first half that stopped the game. The match at the Vasil Levski stadium was temporarily halted by the referee in the first half under a three-step UEFA protocol to tackle racist abuse from the crowd. Racist chanting was heard from the stands and reported by England players to manager Gareth Southgate, with the referee informed and a public announcement made on two occasions. "The officials were onto everything very quickly," said Southgate. "We reported everything very quickly when we heard things." "I explained to the players that if anything else did happen in the second half we would be coming off. We all saw the second half was calmer and that allowed our players to do their talking with the football." Most of the Bulgaria players and coach Krasimir Balakov said they had not heard any abuse of the England team. "It's a very delicate subject," Balakov told reporters. "I do not think there is a single person in Bulgaria who would say that racism is something pleasant." "But at the same time, it is very strange how this topic is interpreted in football. I have heard absolutely nothing (during the game)." On the pitch, Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling both netted twice after Marcus Rashford got the opener and captain Harry Kane finished off the rout, Bulgaria's heaviest home defeat, as the visitors recovered from a 2-1 loss to the Czech Republic on Friday. England, who moved closer to a place at Euro 2020, are top of the group with 15 points from six games, three ahead of the Czechs and four in front of Kosovo who beat Montenegro 2-0. England debutant Tyrone Mings was an early victim of racist abuse, turning towards the fans when chants were aimed in his direction. Croatian referee Ivan Bebek stopped the game in the 28th minute after Raheem Sterling was a target for abuse. A public announcement condemned the racist abuse before stating that the match would be abandoned if it continued. The game was stopped again in the 43rd minute but resumed after the referee consulted England manager Gareth Southgate. A group of black-clad Bulgarian fans, some of whom were making right-wing salutes, were moved from an area behind the dugout with home team captain Ivelin Popov trying to appeal to the supporters in a heated discussion at halftime. Popov did not even go to the dressing room, attempting to explain to fans that their behaviour was unacceptable. European soccer governing body UEFA had ordered the Bulgarian Football Union to partially close the Vasil Levski national stadium for England's visit after supporters were found guilty of racist behaviour in matches earlier this year. On the pitch, Barkley struck twice after Rashford score in the seventh minute as Southgate’s side highlighted the gap in quality with the hosts before Sterling netted before halftime. England’s victory was rounded off by Sterling's second goal midway through the second half and a cool finish from Kane five minutes from the end against bottom side Bulgaria. "We have no class," coach Krasimir Balakov said of his side. "I understand all the people who have bought tickets and wanted something different, but against this England team, with this dynamic, and with these players that cost millions...". The game was being played in front of a reduced crowd after UEFA ordered a partial stadium closure due to racist behaviour by Bulgarian supporters in June's qualifiers against the Czechs and Kosovo. Racism was a major talking point ahead of the game, with England striker Tammy Abraham indicating last week that the players could act as a group and leave the pitch if subjected to abuse. Bulgarian supporters made monkey chants at visiting black players when England last travelled to Sofia for a European qualifier in 2011, prompting UEFA to fine the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) 40,000 euros.

Euro 2020 qualifier: England thrash Bulgaria as first half halted over racist chants

Ukraine beat Portugal 2-1 on Monday to clinch a place at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/euro-2020-italy-becomes-second-team-to-qualify-after-2-0-win-over-greece-255554">Euro 2020 despite Cristiano Ronaldo</a> scoring his 700th career goal.

Roman Yaremchuk and Andriy Yarmolenko put Ukraine two goals up after 27 minutes.

Although Ronaldo scored his landmark goal from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute and Taras Stepanenko was sent off, Ukraine held on to secure first place in Group B.

Ukraine join already qualified Poland, Russia, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/belgium-first-team-into-euro-2020-finals-after-9-0-win-255114">Italy and Belgium</a> at next summer's finals, while second-placed Portugal, who are eight points behind Ukraine, have Serbia just a point behind them with two matches remaning after they beat Lithuania 2-1.

"There are days like these, when the ball just doesn't want to go in," said Portuguese midfielder Danilo. "No need to do the maths now: we just need to win the next two games to reach Euro 2020."

Yaremchuk pounced from close range in the sixth minute. The centre forward reacted fastest after Rui Patricio dived to parry Serhiy Kryvtsov's header from a corner, and poke the ball across the line.

Yarmolenko added the second when outpaced the Portuguese defence to finish a swift counter attack with a low, crisp first-time shot.

Portugal dominated the second half and finally achieved a breakthrough when Stepanenko blocked a shot with his arm, receiving his marching orders before Ronaldo blasted home the penalty to make it 700 goals for club and country.

The goal was his 95th for Portugal. The 34-year-old is now just 14 goals behind the all-time international record of 109 held by former Iran striker Ali Daei.

While the exact number of goals scored by some of the game's legends is the subject of debate, Ronaldo is agreed to be the sixth player to reach 700 after Austrian Josef Bican, Brazilians Romario and Pele, Hungarian Ferenc Puskas and German Gerd Muller.

Ukraine beat Portugal 2-1 on Monday to clinch a place at Euro 2020 despite Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his 700th career goal. Roman Yaremchuk and Andriy Yarmolenko put Ukraine two goals up after 27 minutes.

Ukraine beat Portugal 2-1 on Monday to clinch a place at Euro 2020 despite Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his 700th career goal. Roman Yaremchuk and Andriy Yarmolenko put Ukraine two goals up after 27 minutes. Although Ronaldo scored his landmark goal from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute and Taras Stepanenko was sent off, Ukraine held on to secure first place in Group B. Ukraine join already qualified Poland, Russia, Italy and Belgium at next summer's finals, while second-placed Portugal, who are eight points behind Ukraine, have Serbia just a point behind them with two matches remaning after they beat Lithuania 2-1. "There are days like these, when the ball just doesn't want to go in," said Portuguese midfielder Danilo. "No need to do the maths now: we just need to win the next two games to reach Euro 2020." Yaremchuk pounced from close range in the sixth minute. The centre forward reacted fastest after Rui Patricio dived to parry Serhiy Kryvtsov's header from a corner, and poke the ball across the line. Yarmolenko added the second when outpaced the Portuguese defence to finish a swift counter attack with a low, crisp first-time shot. Portugal dominated the second half and finally achieved a breakthrough when Stepanenko blocked a shot with his arm, receiving his marching orders before Ronaldo blasted home the penalty to make it 700 goals for club and country. The goal was his 95th for Portugal. The 34-year-old is now just 14 goals behind the all-time international record of 109 held by former Iran striker Ali Daei. While the exact number of goals scored by some of the game's legends is the subject of debate, Ronaldo is agreed to be the sixth player to reach 700 after Austrian Josef Bican, Brazilians Romario and Pele, Hungarian Ferenc Puskas and German Gerd Muller.

Euro 2020 qualifier: Ukraine beat Portugal despite Cristiano Ronaldo's milestone goal

FIFA on Friday banned a former general secretary of the Afghanistan Football Federation for five years for covering up sexual abuse of female players.

Sayed Aghazada was found guilty of failing to "report and prevent" former federation president Keramuudin Karim from carrying out repeated acts of sexual assault between 2013 and 2018.

World football's governing body banned Karim for life from all football-related activity at both the national and international level in June.

"In its decision, the adjudicatory chamber ruled that Mr Aghazada was aware of this abuse and had the duty to report and prevent it according to the FIFA Code of Ethics," read a statement from FIFA's Independent Ethics Committee.

In addition to the suspension, Aghazada was fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,000).

FIFA's statement added: "The FIFA Ethics Committee is still looking into the allegations that have been made against other individuals in connection to the same investigation and to their positions as football officials."

Aghazada was also a member of the Asian Football Confederation's executive committee.

The AFC said in a statement it noted FIFA's ruling and would wait until the decision was "final and binding" before making any further comment.

FIFA on Friday banned a former general secretary of the Afghanistan Football Federation for five years for covering up sexual abuse of female players. Sayed Aghazada was found guilty of failing to "report and prevent" former federation president Keramuudin Karim from carrying out repeated acts of sexual assault between 2013 and 2018.

FIFA on Friday banned a former general secretary of the Afghanistan Football Federation for five years for covering up sexual abuse of female players. Sayed Aghazada was found guilty of failing to "report and prevent" former federation president Keramuudin Karim from carrying out repeated acts of sexual assault between 2013 and 2018. World football's governing body banned Karim for life from all football-related activity at both the national and international level in June. "In its decision, the adjudicatory chamber ruled that Mr Aghazada was aware of this abuse and had the duty to report and prevent it according to the FIFA Code of Ethics," read a statement from FIFA's Independent Ethics Committee. In addition to the suspension, Aghazada was fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,000). FIFA's statement added: "The FIFA Ethics Committee is still looking into the allegations that have been made against other individuals in connection to the same investigation and to their positions as football officials." Aghazada was also a member of the Asian Football Confederation's executive committee. The AFC said in a statement it noted FIFA's ruling and would wait until the decision was "final and binding" before making any further comment.

FIFA bans former top Afghan football official over abuse cover-up

England&nbsp;manager Gareth&nbsp;Southgate&nbsp;has said his team will adhere to&nbsp;UEFA's protocols if they are subjected to&nbsp;racist&nbsp;abuse&nbsp;in their Euro 2020 qualifiers but stated that his priority would be to provide a safe environment for his players.

UEFA's three-step protocol if players are racially&nbsp;abused involves the referee first halting play and making an announcement to the supporters to immediately stop&nbsp;racist&nbsp;behaviour.

