Football

LONDON: Raheem Sterling was named the 2019 footballer of the year by the Football Writers’ Association on Monday hours after missing out on the players’ player of the year award. The Manchester City and England forward topped the poll of the 400-strong FWA membership as a clear winner, with 62% of the votes, more than 100 ahead of Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk. Sterling’s team-mate Sergio Aguero was in third place. On Sunday, Sterling, 24, lost out to Van Dijk in the battle for the Professional Footballers’ Association award but was announced PFA young player of the year. Sterling has been a key man in Pep Guardiola’s side as they battle with Liverpool for the Premier League title and has received praise for the strong stance he has taken against racism in the game, having himself been subjected to abuse. Sterling has scored 29 goals for club and country, including a hat-trick for England in the opening Euro 2020 qualifier against the Czech Republic … [Read more...] about Raheem Sterling named player of the season by football writers

ANKARA: Czech international Josef Sural has died of injuries sustained in a minibus crash while returning with teammates from a match in southern Turkey, his Turkish club Aytemiz Alanyaspor said on Monday. The club’s chairman said the accident occurred after both the drivers on the bus fell asleep. “Czech player Josef Sural who was seriously injured after an accident involving a private minibus carrying seven of our footballers after an away game at Kayseri could not be saved despite all of the hospital’s efforts,“ the club said on Twitter. The six other players were injured but not seriously in the crash, close to the southern town of Alanya, state news agency Anadolu said. Among them was Stephen Caulker, a former Tottenham Hotspur defender who was capped for England in 2012 and Senegal international and former Newcastle United player Papisse Cisse, local media reported. “Sad news this morning. Sincere condolences to the family and to all loved ones. … [Read more...] about Czech international footballer killed after Turkish bus crash

Sport Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling was voted Footballer of the Year in the annual vote of members of the Football Writers' Association. 29 Apr 2019 05:23PM Bookmark MANCHESTER, England: Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling was voted Footballer of the Year in the annual vote of members of the Football Writers' Association.City forward Sterling has been a key member of the City team which is two wins away from defending their Premier League title and has also been a prominent voice in the campaigns against racism in the game.(Reporting by Simon Evans; Editing by Alison Williams) … [Read more...] about Sterling wins Football Writers’ award

MADRID: La Liga's last Champions League spot remains up for grabs after Valencia, Sevilla and Getafe all endured surprise defeats on Sunday (Apr 28).Valencia lost 1-0 at home to Eibar while Sevilla were beaten by the same scoreline away to struggling Girona, whose victory could prove crucial in their fight against relegation.Both slips gave Getafe the opportunity to pull clear in the three-way race for fourth but they stumbled too, edged out 2-1 away to Real Sociedad.It means Getafe, Sevilla and Valencia have now managed only three wins between them from their nine fixtures in the last three rounds of the league.Getafe stay ahead of Sevilla only on head-to-head, with Valencia three points behind and perhaps looking to the Europa League as their best hope of Champions League football next season.Valencia play Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in the first leg of their semi-final next week, with a potential final to come against either Chelsea or Eintracht Frankfurt.Eibar had managed … [Read more...] about Football: Valencia, Sevilla, Getafe all lose to leave fourth spot up in the air

MANCHESTER: Another costly error from David de Gea dealt Manchester United's chances of Champions League football a potentially fatal blow as Chelsea consolidated their place in the Premier League top four with a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.De Gea spilled Antonio Rudiger's long-range effort to allow Marcos Alonso to equalise just before half-time and cancel out Juan Mata's early opener.A point halts a run of seven defeats in nine games for United, but does little for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men's chances of overhauling Chelsea, who remain three points ahead of the Red Devils and with a superior goal difference.Arsenal's defeat by Leicester earlier on Sunday means Maurizio Sarri's men move two points ahead of the Gunners with two games of the campaign to go.Solskjaer made five changes from the side beaten comfortably by Manchester City in midweek.However, it was the one the Norwegian did not make, and insisted he would not countenance, in dropping De Gea that came back to haunt him after a … [Read more...] about Football: De Gea blunder costs Manchester United again in Chelsea draw