Kategori: Soccers

Game over untuk Gerrard di Villa

Itu adalah hari suram lainnya bagi Steven Gerrard. Performa dan hasil buruk melawan Fulham di Craven Cottage membuat Aston Villa melayang di atas zona degradasi dengan gol yang dicetak. Hampir 90 menit setelah peluit akhir, mereka mengkonfirmasi kepergian pelatih kepala mereka.

Anda merasa ini selalu menjadi pertandingan yang harus dimenangkan bagi Gerrard, yang sudah berada di bawah tekanan setelah melihat timnya kalah lima kali dari 10 pertandingan pembukaan musim ini.

Tendangan bagus Harrison Reed, penalti Aleksandar Mitrovic, dan gol bunuh diri Tyrone Mings memberi Fulham kemenangan 3-0 yang pantas, tetapi Villa tampil buruk sepanjang pertandingan dan malam mereka berakhir ketika Douglas Luiz diusir keluar lapangan karena sundulan keras di babak kedua.

Ada ejekan keras dari para penggemar yang bepergian di babak pertama dan penuh waktu, sementara nyanyian ‘Steven Gerrard, keluar dari klub kami’ mengirim pesan yang jelas dan memberatkan ke dewan Villa.

“Anda tahu dan saya tahu saya berada dalam posisi yang sulit saat ini,” kata pria berusia 42 tahun itu dalam konferensi pers pasca-pertandingan. Dan terbukti.

Penantian Villa untuk meraih kemenangan pertama sejak 16 September terus berlanjut. Mereka sekarang akan memiliki orang baru di ruang istirahat ketika yang berikutnya akhirnya tiba.
Dan Sansom

Mitrovic membuat Fulham bermimpi

Sudah menjadi mimpi kembali ke Liga Premier sejauh ini untuk Fulham. Kemenangan meyakinkan 3-0 Kamis atas Aston Villa melihat mereka naik ke kesembilan setelah 11 pertandingan. Pasukan Marco Silva hanya terpaut satu poin di belakang Liverpool dan terpaut lima poin dari tempat keempat.

Tapi mereka tidak akan berada di tempat mereka tanpa penyerang bintang Aleksandar Mitrovic. Pemain internasional Serbia itu mencetak gol kedelapannya di liga musim ini saat Fulham meraih kemenangan. Dia mungkin tujuh malu dari Erling Haaland, tapi dia sekarang sejajar dengan Ivan Toney dari Brentford dan mengejar Harry Kane.

Sejak awal musim lalu, Mitrovic telah mencetak 51 gol liga untuk Fulham, 19 lebih banyak dari pemain lain di empat tingkat teratas Inggris. Hanya Haaland yang mencetak lebih banyak gol kandang di Premier League daripada Mitrovic musim ini.

Di mana Fulham finis setelah 38 pertandingan akan sangat bergantung pada menjaga kebugaran dan tembakan pemain berusia 28 tahun itu.
Dan Sansom

Faes menjadi penandatanganan musim panas?

Otoritas, kepemimpinan, pengalaman – ketiga kata tersebut disebutkan oleh Brendan Rodgers ketika membahas Wout Faes menjelang pertandingan penting Leicester dengan Leeds. Semua hal di atas telah hilang, bisa dibilang, untuk keseluruhan tahun 2022 dalam hal cara bertahan Leicester. Tidak lagi. Ada agresi dan keinginan untuk menjaga bola keluar dari jaring mereka.

Sebagian besar berasal dari pengaruh Faes, yang kini telah memulai lima pertandingan di Liga Premier dan telah membantu Leicester meraih tiga clean sheet dan tujuh poin. Kedatangan Faes untuk £15m dari Reims menciptakan beberapa riak pada saat itu tetapi menilai dari dampaknya ia berbatasan dengan penandatanganan wilayah musim panas ketika Anda menilai biaya yang relatif kecil untuk pemain kunci di sisi Liga Premier.