The second step sees the match suspended for some time and both teams are sent to the dressing room if the&nbsp;abuse&nbsp;continues, with another warning given to the fans. In the third and final step, the referee decides to abandon the match.

"There is the&nbsp;UEFA&nbsp;process and we have to have faith in that process. Then everything else is hypothetical,"&nbsp;Southgate&nbsp;told reporters on Thursday.

"We want the players to be able to concentrate on football, they want to be judged on football. What I've got to do is provide a secure, safe environment for them to play."

England&nbsp;play the Czech Republic on Friday and Bulgaria on Monday.&nbsp;UEFA&nbsp;ordered the partial closure of Bulgaria's Vasil Levski stadium after&nbsp;racist&nbsp;behaviour by their supporters in June's qualifiers against the Czechs and Kosovo.

England&nbsp;striker Tammy Abraham indicated this week that the players could act as a group and leave the pitch if subjected to&nbsp;abuse, regardless of&nbsp;UEFA's protocol.

In response, Bulgarian soccer chief Borislav Mihaylov said&nbsp;England&nbsp;players who walk off the pitch should face punishment if they breach&nbsp;UEFA&nbsp;protocol and&nbsp;Southgate&nbsp;tried to defuse the situation.

"We are not trying to create a situation at all, far from it,"&nbsp;Southgate&nbsp;said. "We're all hoping that over the next 72 hours, we're just talking about two football matches.

"I think both countries would have a strong desire for that and I have to say again, we don't look at other countries in a way that we don't shine a mirror on our own."

Southgate&nbsp;was referring to a National League game last month between Hartlepool and Dover which was suspended for more than 10 minutes after alleged&nbsp;racist&nbsp;abuse&nbsp;from the supporters.

"What happened in Hartlepool a couple of weeks ago was probably worse than things I've seen or heard about in many other countries in the world,"&nbsp;Southgate&nbsp;added. "So, I think we have to be very careful in how we cover everything."

England, who have a game in hand, are top of Group A with 12 points from four games. The Czech Republic is second with nine points and Bulgaria bottom with two.

England manager Gareth Southgate has said his team will adhere to UEFA's protocols if they are subjected to racist abuse in their Euro 2020 qualifiers but stated that his priority would be to provide a safe environment for his players.

England manager Gareth Southgate has said his team will adhere to UEFA's protocols if they are subjected to racist abuse in their Euro 2020 qualifiers but stated that his priority would be to provide a safe environment for his players. UEFA's three-step protocol if players are racially abused involves the referee first halting play and making an announcement to the supporters to immediately stop racist behaviour. The second step sees the match suspended for some time and both teams are sent to the dressing room if the abuse continues, with another warning given to the fans. In the third and final step, the referee decides to abandon the match. "There is the UEFA process and we have to have faith in that process. Then everything else is hypothetical," Southgate told reporters on Thursday. "We want the players to be able to concentrate on football, they want to be judged on football. What I've got to do is provide a secure, safe environment for them to play." England play the Czech Republic on Friday and Bulgaria on Monday. UEFA ordered the partial closure of Bulgaria's Vasil Levski stadium after racist behaviour by their supporters in June's qualifiers against the Czechs and Kosovo. England striker Tammy Abraham indicated this week that the players could act as a group and leave the pitch if subjected to abuse, regardless of UEFA's protocol. In response, Bulgarian soccer chief Borislav Mihaylov said England players who walk off the pitch should face punishment if they breach UEFA protocol and Southgate tried to defuse the situation. "We are not trying to create a situation at all, far from it," Southgate said. "We're all hoping that over the next 72 hours, we're just talking about two football matches. "I think both countries would have a strong desire for that and I have to say again, we don't look at other countries in a way that we don't shine a mirror on our own." Southgate was referring to a National League game last month between Hartlepool and Dover which was suspended for more than 10 minutes after alleged racist abuse from the supporters. "What happened in Hartlepool a couple of weeks ago was probably worse than things I've seen or heard about in many other countries in the world," Southgate added. "So, I think we have to be very careful in how we cover everything." England, who have a game in hand, are top of Group A with 12 points from four games. The Czech Republic is second with nine points and Bulgaria bottom with two.

Have faith in UEFA to deal with racist abuse: England coach Southgate

Croatia&nbsp;remained firmly on&nbsp;course&nbsp;to reach Euro 2020 after two goals from striker Bruno Petkovic helped them to a 3-0 home win over&nbsp;Hungary&nbsp;while&nbsp;Wales&nbsp;kept alive their hopes with a 1-1 draw at&nbsp;Slovakia&nbsp;in qualifying Group E on Thursday.

The&nbsp;Croatians top the group with 13 points from six matches and will secure a berth in next year's finals with a match to spare if they beat&nbsp;Wales&nbsp;away on Sunday.

Slovakia&nbsp;are second on 10 points from six matches, one ahead of third-placed&nbsp;Hungary, while&nbsp;Wales&nbsp;are fourth with seven points from five games. The bottom team Azerbaijan has one point from five matches.

The&nbsp;Croatians dominated after captain Luka Modric fired them into a fifth-minute lead when he picked up a loose ball in midfield, raced down the middle and steered a shot past&nbsp;Hungary&nbsp;goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.

Petkovic made it 2-0 with a delightful back-heel from close range after Ante Rebic left his marker for dead on the left flank and squared the ball to the Dinamo Zagreb hitman.

A catalogue of defensive errors allowed Petkovic to bundle in the third late in the first half, as Tamas Kadar and Gulacsi misjudged Ivan Perisic's low cross from the right.

Gulacsi made amends in the 55th minute when he saved Perisic's penalty after Rebic was fouled but any slim hopes of a&nbsp;Hungary&nbsp;comeback were dashed moments later when Laszlo Kleinheisler was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Wales&nbsp;missed a chance to close in on the top two after a sumptuous second-half volley by&nbsp;Slovakia&nbsp;defender Juraj Kucka cancelled out Kieffer Moore's 25th-minute opener.

Moore headed home after Daniel James delivered a fine cross into the penalty area but the visitors failed to clear a Peter Pekarik cross in the 53rd minute and Kucka blasted in the equaliser from 20 meters.

Gareth Bale hit the crossbar for&nbsp;Wales&nbsp;with a first-half header and the&nbsp;Slovakians had defender Norbert Gyomber sent off in the 88th minute for a second yellow card after a poor tackle on Moore.

Croatia remained firmly on course to reach Euro 2020 after two goals from striker Bruno Petkovic helped them to a 3-0 home win over Hungary while Wales kept alive their hopes with a 1-1 draw at Slovakia in qualifying Group E on Thursday.

Croatia remained firmly on course to reach Euro 2020 after two goals from striker Bruno Petkovic helped them to a 3-0 home win over Hungary while Wales kept alive their hopes with a 1-1 draw at Slovakia in qualifying Group E on Thursday. The Croatians top the group with 13 points from six matches and will secure a berth in next year's finals with a match to spare if they beat Wales away on Sunday. Slovakia are second on 10 points from six matches, one ahead of third-placed Hungary, while Wales are fourth with seven points from five games. The bottom team Azerbaijan has one point from five matches. The Croatians dominated after captain Luka Modric fired them into a fifth-minute lead when he picked up a loose ball in midfield, raced down the middle and steered a shot past Hungary goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi. Petkovic made it 2-0 with a delightful back-heel from close range after Ante Rebic left his marker for dead on the left flank and squared the ball to the Dinamo Zagreb hitman. A catalogue of defensive errors allowed Petkovic to bundle in the third late in the first half, as Tamas Kadar and Gulacsi misjudged Ivan Perisic's low cross from the right. Gulacsi made amends in the 55th minute when he saved Perisic's penalty after Rebic was fouled but any slim hopes of a Hungary comeback were dashed moments later when Laszlo Kleinheisler was sent off for a second bookable offence. Wales missed a chance to close in on the top two after a sumptuous second-half volley by Slovakia defender Juraj Kucka cancelled out Kieffer Moore's 25th-minute opener. Moore headed home after Daniel James delivered a fine cross into the penalty area but the visitors failed to clear a Peter Pekarik cross in the 53rd minute and Kucka blasted in the equaliser from 20 meters. Gareth Bale hit the crossbar for Wales with a first-half header and the Slovakians had defender Norbert Gyomber sent off in the 88th minute for a second yellow card after a poor tackle on Moore.

Euro 2020 qualifiers: Croatia thump Hungary to stay on course, Slovakia hold Wales

Memphis Depay scored twice, and Luuk de Jong was also on target as the Netherlands&nbsp;came back from a goal down with 10 minutes left to&nbsp;beat&nbsp;Northern&nbsp;Ireland&nbsp;3-1 in their Euro 2020 qualifier in Rotterdam on Thursday.

It was a fortunate escape for the home side who fell behind when Josh Magennis gave&nbsp;Northern&nbsp;Ireland&nbsp;the lead in the 75th minute after a stout defensive performance had frustrated the hosts.

Yet the&nbsp;Dutch&nbsp;responded with an equaliser from Depay in the 80th minute and then two stoppage-time&nbsp;goals&nbsp;that put them in a three-way tie at the top of Group C.

Netherlands, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/germany-edge-northern-ireland-to-restore-euro-2020-order-248768">Germany and&nbsp;Northern&nbsp;Ireland&nbsp;</a>all have 12 points, although the Irish have played a game more.