Rodgers menyukai para pembelanya untuk bermain agresif dengan barisan mereka untuk membantu mendorong tim lawan kembali dan Faes tampaknya nyaman dalam peran ini. Tetapi ketika dia harus memasukkan kakinya, dia memasukkan kakinya ke dalam. Dengan 15 menit tersisa dia dikelilingi oleh empat pemain Leeds tetapi entah bagaimana berhasil memantul dari mereka masing-masing, memenangkan bola kembali dan memainkan umpan pintar ke rekan satu tim. Hal itu hampir memicu tepuk tangan meriah dari penonton yang memiliki pahlawan baru.

Dengan dia memberikan basis yang aman, Leicester hanya perlu mencetak satu atau dua gol dalam satu pertandingan untuk mengambil poin Liga Premier. Di atas meja mereka pergi.
Lewis Jones

Marsch tetap dalam bayang-bayang Bielsa

Seperti yang diketahui Steven Gerrard, begitu para pendukung berbalik, ternyata sulit untuk membalikkan situasi. Jesse Marsch memiliki tujuh pertandingan tanpa kemenangan yang harus dihadapi sekarang setelah tergelincir ke kekalahan 2-0 di Leicester, yang memulai pertandingan dari dasar malam Liga Premier. Penggemar Leeds yang melakukan perjalanan membuat perasaan mereka jelas dari akhir tandang, mempertanyakan keputusan Marsch setelah menjatuhkan Liam Cooper dan Jack Harrison dari awal hanya untuk membawa mereka ketika dua gol di belakang.

Dan kemudian tim tandang itu mengolesi luka Marsch dengan menyebut nama bos sebelumnya Marcelo Bielsa. Jelas proses berduka untuk mantan kepala honcho legendaris mereka belum selesai.

Itu bukan penampilan apa-apa dari Leeds. Tanpa memandang terlalu tinggi melawannya di King Power, mereka tertinggal 2-0 berkat gol-gol yang sebenarnya tidak perlu dikerjakan dengan susah payah oleh Leicester. Dan ketika reaksi diharapkan setelah istirahat, tim tandang membiarkan Leicester berjalan di babak kedua tanpa banyak pertanyaan untuk dijawab meskipun struktur pertahanannya goyah cukup parah musim ini. Leeds memiliki 14 tembakan dengan hanya dua pengujian kiper Leicester Danny Ward. Itu tidak cukup baik.

Jelas para pemain kurang percaya diri. Marsch harus berharap mereka masih percaya padanya.
Lewis Jones

England’s bid for a first T20 World Cup title in 12 years gets going on Saturday with Afghanistan first up for one of the tournament favourites.

After a tricky summer in which they failed to win a white-ball series on home soil, England have bounced back with a 4-3 success in Pakistan followed by a 2-0 victory over Australia.

So, can Jos Buttler’s in-form side go all the way over the next few weeks?

We asked Sky Sports Cricket pundits Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton as well as former England skipper Eoin Morgan for their thoughts on that and a whole lot more.

Read on for their views and then catch England vs Afghanistan live on Sky Sports Cricket on Saturday, with build-up beginning at 11.30am ahead of a midday start…

How will England do?

NASSER HUSSAIN: I think they will be very competitive. They have a strong side and a lot of options. You only have to look at the players that may have to be left out to see that. They seem to be peaking at the right time. Buttler looks in great nick at the top of the order and there is a lot of batting depth.

I also think the conditions will suit them. It has been wet and cool in Australia and their seamers should enjoy that. You never know in T20 cricket. For England, the last two World Cups have shown that you only need one bad over and the tournament is taken away from you – but I think they are positioned well. I expect them to make the semi-finals at least.

I am certainly not concerned about Ben Stokes. He hasn’t played a lot of T20 cricket of late for a variety of reasons but in big games you need someone to handle pressure, particularly with the bat, and as we saw in the 50-over World Cup in 2019 and the Ashes Test at Headingley later that summer, he is a very smart cricketer. He is also brilliant in the field and gives you a bowling variation so he’d definitely be in my side, probably at No 4.