Substitute Magennis rose high to head home Stuart Dallas’s cross as the&nbsp;Dutch&nbsp;paid the price for sloppy defending.

Daley Blind miscued two attempted clearances and was then&nbsp;beaten by Dallas, whose cross was expertly met by Magennis as he rose above Matthijs de Ligt to score.

Depay toe-poked home the equaliser from a square ball by Donyell Malen that eluded the&nbsp;Northern&nbsp;Irish defence, as the visitors' lead lasted just five minutes.

Then, as the game went into stoppage time, substitute De Jong needed two chances before finishing at the back post before Depay made sure of a vital three points with another goal after being set up by Frenkie de Jong.

“How we reacted was great,” said&nbsp;Dutch&nbsp;captain Virgil van Dijk.

“We were patient, we kept looking for&nbsp;goals&nbsp;and we got our reward for our second-half performance where we put on the pressure.

“In the end, it was a deserved win with an outstanding reaction,” he told NOS.

Yet it was a frustrating night for the&nbsp;Dutch, who did not manage an effort on the visitors' goal until just before the half-hour mark when Steven Bergwijn's shot was blocked.

It took 44 minutes before&nbsp;Northern&nbsp;Ireland&nbsp;goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell actually had to make an intervention, easily collecting the ball as Georginio Wijnaldum’s attempted header looped up into the air.

The&nbsp;Dutch&nbsp;ratcheted up the pressure in the second half when Donny van de Beek came on, with center-back Jonny Evans clearing his lines in the 71st minute as Wijnaldum looked to steer the ball home from a difficult angle.

Yet then Magennis silenced the home fans before the&nbsp;Dutch&nbsp;picked themselves up for a grand finale.

Earlier on Thursday, bottom team Estonia picked up their first point with a goalless draw away in Minsk against Belarus.

The pair are already out of contention in the group with Belarus second from bottom on four points after six games.

Memphis Depay scored twice, and Luuk de Jong was also on target as the Netherlands came back from a goal down with 10 minutes left to beat Northern Ireland 3-1 in their Euro 2020 qualifier in Rotterdam on Thursday.

Memphis Depay scored twice, and Luuk de Jong was also on target as the Netherlands came back from a goal down with 10 minutes left to beat Northern Ireland 3-1 in their Euro 2020 qualifier in Rotterdam on Thursday. It was a fortunate escape for the home side who fell behind when Josh Magennis gave Northern Ireland the lead in the 75th minute after a stout defensive performance had frustrated the hosts. Yet the Dutch responded with an equaliser from Depay in the 80th minute and then two stoppage-time goals that put them in a three-way tie at the top of Group C. Netherlands, Germany and Northern Ireland all have 12 points, although the Irish have played a game more. Substitute Magennis rose high to head home Stuart Dallas’s cross as the Dutch paid the price for sloppy defending. Daley Blind miscued two attempted clearances and was then beaten by Dallas, whose cross was expertly met by Magennis as he rose above Matthijs de Ligt to score. Depay toe-poked home the equaliser from a square ball by Donyell Malen that eluded the Northern Irish defence, as the visitors' lead lasted just five minutes. Then, as the game went into stoppage time, substitute De Jong needed two chances before finishing at the back post before Depay made sure of a vital three points with another goal after being set up by Frenkie de Jong. “How we reacted was great,” said Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk. “We were patient, we kept looking for goals and we got our reward for our second-half performance where we put on the pressure. “In the end, it was a deserved win with an outstanding reaction,” he told NOS. Yet it was a frustrating night for the Dutch, who did not manage an effort on the visitors' goal until just before the half-hour mark when Steven Bergwijn's shot was blocked. It took 44 minutes before Northern Ireland goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell actually had to make an intervention, easily collecting the ball as Georginio Wijnaldum’s attempted header looped up into the air. The Dutch ratcheted up the pressure in the second half when Donny van de Beek came on, with center-back Jonny Evans clearing his lines in the 71st minute as Wijnaldum looked to steer the ball home from a difficult angle. Yet then Magennis silenced the home fans before the Dutch picked themselves up for a grand finale. Earlier on Thursday, bottom team Estonia picked up their first point with a goalless draw away in Minsk against Belarus. The pair are already out of contention in the group with Belarus second from bottom on four points after six games.

Euro 2020 qualifier: Dutch grab late goals to beat Northern Ireland

Belgium&nbsp;became the&nbsp;first&nbsp;side through to the&nbsp;Euro&nbsp;2020&nbsp;finals&nbsp;after&nbsp;thrashing San Marino 9-0 on Thursday with Romelu Lukaku scoring his 50th and 51st international goals.

Russia was on the verge of joining the world's top-ranked nation as second qualifiers from Group I&nbsp;after&nbsp;running out 4-0&nbsp;winners at home to Scotland with all the goals coming in the second half.

Unbeaten&nbsp;Belgium&nbsp;has 21 points from seven games, with only one goal conceded, while Russia has 18 and Cyprus, 2-1&nbsp;winners over Kazakhstan in Astana, are on 10. The top two qualify directly.

San Marino managed to keep a clean sheet for 27 minutes against the 2018 World Cup semi-finalists before, as expected, the floodgates opened at Brussels's King Baudouin Stadium and the goals poured in for Roberto Martinez's side.

Inter Milan striker Lukaku became the&nbsp;first&nbsp;Belgian to reach a half-century of international goals with a right-footed shot to open the scoring.

He set up Nacer Chadli three minutes later before an own-goal from Cristian Brolli put&nbsp;Belgium&nbsp;3-0 up in the 35th.

Lukaku grabbed his second on 41 minutes assisted by Real Madrid's Eden Hazard.

"It's nice to be so good in the national&nbsp;team, but at the end of the day I want to&nbsp;win&nbsp;a trophy with&nbsp;Belgium," Lukaku told Belgian broadcaster RTBF.

A deflected Toby Alderweireld effort in the 43rd minute and a Youri Tielemens shot in stoppage time saw&nbsp;Belgium&nbsp;cruise in 6-0 up at the break.

The pace slowed before Christian Benteke broke his three-year international drought by coming off the bench to score three minutes later, in the 79th, by wrong-footing the goalkeeper from the edge of the area.

Yari Verschaeren, 18, came off the bench to score his&nbsp;first&nbsp;senior goal from the penalty spot to make it 8-0 in the 84th and Timothy Castagne rounded off the tally in the 90th minute.

"We wanted the 10th, but we didn't get it, unfortunately," said Hazard.

"We started well, we had some chances and could have scored sooner. But we know that in this kind of game you have to be patient."

Russia dominated possession at the Luzhniki stadium but were frustrated throughout the&nbsp;first&nbsp;half by a Scotland side that failed to muster a single shot on target.

The Scots, who can no longer qualify automatically but remain in contention through the playoffs, crumbled&nbsp;after&nbsp;the break.

Artem Dzyuba made the breakthrough for Russia on the volley in the 57th and a second followed three minutes later when Magomed Ozdoev blasted a long-range screamer past David Marshall.

Dzyuba headed in his second in the 70th minute, with an Aleksandr Golovin shot going in off the post in the 84th, as Russia cruised to a comfortable&nbsp;win.

Belgium became the first side through to the Euro 2020 finals after thrashing San Marino 9-0 on Thursday with Romelu Lukaku scoring his 50th and 51st international goals.

Belgium became the first side through to the Euro 2020 finals after thrashing San Marino 9-0 on Thursday with Romelu Lukaku scoring his 50th and 51st international goals. Russia was on the verge of joining the world's top-ranked nation as second qualifiers from Group I after running out 4-0 winners at home to Scotland with all the goals coming in the second half. Unbeaten Belgium has 21 points from seven games, with only one goal conceded, while Russia has 18 and Cyprus, 2-1 winners over Kazakhstan in Astana, are on 10. The top two qualify directly. San Marino managed to keep a clean sheet for 27 minutes against the 2018 World Cup semi-finalists before, as expected, the floodgates opened at Brussels's King Baudouin Stadium and the goals poured in for Roberto Martinez's side. Inter Milan striker Lukaku became the first Belgian to reach a half-century of international goals with a right-footed shot to open the scoring. He set up Nacer Chadli three minutes later before an own-goal from Cristian Brolli put Belgium 3-0 up in the 35th. Lukaku grabbed his second on 41 minutes assisted by Real Madrid's Eden Hazard. "It's nice to be so good in the national team, but at the end of the day I want to win a trophy with Belgium," Lukaku told Belgian broadcaster RTBF. A deflected Toby Alderweireld effort in the 43rd minute and a Youri Tielemens shot in stoppage time saw Belgium cruise in 6-0 up at the break. The pace slowed before Christian Benteke broke his three-year international drought by coming off the bench to score three minutes later, in the 79th, by wrong-footing the goalkeeper from the edge of the area. Yari Verschaeren, 18, came off the bench to score his first senior goal from the penalty spot to make it 8-0 in the 84th and Timothy Castagne rounded off the tally in the 90th minute. "We wanted the 10th, but we didn't get it, unfortunately," said Hazard. "We started well, we had some chances and could have scored sooner. But we know that in this kind of game you have to be patient." Russia dominated possession at the Luzhniki stadium but were frustrated throughout the first half by a Scotland side that failed to muster a single shot on target. The Scots, who can no longer qualify automatically but remain in contention through the playoffs, crumbled after the break. Artem Dzyuba made the breakthrough for Russia on the volley in the 57th and a second followed three minutes later when Magomed Ozdoev blasted a long-range screamer past David Marshall. Dzyuba headed in his second in the 70th minute, with an Aleksandr Golovin shot going in off the post in the 84th, as Russia cruised to a comfortable win.

Belgium first team to enter Euro 2020 finals after thrashing San Marino

Injury-decimated&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;squandered a&nbsp;two-goal&nbsp;lead&nbsp;to&nbsp;draw&nbsp;2-2 with&nbsp;Argentina&nbsp;thanks to Lucas Ocampos's 85th-minute equaliser in a friendly on Wednesday.

The Germans, missing a dozen players and without a single world champion in the starting line-up for the first time since the 2014 World Cup final, fielded a callow team including newcomers Robin Koch and Luca Waldschmidt.

What they lacked in experience, however, they made up for in enthusiasm in the first half with Serge Gnabry continuing his prolific run with his 10th&nbsp;goal&nbsp;in his 11th international, stabbing the hosts ahead after quarter of an hour.

Gnabry turned provider seven minutes later when he found Kai Havertz in the box to complete a quick move.

Marcel Halstenberg rattled the crossbar with a stunning left-footed free-kick as did&nbsp;Argentina's Rodrigo De Paul with a long-range effort.

Argentina, without suspended world footballer of the year Lionel Messi as well as Angel Di Maria and Sergio Aguero, cut the deficit in the 66th minute through substitute Lucas Alario who instantly added more pace to their game.

The Germans, who had four players making their debuts, gradually ran out of steam and the visitors completed their comeback when Alario charged into the box to lay off for Ocampos to equalise.

Germany&nbsp;next take on Estonia in a Euro 2020 qualifier on Sunday.

Injury-decimated Germany squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Argentina thanks to Lucas Ocampos's 85th-minute equaliser in a friendly on Wednesday. The Germans, missing a dozen players and without a single world champion in the starting line-up for the first time since the 2014 World Cup final, fielded a callow team including newcomers Robin Koch and Luca Waldschmidt.

Injury-decimated Germany squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Argentina thanks to Lucas Ocampos's 85th-minute equaliser in a friendly on Wednesday. The Germans, missing a dozen players and without a single world champion in the starting line-up for the first time since the 2014 World Cup final, fielded a callow team including newcomers Robin Koch and Luca Waldschmidt. What they lacked in experience, however, they made up for in enthusiasm in the first half with Serge Gnabry continuing his prolific run with his 10th goal in his 11th international, stabbing the hosts ahead after quarter of an hour. Gnabry turned provider seven minutes later when he found Kai Havertz in the box to complete a quick move. Marcel Halstenberg rattled the crossbar with a stunning left-footed free-kick as did Argentina's Rodrigo De Paul with a long-range effort. Argentina, without suspended world footballer of the year Lionel Messi as well as Angel Di Maria and Sergio Aguero, cut the deficit in the 66th minute through substitute Lucas Alario who instantly added more pace to their game. The Germans, who had four players making their debuts, gradually ran out of steam and the visitors completed their comeback when Alario charged into the box to lay off for Ocampos to equalise. Germany next take on Estonia in a Euro 2020 qualifier on Sunday.

Germany waste two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Argentina

Serie A club&nbsp;Lazio&nbsp;on Tuesday vowed they would try to&nbsp;identify&nbsp;and then&nbsp;take&nbsp;action&nbsp;against&nbsp;fans&nbsp;responsible for&nbsp;racist&nbsp;chants&nbsp;against&nbsp;Rennes in their Europa League match last week.

Lazio&nbsp;has been charged by UEFA&nbsp;over&nbsp;alleged&nbsp;racist&nbsp;behaviour which could result in the Italian club having sections of their stadium closed.

"Lazio&nbsp;will defend its reputation and tradition, the club announces that it has immediately activated the initiatives aimed at identifying those responsible and will rigorously apply the code of ethics to remove those responsible from the stadium," the club said in a statement.&nbsp;

Lazio&nbsp;added that the club would "join any legal&nbsp;action&nbsp;taken&nbsp;against&nbsp;those who, following the investigation with police, are found to be responsible".

Lazio&nbsp;fans&nbsp;also made Fascist salutes during the 2-1 home win&nbsp;over&nbsp;Rennes.

The Serie A played&nbsp;against&nbsp;Rennes with a stand closed as punishment for fascist salutes by&nbsp;fans&nbsp;in a game with Sevilla last season.

UEFA will hand down their verdict on October 17.

Serie A club Lazio on Tuesday vowed they would try to identify and then take action against fans responsible for racist chants against Rennes in their Europa League match last week.

Serie A club Lazio on Tuesday vowed they would try to identify and then take action against fans responsible for racist chants against Rennes in their Europa League match last week. Lazio has been charged by UEFA over alleged racist behaviour which could result in the Italian club having sections of their stadium closed. "Lazio will defend its reputation and tradition, the club announces that it has immediately activated the initiatives aimed at identifying those responsible and will rigorously apply the code of ethics to remove those responsible from the stadium," the club said in a statement. Lazio added that the club would "join any legal action taken against those who, following the investigation with police, are found to be responsible". Lazio fans also made Fascist salutes during the 2-1 home win over Rennes. The Serie A played against Rennes with a stand closed as punishment for fascist salutes by fans in a game with Sevilla last season. UEFA will hand down their verdict on October 17.

Lazio vow to identify, take action against fans over racist chants

American&nbsp;forward&nbsp;Jozy&nbsp;Altidore&nbsp;will miss the first two&nbsp;matches&nbsp;of the CONCACAF&nbsp;Nations&nbsp;League&nbsp;after suffering an injury during the Major&nbsp;League&nbsp;Soccer regular-season finale, the US&nbsp;men's national team said on Tuesday.

Altidore&nbsp;was substituted in Toronto FC's match against Columbus&nbsp;Crew on Sunday in the 70th minute after landing awkwardly following a challenge from Jonathan Mensah.

While the extent of the injury is unknown, the US&nbsp;team said in a statement that&nbsp;Altidore&nbsp;would not play on Friday in Washington against Cuba or on Oct. 15 in Toronto against Canada.

US&nbsp;Soccer also confirmed that a replacement would not be called up.

The competition, which is similar to that started by UEFA in 2018 with the aim of cutting down on meaningless friendlies, is part of a broad makeover by a confederation seeking to win back the confidence of fans after it was ravaged by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ex-uefa-chief-michel-platini-arrested-in-2022-qatar-world-cup-probe-228291">FIFA corruption scandal</a>.

The group&nbsp;matches&nbsp;will wrap up in six weeks with the finals taking place in June.

American forward Jozy Altidore will miss the first two matches of the CONCACAF Nations League after suffering an injury during the Major League Soccer regular-season finale, the US men's national team said on Tuesday.

American forward Jozy Altidore will miss the first two matches of the CONCACAF Nations League after suffering an injury during the Major League Soccer regular-season finale, the US men's national team said on Tuesday. Altidore was substituted in Toronto FC's match against Columbus Crew on Sunday in the 70th minute after landing awkwardly following a challenge from Jonathan Mensah. While the extent of the injury is unknown, the US team said in a statement that Altidore would not play on Friday in Washington against Cuba or on Oct. 15 in Toronto against Canada. US Soccer also confirmed that a replacement would not be called up. The competition, which is similar to that started by UEFA in 2018 with the aim of cutting down on meaningless friendlies, is part of a broad makeover by a confederation seeking to win back the confidence of fans after it was ravaged by the FIFA corruption scandal. The group matches will wrap up in six weeks with the finals taking place in June.

US forward Altidore ruled out of Nations League

France striker Kylian&nbsp;Mbappe&nbsp;has been&nbsp;ruled&nbsp;out&nbsp;of their&nbsp;Euro&nbsp;2020&nbsp;qualifiers&nbsp;against Iceland and Turkey through injury, the French football federation said on Tuesday.

Paris St Germain's&nbsp;Mbappe, who has been <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/psg-lose-mbappe-for-a-month-with-hamstring-injury-cavani-out-for-three-weeks-245837">struggling with a recurring thigh problem</a>, has been replaced in the squad by Borussia Moenchengladbach forward Alassane Plea.

France travel to Iceland in Group H on Friday before hosting Turkey at the Stade de France on Monday.

The world champions are second in Group H on 15 points, behind Turkey by virtue of their defeat in Konya last June, while Iceland is third with 12 points after six matches.

France striker Kylian Mbappe has been ruled out of their Euro 2020 qualifiers against Iceland and Turkey through injury, the French football federation said on Tuesday.

France striker Kylian Mbappe has been ruled out of their Euro 2020 qualifiers against Iceland and Turkey through injury, the French football federation said on Tuesday. Paris St Germain's Mbappe, who has been struggling with a recurring thigh problem, has been replaced in the squad by Borussia Moenchengladbach forward Alassane Plea. France travel to Iceland in Group H on Friday before hosting Turkey at the Stade de France on Monday. The world champions are second in Group H on 15 points, behind Turkey by virtue of their defeat in Konya last June, while Iceland is third with 12 points after six matches.

Euro 2020 qualifiers: Mbappe ruled out against Iceland, Turkey due to injury

England&nbsp;has&nbsp;called&nbsp;up&nbsp;Sheffield United goalkeeper&nbsp;Dean&nbsp;Henderson&nbsp;for the&nbsp;first&nbsp;time following Tom&nbsp;Heaton's withdrawal through injury for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, the FA said on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old&nbsp;Henderson, on loan at Sheffield United from Manchester United, will link&nbsp;up&nbsp;with Gareth Southgate’s 24-man squad on Wednesday after&nbsp;Heaton&nbsp;returned to Aston Villa after suffering the injury in their win at Norwich City last weekend.