MICHAEL ATHERTON: England have as good a chance as anyone in what I see as a pretty open tournament with no standout favourites. Plus, T20 is a more volatile form of the game anyway.

England are pretty well-balanced. They have a long, powerful batting line-up with lots of destructive, boundary-hitting potential in there and have lots of the elements in the bowling that you need to do well in tournaments – pace, with Mark Wood, wrist-spin with Adil Rashid and left-arm seam with Sam Curran and David Willey.

I think Wood and Rashid are going to be the key bowlers for England. Traditionally in Australia you’d think conditions would suit pace and wrist spin but with the weather patterns at the moment, who knows? I still believe the one bowler England wouldn’t want to lose is Wood.

They fell down with their death bowling in the last tournament and that might be the weakness again, but they have lots of players with big-match tournament and franchise experience so I would expect them to get out of their group – and after that it’s anyone’s game.

EOIN MORGAN: I put them as joint favourites, with Australia, to win this competition as I think they were brilliant against Australia.

Losing to South Africa in the fashion that they did in the final T20 of the summer was extremely disappointing. I thought that the way they batted took away the positivity, they were miles off the mark so to bounce back as quick as they have, in Pakistan and then in Australia, has been fantastic.

They have gone from not knowing what their best team is with injuries and guys out of form to a side that is spoiled for choice trying to pick a best XI. They have a huge amount of confidence.

Must-win games in a bilateral series are the closest you get a to a World Cup so to see England win the deciding game in Pakistan in the style and fashion that they did gave a nice insight into what is going on in the changing room.

Winners?

NASSER: Anyone can win this tournament. New Zealand are always there or thereabouts, Pakistan are a very good side especially with Shaheen Shah Afridi coming back from injury, India have so much T20 experience, class and depth, and England, as I said, should do very well.

India, England and Australia are three of my four semi-finalists and my favourites would be Australia. They deliver in pressure games and know the conditions playing at home. That will be key in this tournament with different venues and rain around. Adapting will be crucial and Australia should do it best, while they have good pace bowlers up front.

Jasprit Bumrah’s injury is a blow for India, as is the absence of Ravi Jadeja, a brilliant all-round cricketer. Bumrah is probably the best multi-format bowler in the world – a wicket-taking option up front with the new, swinging ball, a wicket-taking option in the middle overs and then brilliant at the death as one of the best slower ball and yorker bowlers around.

Without Bumrah, India will have to go slightly harder with the bat. They have been a bit timid with the bat in ICC events recently but I don’t think they will be this time. I expect them to be dynamic and strong contenders.

EOIN: I thought India losing Bumrah would have dropped them down to second favourites with Australia the clear front-runners. With England’s recent form and Australia’s lack of it, I don’t see Australia as out-and-out favourites at the moment.

England handed Australia their backsides on a platter last year, which gave them the kick up the backside to play the way they did and eventually go on to win the tournament – but at the moment they are struggling massively.

There is uncertainly in what sort of team they are going to put out and the bowling hasn’t completely been up to scratch. Even in the warm-up game against India they were cruising and then folded like a deck chair late on. I think home advantage will be huge for them but they are not the standout team at the moment.

ATHERS: You must think Australia would have a strong chance on home turf and they look a bit stronger than last year. They are a more developed side and Tim David’s likely inclusion gives them a bit more power.

Their players know the conditions and they tend to be quite difficult to beat at home so I expect them to give a good account of themselves. As hosts and defending champions, they are the side to beat.

Bumrah will be a big miss for India but you can’t discount them with the strength of their batting and, like Nas, I think they will be forced to go a bit harder with the bat in Bumrah’s absence. It should clear their mind and strategy.

Pakistan are always contenders in T20 World Cups and I have a sneaking suspicion South Africa will be there or thereabouts.

Top run-scorer

NASSER: It is going to have to be someone at the top of the order whose team do well and so I would go with Buttler, but there are so many candidates. KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, Mohammed Rizwan. Suryakumar Yadav is a fantastic player but he will come in at No 4 for India, after Rohit, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli so you wonder how many balls he will face.

EOIN: I’m going for Jos. Even when I was still playing, I watched him play shots that made me think, I should retire because I can’t do that. He is on a different level with how hard he hits the ball and how he is consistently trying to evolve his game.

ATHERS: Look for the openers. Buttler should do well and show he is one of the best white-ball players in the world. David Warner for Australia, too. And clearly Pakistan openers Babar and Rizwan. Pakistan don’t take as many risks as some other teams trying to get to a par or above-par score due to the strength of their bowling attack so it gives them the time to settle in.

Top wicket-taker

NASSER: That is a slightly harder choice. You want someone who bowls at the death so I would look towards Mitchell Starc or Bhuvneshwar Kumar. I will go Starc as he could also get wickets up front and then come back at the end with his slower balls and yorkers.

EOIN: I was initially going to go for a spinner and say Adil Rashid or Rashid Khan but the weather could negate the spin aspect a touch. I think the ball will really skid on and so I am going to say a seamer. There are about five you could pick but I will go for Mark Wood.

ATHERS: You are looking at new-ball wicket-takers, so someone like Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is back fit and has his in-swinging yorker going if the warm-up against Afghanistan is to go by. Wood and, if West Indies qualify for round two, Alzarri Joseph are contenders. If I went for one, I would say Shaheen.

Which players are you looking forward to seeing?

NASSER: Definitely Suryakumar. This is his first major ICC event where he is in absolutely phenomenal nick. He is a real 360-degree batter, the way he manoeuvres the ball is fantastic.

With the ball, it’s Shaheen. I was lucky enough to be commentating when he bowled that spell against India in Dubai last year and I just love his skill and the way he plays the game with a massive smile on his face and his celebrations. He is a super cricketer – new ball, old ball, it doesn’t matter.

With him, Babar, and Rizwan, if Pakistan can get their middle-order hitting going – Fakhar Zaman should help with that and I would bat him at No 3 – they have got a real chance in this tournament.

ATHERS: There are one or two big names missing unfortunately in Bumrah and one of my favourite players, West Indies’ Shimron Hetmyer, who didn’t make his plane! The tournament could be a real springboard for Suryakumar and bowling-wise it is Shaheen.

When he is steaming in with ball in hand and has plenty of support behind him, which there is sure to be in that opening game against India on Sunday, it is great theatre. There is no more thrilling sight in the game than a fast bowler looking to take wickets with the new ball.

Beyond that, South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs is one to keep an eye on. He played a brutal innings against England at Bristol over the summer and is a player who has sprung from nowhere out of franchise cricket and now finds himself on the big stage. He is a massive hitter of a ball and could play some eye-catching innings.

For England, I see Harry Brook as a star for England across formats and his strike rate at the end of an innings in T20 is fantastic. He struggled a bit in the Big Bash but he is a better and more confident player now. I expect him to do well if he plays.

Dark horses?

NASSER: For me, it’s South Africa. The big question for them is what to do with captain Temba Bavuma as he has been injured and out of form. They have Rilee Rossouw, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller and Aiden Markram with the bat, seamers like Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje should enjoy the conditions, and then there is the wrist spin of Tabraiz Shamsi. Keshav Maharaj is a very good cricketer, too, plus they always field well. They are definite dark horses.

ATHERS: I always say South Africa and they always disappoint but I feel they have dangerous batters, including the returning Rossouw, and that their pace bowlers should thrive. I think South Africa offer the best value outside the top three of England, India and Australia. You would be foolish to write New Zealand off but I think they may lack a little bit of firepower and I had a sense when they were last in England that perhaps one or two of the big-name players who have held that team together for so long are maybe not quite at their peak now.