Henderson&nbsp;was criticised by his club manager Chris Wilder after gifting Premier League leaders Liverpool the only goal in a 1-0 win at Bramall Lane on Sept. 28, watched by Southgate, but responded with a clean sheet in the draw at Watford on Saturday.

Henderson, who has featured for&nbsp;England&nbsp;from under-16 through to under-21 level, will travel to the Czech Republic and Bulgaria with goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and Nick Pope for the Group&nbsp;A qualifiers on Friday and Monday respectively.

England&nbsp;are top of the section with a perfect <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/harry-kane-treble-fires-england-in-bulgaria-rout-248333">12 points from four matches</a> and will qualify for next year's finals with a win over the second-placed Czechs, who have nine points from five games. Bulgaria are bottom of the group&nbsp;with two from five.

England has called up Sheffield United goalkeeper Dean Henderson for the first time following Tom Heaton's withdrawal through injury for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, the FA said on Tuesday.

England has called up Sheffield United goalkeeper Dean Henderson for the first time following Tom Heaton's withdrawal through injury for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, the FA said on Tuesday. The 22-year-old Henderson, on loan at Sheffield United from Manchester United, will link up with Gareth Southgate’s 24-man squad on Wednesday after Heaton returned to Aston Villa after suffering the injury in their win at Norwich City last weekend. Henderson was criticised by his club manager Chris Wilder after gifting Premier League leaders Liverpool the only goal in a 1-0 win at Bramall Lane on Sept. 28, watched by Southgate, but responded with a clean sheet in the draw at Watford on Saturday. Henderson, who has featured for England from under-16 through to under-21 level, will travel to the Czech Republic and Bulgaria with goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and Nick Pope for the Group A qualifiers on Friday and Monday respectively. England are top of the section with a perfect 12 points from four matches and will qualify for next year's finals with a win over the second-placed Czechs, who have nine points from five games. Bulgaria are bottom of the group with two from five.

Euro 2020 qualifiers: England call keeper Henderson as Heaton withdraws

Iranian women fans are free to enter a football stadium Thursday for the first time in decades, after FIFA threatened to suspend the Islamic republic over its controversial male-only policy.

Iran has barred female spectators from football and other stadiums for around 40 years, with clerics arguing they must be shielded from the masculine atmosphere and sight of semi-clad men.

World football's governing body FIFA last month ordered Iran to allow women access to stadiums without restrictions and in numbers determined by the demand for tickets.

The directive came after a fan dubbed "Blue Girl" died after setting herself on fire in fear of being jailed for dressing up as a boy in order to attend a match.

Women were quick to get their hands on tickets to attend Iran's 2022 World Cup qualifier against Cambodia at Tehran's Azadi Stadium on Thursday.

The first batch sold out in under an hour, and additional seats were also snapped up in short order, state media said.

A sports ministry official said the 100,000-capacity stadium -- whose name means "Freedom" in Farsi -- was ready to host even more women.

One of the 3,500 women to have secured a ticket was Raha Poorbakhsh, a football journalist.

"I still can't believe this is going to happen because after all these years of working in this field, watching everything on television, now I can experience everything in person," she told AFP.

'Blue girl'

But Poorbakhsh said she was aware of many other women without tickets and some were expected to travel from as far away as Ahvaz in southern Iran in the hope of still getting one.

Those lucky enough to attend will be segregated from men and watched over by 150 female police officers, according to Fars news agency.

People on the streets of Tehran said they supported the decision to allow women into stadiums.

"I would like there to be freedom for women, like men, to go freely and even sit side by side without any restrictions, like other countries," said a woman who only gave her name as Hasti.

Nader Fathi, who runs a clothing business, said the presence of women could improve the atmosphere in stadiums.

But he said "they will regret it" if they are exposed to "really bad swear words" and "bad behaviour".

The bumpy road Iranian women have travelled in order to gain free access to stadiums has not been without tragedy.

Sahar Khodayari died last month after setting herself ablaze outside a court in fear of being jailed for attending a match.

Dubbed "blue girl" because of the colours of the club she supported, Esteghlal FC, she had reportedly been detained last year when trying to enter a stadium dressed as a boy.

Her death sparked an outcry, with many calling on FIFA to ban Iran and for fans to boycott matches.

Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili at the time dismissed reports she had been told she would be jailed for six months as "fabricated rumours and hearsay".

And Khodayari's father told Mehr news agency that she did not "sacrifice" herself for any cause.

Shadow of FIFA

Ahead of Qatar 2022, Iran has come under pressure from FIFA to allow women to attend this round of World Cup qualifiers.

The ban on women in stadiums is not written into law or regulations, but it has been strictly enforced.

Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, women have only had rare access to stadiums in Iran.

About 20 Irish women attended a World Cup qualifier in 2001, and four years later a few dozen Iranian women were allowed to watch the national "Team Melli" take on Bahrain.

In October, as many as 100 Iranian "handpicked" women entered Azadi for a friendly against Bolivia.

But the day after, the prosecutor general warned there would be no repeat, saying it would "lead to sin".

The issue has been divisive in Iran.

The reformist camp has welcomed the decision to allow women into Thursday's match, while conservatives have argued that football is not a priority for women.

The Donya-e-Eqtesad financial newspaper called it "a step to weaken a taboo and also free Iran's football of the looming shadow of FIFA's punishment".

But the ultra-conservative Keyhan daily said women were more concerned about economic issues.

"There are many girls still single and at home, afraid of the cost of marriage. The government should be thinking of this, not sending them to stadiums," it quoted a mother as saying.

Iranian women fans are free to enter a football stadium Thursday for the first time in decades, after FIFA threatened to suspend the Islamic republic over its controversial male-only policy.

Iranian women fans are free to enter a football stadium Thursday for the first time in decades, after FIFA threatened to suspend the Islamic republic over its controversial male-only policy. Iran has barred female spectators from football and other stadiums for around 40 years, with clerics arguing they must be shielded from the masculine atmosphere and sight of semi-clad men. World football's governing body FIFA last month ordered Iran to allow women access to stadiums without restrictions and in numbers determined by the demand for tickets. The directive came after a fan dubbed "Blue Girl" died after setting herself on fire in fear of being jailed for dressing up as a boy in order to attend a match. Women were quick to get their hands on tickets to attend Iran's 2022 World Cup qualifier against Cambodia at Tehran's Azadi Stadium on Thursday. The first batch sold out in under an hour, and additional seats were also snapped up in short order, state media said. A sports ministry official said the 100,000-capacity stadium -- whose name means "Freedom" in Farsi -- was ready to host even more women. One of the 3,500 women to have secured a ticket was Raha Poorbakhsh, a football journalist. "I still can't believe this is going to happen because after all these years of working in this field, watching everything on television, now I can experience everything in person," she told AFP. 'Blue girl' But Poorbakhsh said she was aware of many other women without tickets and some were expected to travel from as far away as Ahvaz in southern Iran in the hope of still getting one. Those lucky enough to attend will be segregated from men and watched over by 150 female police officers, according to Fars news agency. People on the streets of Tehran said they supported the decision to allow women into stadiums. "I would like there to be freedom for women, like men, to go freely and even sit side by side without any restrictions, like other countries," said a woman who only gave her name as Hasti. Nader Fathi, who runs a clothing business, said the presence of women could improve the atmosphere in stadiums. But he said "they will regret it" if they are exposed to "really bad swear words" and "bad behaviour". The bumpy road Iranian women have travelled in order to gain free access to stadiums has not been without tragedy. Sahar Khodayari died last month after setting herself ablaze outside a court in fear of being jailed for attending a match. Dubbed "blue girl" because of the colours of the club she supported, Esteghlal FC, she had reportedly been detained last year when trying to enter a stadium dressed as a boy. Her death sparked an outcry, with many calling on FIFA to ban Iran and for fans to boycott matches. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili at the time dismissed reports she had been told she would be jailed for six months as "fabricated rumours and hearsay". And Khodayari's father told Mehr news agency that she did not "sacrifice" herself for any cause. Shadow of FIFA Ahead of Qatar 2022, Iran has come under pressure from FIFA to allow women to attend this round of World Cup qualifiers. The ban on women in stadiums is not written into law or regulations, but it has been strictly enforced. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, women have only had rare access to stadiums in Iran. About 20 Irish women attended a World Cup qualifier in 2001, and four years later a few dozen Iranian women were allowed to watch the national "Team Melli" take on Bahrain. In October, as many as 100 Iranian "handpicked" women entered Azadi for a friendly against Bolivia. But the day after, the prosecutor general warned there would be no repeat, saying it would "lead to sin". The issue has been divisive in Iran. The reformist camp has welcomed the decision to allow women into Thursday's match, while conservatives have argued that football is not a priority for women. The Donya-e-Eqtesad financial newspaper called it "a step to weaken a taboo and also free Iran's football of the looming shadow of FIFA's punishment". But the ultra-conservative Keyhan daily said women were more concerned about economic issues. "There are many girls still single and at home, afraid of the cost of marriage. The government should be thinking of this, not sending them to stadiums," it quoted a mother as saying.