EOIN: It’s a full house for South Africa. They have every base covered – experience, firepower, a spin aspect that is world class. I think the biggest challenge for them is getting around that notorious hoodoo of not fulfilling their potential at World Cups. They just need to get their heads around that as they have the ability to beat the best sides in the world, they have proven that. They just need to believe in themselves. If they do that, they have a huge chance.

Watch England take on Afghanistan live on Sky Sports Cricket on Saturday. Our coverage starts at 11.30am ahead of a midday start.

England Lions telah menunjuk remaja Rehan Ahmed dalam skuad 15 orang mereka untuk kamp pelatihan ke UEA pada bulan November, sementara Jofra Archer dan Saqib Mahmood akan bergabung dengan rombongan perjalanan untuk meningkatkan pemulihan mereka dari cedera.

Skuad akan berada di UEA dari 6-27 November, sementara tim Tes putra Inggris akan melakukan perjalanan ke Abu Dhabi pada 18 November menjelang pertandingan latihan tiga hari antara kedua belah pihak dari 23-25 ​​November.

Ahmed, 18, telah lama disebut-sebut untuk penghargaan internasional dan mengakhiri musim county dengan lima-untuk dan satu abad gadis dalam pertandingan yang sama untuk Leicestershire melawan Derbyshire. Dia mencetak gol dengan tim terbatas Inggris di Emirates Old Trafford awal musim panas ini, di mana dia disuguhi sesi latihan satu lawan satu dengan Adil Rashid.

Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts dan Matthew Fisher, yang semuanya telah bermain Test cricket pada tahun 2022, adalah nama-nama profil tertinggi dalam skuad Lions.

Potts cepat Durham dianggap tidak beruntung untuk tidak membuat skuad Tes penuh setelah awal yang sangat mengesankan untuk karirnya di Inggris – mengambil 20 wicket dalam lima penampilan – sementara sesama pelaut Fisher, yang melakukan debut Tes di Barbados pada bulan Maret, juga memiliki banyak hal untuk dilakukan. bermain untuk setelah melewatkan sebagian besar musim county untuk Yorkshire dengan fraktur stres di punggung.

Hameed dan Lawrence mengambil tempat mereka di antara para pemukul, yang pertama telah dipotong setelah musim dingin lalu Ashes menghukum dan yang terakhir tidak terlihat sejak Brendon McCullum dan Stokes mengambil alih tim bola merah.

Kapten Somerset Tom Abell dan pemukul Lancashire Josh Bohannon adalah dua dari pemain domestik yang lebih mapan dalam daftar Lions yang belum ditutup, sementara pelaut Essex Sam Cook dihargai karena kualitasnya yang konsisten di seluruh format.

Jack Carson dan Liam Patterson-White termasuk sebagai pemintal, yang tampaknya menjadi berita buruk bagi Dom Bess dan Matt Parkinson, yang sahamnya tampaknya telah jatuh. Sam Conners, Tom Haines, Jack Haynes, Lyndon James dan Jamie Smith melengkapi grup.

Grup Pelatihan Singa Inggris: Tom Abell (Somerset), Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Josh Bohannon (Lancashire), Jack Carson (Sussex), Sam Conners (Derbyshire), Sam Cook (Essex), Matthew Fisher (Yorkshire), Haseeb Hameed ( Nottinghamshire), Tom Haines (Sussex), Jack Haynes (Worcestershire), Lyndon James (Nottinghamshire), Dan Lawrence (Essex). Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire), Matthew Potts (Durham), Jamie Smith (Surrey).

Pemanah melangkah kembali ke kebugaran

Archer, yang mempertahankan kontrak utamanya meskipun tidak bermain untuk Inggris sejak Maret 2021, adalah salah satu dari tiga pemain kecepatan yang bergabung dengan grup untuk perjalanan saat ia semakin dekat dengan pengembalian kompetitif.

Pemain berusia 27 tahun, yang telah berjuang dengan cedera siku dan punggung yang serius, tampil bersama Mahmood – absen sejak April karena patah tulang belakang – dan Brydon Carse dari Durham.