Iran women to see football freely for first time in decades

FC Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has said he considered leaving the club when he was investigated for tax fraud in 2013, saying he felt "badly treated" by Spain.

Messi, who has been at Barcelona since he was 13 and is their all-time top scorer, was found guilty in 2016 along with his father Jorge of defrauding the Spanish government of 4.2 million euros&nbsp;between 2007 and 2009 over income earned from image rights.

The Argentina international was handed a prison sentence of 21 months and ordered to pay a fine of 2 million euros.

He did not serve any jail time after exchanging his sentence for a fine of 250,000 euros, as in Spain defendants without a previous conviction are permitted to serve any sentence of under two years on probation.

He was first investigated in 2013, beginning a spate of tax fraud cases against top footballers in Spain including Cristiano Ronaldo, Javier Mascherano, and Marcelo.

"Sincerely, at that time, I thought about leaving," Messi told Barcelona-based radio station RAC1 in an interview broadcast on Wednesday.

"Not because of Barcelona but because I wanted to leave Spain, I felt very badly treated and I didn't want to stay here any longer.

"I had my doors open to many clubs but I never got an official offer because everyone knew I really wanted to stay. This situation went way beyond my feelings for Barca."

Messi added that he felt he was made an example of by the Spanish tax authorities, who stepped up their efforts against tax fraud after Spain's deep economic crisis hit.

"I was the first and that's why they came down so hard on me. They made an example of me and showed that it was going to be like this for everyone. It was tough because of everything that was happening at that time," he said.

FC Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has said he considered leaving the club when he was investigated for tax fraud in 2013, saying he felt "badly treated" by Spain.

FC Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has said he considered leaving the club when he was investigated for tax fraud in 2013, saying he felt "badly treated" by Spain. Messi, who has been at Barcelona since he was 13 and is their all-time top scorer, was found guilty in 2016 along with his father Jorge of defrauding the Spanish government of 4.2 million euros between 2007 and 2009 over income earned from image rights. The Argentina international was handed a prison sentence of 21 months and ordered to pay a fine of 2 million euros. He did not serve any jail time after exchanging his sentence for a fine of 250,000 euros, as in Spain defendants without a previous conviction are permitted to serve any sentence of under two years on probation. He was first investigated in 2013, beginning a spate of tax fraud cases against top footballers in Spain including Cristiano Ronaldo, Javier Mascherano, and Marcelo. "Sincerely, at that time, I thought about leaving," Messi told Barcelona-based radio station RAC1 in an interview broadcast on Wednesday. "Not because of Barcelona but because I wanted to leave Spain, I felt very badly treated and I didn't want to stay here any longer. "I had my doors open to many clubs but I never got an official offer because everyone knew I really wanted to stay. This situation went way beyond my feelings for Barca." Messi added that he felt he was made an example of by the Spanish tax authorities, who stepped up their efforts against tax fraud after Spain's deep economic crisis hit. "I was the first and that's why they came down so hard on me. They made an example of me and showed that it was going to be like this for everyone. It was tough because of everything that was happening at that time," he said.

Messi wanted to leave Barca during tax investigation

Barcelona&nbsp;paid out $101 million (92&nbsp;million&nbsp;euros) in collective&nbsp;bonuses&nbsp;to its&nbsp;players&nbsp;for winning the Spanish league and Super Cup titles&nbsp;last&nbsp;season, the club's annual report showed.

The bonus was two&nbsp;million&nbsp;euros less than the amount that was paid out in 2018. The figure was three&nbsp;million&nbsp;euros more than what the&nbsp;players&nbsp;received when the club won the treble in 2015.

The report revealed that the club spent a total of 541&nbsp;million&nbsp;euros on staff costs across all its sports teams, with 311.9&nbsp;million&nbsp;spent on first-team coaches and&nbsp;players.

While Barca won La Liga at a canter and lifted the Super Cup&nbsp;last&nbsp;season, they lost the Copa del Rey final to Valencia and were beaten by Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals.

Barca paid&nbsp;players&nbsp;89&nbsp;million&nbsp;euros for the 2014-15 campaign when they won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.

They&nbsp;handed&nbsp;out 94&nbsp;million&nbsp;euros for the 2017-2018&nbsp;season when they won the Copa del Rey and La Liga titles.

Barcelona paid out $101 million (92 million euros) in collective bonuses to its players for winning the Spanish league and Super Cup titles last season, the club's annual report showed.

Barcelona paid out $101 million (92 million euros) in collective bonuses to its players for winning the Spanish league and Super Cup titles last season, the club's annual report showed. The bonus was two million euros less than the amount that was paid out in 2018. The figure was three million euros more than what the players received when the club won the treble in 2015. The report revealed that the club spent a total of 541 million euros on staff costs across all its sports teams, with 311.9 million spent on first-team coaches and players. While Barca won La Liga at a canter and lifted the Super Cup last season, they lost the Copa del Rey final to Valencia and were beaten by Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals. Barca paid players 89 million euros for the 2014-15 campaign when they won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. They handed out 94 million euros for the 2017-2018 season when they won the Copa del Rey and La Liga titles.

Barcelona players handed 92 million euros in bonuses last season

FIFA has been "assured" by Iranian authorities that women will be able to attend the October World Cup qualifier in Tehran, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fifa-tells-iran-it-is-time-to-allow-women-into-stadiums-250611">Gianni Infantino</a>, president of the body said on Sunday.&nbsp;

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/blue-girl-football-fan-admitted-mistake-and-expressed-regret-iran-249651">female Iranian fan died</a> earlier this month, after setting herself on fire to protest against her arrest for attending a match.&nbsp;

FIFA officials have been in Iran this week discussing preparations for the Oct. 10 World Cup qualifier against Cambodia, their first home game of the 2022 qualifying competition.&nbsp;

"We need to have women attending – we need to push for that with respect but in a strong and forceful way and we cannot wait anymore," Infantino told a FIFA conference on women's football.&nbsp;

"We have been assured, that as of the next international game of Iran, women will be allowed to enter football stadiums," he said.&nbsp;

"This is something very important, it is 40 years that this has not happened, with a couple of exceptions, but it is important to move to the next level and to the next stage," he added.&nbsp;

FIFA said on Saturday it would be working with the Iranian football federation to develop plans for women to attend domestic matches in the Iranian league as well.&nbsp;

Sahar Khodayari, dubbed "Blue Girl" for the colours of her favourite team Esteghlal, died in hospital after her self-immolation outside a court where she feared being jailed for six months, having attended the match in disguise as a man.&nbsp;

Khodayari’s death has caused widespread outrage in Iran and internationally, prompting calls on social media for Iran’s football federation to be suspended or banned by FIFA.&nbsp;

Critics say FIFA’s own statutes hold discrimination on grounds of gender punishable by suspension or expulsion.&nbsp;

While foreign women have been allowed limited access to matches, Iranian women have been banned from stadiums when men’s teams have been playing, since just after the 1979 Islamic revolution.&nbsp;

There were signs the situation regarding female fans in Iran was changing when a group of women was permitted to attend the second leg of the Asian Champions League final in Tehran last November, a match where Infantino was present.&nbsp;

Female fans, however, have been denied access to matches since. At Iran’s friendly against Syria in June, women were locked out of the Azadi Stadium and detained by security forces.&nbsp;

FIFA has been "assured" by Iranian authorities that women will be able to attend the October World Cup qualifier in Tehran, Gianni Infantino, president of the body said on Sunday.

FIFA has been "assured" by Iranian authorities that women will be able to attend the October World Cup qualifier in Tehran, Gianni Infantino, president of the body said on Sunday. A female Iranian fan died earlier this month, after setting herself on fire to protest against her arrest for attending a match. FIFA officials have been in Iran this week discussing preparations for the Oct. 10 World Cup qualifier against Cambodia, their first home game of the 2022 qualifying competition. "We need to have women attending – we need to push for that with respect but in a strong and forceful way and we cannot wait anymore," Infantino told a FIFA conference on women's football. "We have been assured, that as of the next international game of Iran, women will be allowed to enter football stadiums," he said. "This is something very important, it is 40 years that this has not happened, with a couple of exceptions, but it is important to move to the next level and to the next stage," he added. FIFA said on Saturday it would be working with the Iranian football federation to develop plans for women to attend domestic matches in the Iranian league as well. Sahar Khodayari, dubbed "Blue Girl" for the colours of her favourite team Esteghlal, died in hospital after her self-immolation outside a court where she feared being jailed for six months, having attended the match in disguise as a man. Khodayari’s death has caused widespread outrage in Iran and internationally, prompting calls on social media for Iran’s football federation to be suspended or banned by FIFA. Critics say FIFA’s own statutes hold discrimination on grounds of gender punishable by suspension or expulsion. While foreign women have been allowed limited access to matches, Iranian women have been banned from stadiums when men’s teams have been playing, since just after the 1979 Islamic revolution. There were signs the situation regarding female fans in Iran was changing when a group of women was permitted to attend the second leg of the Asian Champions League final in Tehran last November, a match where Infantino was present. Female fans, however, have been denied access to matches since. At Iran’s friendly against Syria in June, women were locked out of the Azadi Stadium and detained by security forces.

Iran has 'assured' women can attend qualifier: Gianni Infantino

In a horrifying incident, a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/blue-girl-football-fan-admitted-mistake-and-expressed-regret-iran-249651">woman in Iran lost her life</a> simply because she wanted to go to the stadium and root for her favourite football team.

29-year-old Sahar Khodayari took her life when she learnt that she could face imprisonment for entering a football stadium. For the unversed, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iranian-women-could-face-10-year-prison-term-for-posting-pictures-videos-online-sans-headscarves-239781">Iranian women</a> have been barred from entering a stadium since 1981.

Khodayari dressed as a man to enter the stadium and root for her favourite football team Esteghlal FC.

She was arrested and on September 2 she learnt that she could face a six-month jail term for her 'crime'. Khodayari took her life by self-immolation.

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Her death has outraged the global community. Reactions have poured in from all over various social media platforms.

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I have a platform and I have never been afraid of raising my voice when in need.This is a tragedy and it can’t continue anymore. <a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIFAcom</a> it’s time to act and not be silent.WE need to help the women of Iran fight against gender apartheid.This is about human rights!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaharKhodayari?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaharKhodayari</a> <a href="https://t.co/UE4r071Niv">https://t.co/UE4r071Niv</a>
— Kosovare Asllani (@KosovareAsllani) <a href="https://twitter.com/KosovareAsllani/status/1171383260036964354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Iran's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueGirl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueGirl</a>, who set herself on fire after she was arrested for trying to enter a football stadium, has died. Iran is the only country in the world that bans &amp; punishes women for seeking to enter stadiums. We call for this discriminatory ban to end. <a href="https://t.co/CNrmRIIjKk">https://t.co/CNrmRIIjKk</a>
— Amnesty International (@amnesty) <a href="https://twitter.com/amnesty/status/1171441175384866816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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I have cheered on this nation, and enjoyed the quality of game they bring. However, your laws and discrimination towards women are utterly ridiculous. Boycott their stadiums, and force them to grow up 🇮🇷 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bluegirl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bluegirl</a>
— Caleb Whiteman (@calebswhite) <a href="https://twitter.com/calebswhite/status/1171440233071566848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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A young woman, known as the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueGirl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueGirl</a>, set herself on fire after getting a jail sentence for trying to enter the football stadium. Iranian women call on <a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIFAcom</a> to demand that the Islamic Republic end the ban on female attendance in stadiums.<a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAWorldCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIFAWorldCup</a>
— Fereshteh Molavi (@fereshtehmol) <a href="https://twitter.com/fereshtehmol/status/1171380816502501377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The club Esteghlal FC expressed its inability to even support a loyal fan. Football players from across the world are now demanding FIFA take an action with global bodies like the United Nations demanding action against Tehran.

This is not the first time when Tehran has come under the scanner for its attitude towards its women. In July this year, it was reported that Iranian women could face a jail term up to a decade for posting their pictures online without their headscarves or hijab.

Earlier this year, Iran hired 2,000 morality police to punish women who refused to wear the compulsory hijab in public.

Reformists lawmakers point out that morality police has been a failure.

In a horrifying incident, a woman in Iran lost her life simply because she wanted to go to the stadium and root for her favourite football team. 29-year-old Sahar Khodayari took her life when she learnt that she could face imprisonment for entering a football stadium.

In a horrifying incident, a woman in Iran lost her life simply because she wanted to go to the stadium and root for her favourite football team. 29-year-old Sahar Khodayari took her life when she learnt that she could face imprisonment for entering a football stadium. For the unversed, Iranian women have been barred from entering a stadium since 1981. Khodayari dressed as a man to enter the stadium and root for her favourite football team Esteghlal FC. She was arrested and on September 2 she learnt that she could face a six-month jail term for her 'crime'. Khodayari took her life by self-immolation. × Her death has outraged the global community. Reactions have poured in from all over various social media platforms. I have a platform and I have never been afraid of raising my voice when in need.This is a tragedy and it can’t continue anymore. @FIFAcom it’s time to act and not be silent.WE need to help the women of Iran fight against gender apartheid.This is about human rights!#SaharKhodayari https://t.co/UE4r071Niv — Kosovare Asllani (@KosovareAsllani) September 10, 2019 × Iran's #BlueGirl, who set herself on fire after she was arrested for trying to enter a football stadium, has died. Iran is the only country in the world that bans & punishes women for seeking to enter stadiums. We call for this discriminatory ban to end. https://t.co/CNrmRIIjKk — Amnesty International (@amnesty) September 10, 2019 × I have cheered on this nation, and enjoyed the quality of game they bring. However, your laws and discrimination towards women are utterly ridiculous. Boycott their stadiums, and force them to grow up 🇮🇷 #bluegirl — Caleb Whiteman (@calebswhite) September 10, 2019 × A young woman, known as the #BlueGirl, set herself on fire after getting a jail sentence for trying to enter the football stadium. Iranian women call on @FIFAcom to demand that the Islamic Republic end the ban on female attendance in stadiums.@FIFAWorldCup — Fereshteh Molavi (@fereshtehmol) September 10, 2019 × The club Esteghlal FC expressed its inability to even support a loyal fan. Football players from across the world are now demanding FIFA take an action with global bodies like the United Nations demanding action against Tehran. This is not the first time when Tehran has come under the scanner for its attitude towards its women. In July this year, it was reported that Iranian women could face a jail term up to a decade for posting their pictures online without their headscarves or hijab. Earlier this year, Iran hired 2,000 morality police to punish women who refused to wear the compulsory hijab in public. Reformists lawmakers point out that morality police has been a failure.

Iran: Woman loses life for wanting to watch football match

An Iranian football fan who <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-woman-loses-life-for-wanting-to-watch-football-match-249644">set herself ablaze and died after being arrested</a> for trying to enter a stadium had "confessed her mistake" when she was questioned, the judiciary said Saturday.

Sahar Khodayari, dubbed "blue girl" because of the colours of the team she supported, Esteghlal FC, was reportedly detained when she tried to enter a stadium dressed as a man to watch them last year.

She died of her injuries in a Tehran hospital after setting herself on fire outside a court last week.

Her death sparked outrage online, with celebrities and activists using the hashtag #blue_girl to urge the sport's world governing body FIFA to ban Iran from competitions and fans to boycott matches.

Iranian women spectators have been barred from football and other stadiums in the Islamic republic since 1981, despite international pressure to let them attend.

Iran's Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar on Tuesday asked the judiciary to investigate her death.

The judiciary said, without naming anyone, that a young woman had been arrested when trying to enter a stadium and faced charges of offending "public chastity and insulting" law enforcement officers.

On Saturday, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said Khodayari "had clearly confessed her mistake during questioning, accepted it and expressed regret". He did not give further details.

Esmaili, who was quoted by the judiciary's Mizan Online website, said no sentence had been issued against her since there had been no trial to begin with.

The spokesman also dismissed reports she had been told she would be jailed for six months as "fabricated rumours and hearsay".

Esmaili said such reports "stirred public opinion" and provided material for "foreigners and enemies" of Iran.

Despite the boycott calls following her death, Khodayari's father told Mehr news agency that she did not "sacrifice" herself for any cause.

Iran has come under pressure from FIFA to allow women to attend qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, and was reportedly given a deadline of August 31 to comply.

The sports ministry said last month that women fans would be allowed into the stadium when Team Melli -- as the national team are known -- play their next home qualifier on October 10.

Clerics argue that Iran's ban on women attending sports events is to protect them from the masculine atmosphere and sight of semi-clad men.

An Iranian football fan who set herself ablaze and died after being arrested for trying to enter a stadium had "confessed her mistake" when she was questioned, the judiciary said Saturday.

An Iranian football fan who set herself ablaze and died after being arrested for trying to enter a stadium had "confessed her mistake" when she was questioned, the judiciary said Saturday. Sahar Khodayari, dubbed "blue girl" because of the colours of the team she supported, Esteghlal FC, was reportedly detained when she tried to enter a stadium dressed as a man to watch them last year. She died of her injuries in a Tehran hospital after setting herself on fire outside a court last week. Her death sparked outrage online, with celebrities and activists using the hashtag #blue_girl to urge the sport's world governing body FIFA to ban Iran from competitions and fans to boycott matches. Iranian women spectators have been barred from football and other stadiums in the Islamic republic since 1981, despite international pressure to let them attend. Iran's Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar on Tuesday asked the judiciary to investigate her death. The judiciary said, without naming anyone, that a young woman had been arrested when trying to enter a stadium and faced charges of offending "public chastity and insulting" law enforcement officers. On Saturday, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said Khodayari "had clearly confessed her mistake during questioning, accepted it and expressed regret". He did not give further details. Esmaili, who was quoted by the judiciary's Mizan Online website, said no sentence had been issued against her since there had been no trial to begin with. The spokesman also dismissed reports she had been told she would be jailed for six months as "fabricated rumours and hearsay". Esmaili said such reports "stirred public opinion" and provided material for "foreigners and enemies" of Iran. Despite the boycott calls following her death, Khodayari's father told Mehr news agency that she did not "sacrifice" herself for any cause. Iran has come under pressure from FIFA to allow women to attend qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, and was reportedly given a deadline of August 31 to comply. The sports ministry said last month that women fans would be allowed into the stadium when Team Melli -- as the national team are known -- play their next home qualifier on October 10. Clerics argue that Iran's ban on women attending sports events is to protect them from the masculine atmosphere and sight of semi-clad men.

'Blue girl' football fan admitted 'mistake' and expressed 'regret': Iran

When Sahar Khodayari this week set herself alight in front of a Tehran courthouse, she indicted world soccer body FIFA, its Asian regional group, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and their Presidents, Gianni Infantino and Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.

Infantino and Al Khalifa have been selective in their support for women’s soccer rights.

Infantino was in the White House to urge US President Donald J Trump to endorse equal pay for male and female players on the same day that FIFA expressed regret at the death of Khodayarí, but did nothing to force Iran to lift its ban on women attending male sporting events.

The statement called on Iranian authorities “To ensure the freedom and safety of any woman engaged in this legitimate fight to end the stadium ban for women in Iran” but failed to exert a price for continued maintenance of the ban.

Dubbed Blue Girl, a reference to the colour of her favourite, storied Tehran soccer team, Esteghlal FC, Khodayari, put herself on fire after hearing by-standers speculate that the Revolutionary Court could that day sentence her to two years in prison for "Openly committing a sinful act by appearing in public without hijab" and "insulting officials."

Khodayari was charged after being stopped by security in March as she sought to enter Tehran’s Azadi Stadium dressed as a man to watch Esteghlal play an AFC Asian Cup match against the United Arab Emirates’ Al Ain FC.

Khodayari’s disguise is standard practice for activist female soccer fans in a football-crazy country that has the questionable honour of being the world’s only nation to bar women from attending male sporting events.

Saudi Arabia, the only other country that long maintained a similar ban, abolished the restriction in 2017 as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s social reforms.

In a wave of outrage on Twitter under the hashtag #Blue_Girl, Iranian deputy telecommunications minister Amir Nazemi thundered: "The death of #blue_girl is a conviction for all of us."

Mulanim, another tweeter, went a step further, pointing fingers at FIFA. “Sahar Khodayari burnt herself to death in protest. When would you actually do something? @FIFAcom #fifawwc,” she tweeted.

Taken together, the two tweets put the responsibility on the Iranian government for its discrimination of women and on global and regional soccer governors for allowing Iran to get away with it.

FIFA announced this week that it was sending a delegation to Iran to monitor Iranian moves to allow women to attend World Cup qualifying matches.

The problem is that FIFA has exerted punitive pressure only regarding World Cup matches rather than threatening to ban Iran from all international soccer events if it fails to completely lift the ban.

FIFA’s push on World Cup matches could open the door to a complete lifting of the ban. Past experience, however, suggests that Iran could well treat granting women fans access to World Cup matches as an exception that confirms the rule.

FIFA and the AFC are missing an opportunity to potentially force Iran to lift the ban given that barring Iranian participation in international tournaments would add to the government’s woes at a time that it is struggling to dampen the impact of harsh US economic sanctions designed to persuade Iran to renegotiate the 2015 agreement that curbed the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme.

The sanctions were imposed last year after Trump withdrew from the agreement.

Speaking to reporters, government spokesman Ali Rabiei suggested that a threat by FIFA to exclude Iran from international matches could push the country’s rulers over the hump.

“The government’s general view is to allow women to enter football stadiums, and infrastructure is needed for women’s presence in stadiums,” Rabiei said.

Khodayari’s self-immolation alongside the refusal by an Iranian judoka to withdraw from the 2019 Judo World Championships in Japan on orders of the government sparked a Twitter hashtag, #BanIRSportsFederations, that this month has been used tens of thousands of times.

Taking the call for a ban on Iranian participation in international tournaments and their qualifiers literally, Ali Karimi, a past Asian footballer of the year and top Iranian player opted to lead the way and set an example for FIFA and the AFC.

Karimi advised his 4.5 million followers on Instagram that he would boycott soccer matches in protest against the ban on women. His post was liked more than 100,000 times in less than 30 minutes.

Amir Etemadi, a liberal activist, seconded Karimi’s decision, Tweeting that “It is time to boycott Iranian sports globally and domestically.”

The , #BanIRSportsFederations hashtag constituted a protest against government interference, a no-no under the rules that govern global sports governance and insist on maintaining a largely fictitious separation of sports and politics.

The online protest was sparked when top-ranking judoka Saeid Mollaei said he feared for his safety because he had rejected a demand to withdraw from the tournament in Japan to avoid the risk of having to face an Israeli athlete.

Mollaei was spared facing the Israeli after being defeated in the semi-final.

Iran extends its refusal to recognise Israel to barring its athletes from competing against Israelis in international tournaments – a violation of rules governing those competitions. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

When Sahar Khodayari this week set herself alight in front of a Tehran courthouse, she indicted world soccer body FIFA, its Asian regional group, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and their Presidents, Gianni Infantino and Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.

When Sahar Khodayari this week set herself alight in front of a Tehran courthouse, she indicted world soccer body FIFA, its Asian regional group, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and their Presidents, Gianni Infantino and Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa. Infantino and Al Khalifa have been selective in their support for women’s soccer rights. Infantino was in the White House to urge US President Donald J Trump to endorse equal pay for male and female players on the same day that FIFA expressed regret at the death of Khodayarí, but did nothing to force Iran to lift its ban on women attending male sporting events. The statement called on Iranian authorities “To ensure the freedom and safety of any woman engaged in this legitimate fight to end the stadium ban for women in Iran” but failed to exert a price for continued maintenance of the ban. Dubbed Blue Girl, a reference to the colour of her favourite, storied Tehran soccer team, Esteghlal FC, Khodayari, put herself on fire after hearing by-standers speculate that the Revolutionary Court could that day sentence her to two years in prison for "Openly committing a sinful act by appearing in public without hijab" and "insulting officials." Khodayari was charged after being stopped by security in March as she sought to enter Tehran’s Azadi Stadium dressed as a man to watch Esteghlal play an AFC Asian Cup match against the United Arab Emirates’ Al Ain FC. Khodayari’s disguise is standard practice for activist female soccer fans in a football-crazy country that has the questionable honour of being the world’s only nation to bar women from attending male sporting events. Saudi Arabia, the only other country that long maintained a similar ban, abolished the restriction in 2017 as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s social reforms. In a wave of outrage on Twitter under the hashtag #Blue_Girl, Iranian deputy telecommunications minister Amir Nazemi thundered: "The death of #blue_girl is a conviction for all of us." Mulanim, another tweeter, went a step further, pointing fingers at FIFA. “Sahar Khodayari burnt herself to death in protest. When would you actually do something? @FIFAcom #fifawwc,” she tweeted. Taken together, the two tweets put the responsibility on the Iranian government for its discrimination of women and on global and regional soccer governors for allowing Iran to get away with it. FIFA announced this week that it was sending a delegation to Iran to monitor Iranian moves to allow women to attend World Cup qualifying matches. The problem is that FIFA has exerted punitive pressure only regarding World Cup matches rather than threatening to ban Iran from all international soccer events if it fails to completely lift the ban. FIFA’s push on World Cup matches could open the door to a complete lifting of the ban. Past experience, however, suggests that Iran could well treat granting women fans access to World Cup matches as an exception that confirms the rule. FIFA and the AFC are missing an opportunity to potentially force Iran to lift the ban given that barring Iranian participation in international tournaments would add to the government’s woes at a time that it is struggling to dampen the impact of harsh US economic sanctions designed to persuade Iran to renegotiate the 2015 agreement that curbed the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme. The sanctions were imposed last year after Trump withdrew from the agreement. Speaking to reporters, government spokesman Ali Rabiei suggested that a threat by FIFA to exclude Iran from international matches could push the country’s rulers over the hump. “The government’s general view is to allow women to enter football stadiums, and infrastructure is needed for women’s presence in stadiums,” Rabiei said. Khodayari’s self-immolation alongside the refusal by an Iranian judoka to withdraw from the 2019 Judo World Championships in Japan on orders of the government sparked a Twitter hashtag, #BanIRSportsFederations, that this month has been used tens of thousands of times. Taking the call for a ban on Iranian participation in international tournaments and their qualifiers literally, Ali Karimi, a past Asian footballer of the year and top Iranian player opted to lead the way and set an example for FIFA and the AFC. Karimi advised his 4.5 million followers on Instagram that he would boycott soccer matches in protest against the ban on women. His post was liked more than 100,000 times in less than 30 minutes. Amir Etemadi, a liberal activist, seconded Karimi’s decision, Tweeting that “It is time to boycott Iranian sports globally and domestically.” The , #BanIRSportsFederations hashtag constituted a protest against government interference, a no-no under the rules that govern global sports governance and insist on maintaining a largely fictitious separation of sports and politics. The online protest was sparked when top-ranking judoka Saeid Mollaei said he feared for his safety because he had rejected a demand to withdraw from the tournament in Japan to avoid the risk of having to face an Israeli athlete. Mollaei was spared facing the Israeli after being defeated in the semi-final. Iran extends its refusal to recognise Israel to barring its athletes from competing against Israelis in international tournaments – a violation of rules governing those competitions. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Death of female Iran football fan puts FIFA and Asian soccer body in dock

People in West Asia love football... They follow it with great passion and Spanish clubs are among the most popular all across the region... Even in Iraq. People in West Asia love Ronaldo so much that customers in this barbershop in Iraq rely on the expert hands of the owner Marwan to etches Ronaldo's face into the hair. Marwan graduated in an institute fine arts and has found a smart way to put his skills at work in a country where the youth are passionate about soccer... And crazy enough to walk around with their idols on their head... But this haircut is not for everybody... It is a work of art and it takes skill and time... It can cost up to 50 USD... Marwan is a soccer fan too and while he creates stylish and creative haircuts with his hands, his mind dreams big...

The West Asia Post: Soccer-crazy Iraqi youth draw their idols on their hair

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