The Lions juga akan bergabung dengan lima anggota skuad Tes yang tidak terlibat dalam Piala Dunia T20. James Anderson dan Jamie Overturn akan terlibat mulai 6-19 November, sementara Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, dan Will Jacks akan bergabung mulai 11 November.

Direktur Kinerja ECB Mo Bobat mengatakan: “Senang bisa memulai kembali pengalaman pengembangan Lions dan kamp di Dubai dan Abu Dhabi merupakan peluang fantastis untuk sekelompok pemain berpotensi tinggi.

“Sementara kami bertujuan untuk memastikan bahwa peluang Lions selaras dengan kebutuhan masa depan Inggris, kami juga mencoba untuk menjadi seindividu mungkin dengan program pemain kami. Seleksi untuk kamp dilakukan dengan kerjasama yang erat dengan pemain dan kabupaten, dan ada sejumlah pemain yang telah didorong dan didukung untuk mengambil peluang lain di dalam dan luar negeri.

“Kamp juga mendukung tim Inggris Pria dalam persiapan mereka untuk Pakistan, memungkinkan pemain Inggris dan Lions untuk bekerja sama secara erat dalam kondisi di luar negeri.”

Liel Abada mencetak dua gol dan berperan dalam dua gol lainnya saat Celtic melaju ke semifinal Piala Olahraga Premier dengan kemenangan 4-0 di Motherwell.

Abada kembali ke tim setelah memberi jalan bagi James Forrest untuk mencetak hat-trick melawan Hibernian dan pemain sayap itu mencetak gol di kedua sisi babak pertama setelah kedua belah pihak kehilangan peluang bagus.

Pemain berusia 21 tahun itu kemudian memberikan assist untuk Reo Hatate untuk mencetak gol setelah sebuah keterampilan yang luar biasa sebelum tembakannya melenceng dari tiang untuk memungkinkan penyelesaian mudah bagi Kyogo Furuhashi.

Kerumunan 8.370 menavigasi waktu kick-off 18:15, yang diminta oleh sponsor untuk memungkinkan mereka untuk menunjukkan Celtic dan Rangers berturut-turut pada malam yang sama.

Forrest adalah salah satu dari lima pemain yang keluar dari tim yang memulai kemenangan 6-1 hari Sabtu sementara Motherwell masing-masing mendapatkan kembali Blair Spittal dan Connor Shields dari cedera dan skorsing.

Motherwell memiliki kesempatan awal untuk menyerang tetapi Shields melewati umpan silang dengan Stuart McKinstry di ruang di tiang belakang.

Furuhashi melewatkan seorang pengasuh dari jarak enam yard, meskipun dia terlihat offside, sebelum striker itu membentur mistar gawang dari jarak 22 yard. Liam Kelly bangkit untuk menyelamatkan sundulan Abada dari rebound.

Motherwell terus hidup berbahaya saat mereka menggunakan empat pemain penyerang mereka untuk menekan Celtic tinggi-tinggi di taman.

Taktik itu pasti berisiko membiarkan mereka terbuka di belakang dan Kelly menyelamatkan dengan baik dari Aaron Mooy dan Furuhashi.

Itu juga menyebabkan hadiah sesekali. McKinstry menyia-nyiakan peluang bagus ketika dia memotong lebar dari jarak enam meter setelah kegigihan Shields mengaturnya, dan Sean Goss memaksa penyelamatan dari Benjamin Siegrist setelah mencegat umpan Matt O’Riley dari jarak 30 meter.

Frustrasi utama bagi manajer Motherwell Steven Hammell di babak pertama adalah fakta bahwa timnya bertahan dalam jumlah banyak ketika mereka kebobolan pada menit ke-44.

Beberapa pemain kehilangan kesempatan untuk membersihkan, yang berpuncak pada Paul McGinn langsung menuju ke Greg Taylor. Bek kiri itu bermain satu-dua dengan Sead Haksabanovic dan memberikan umpan kepada Abada untuk menerobos di antara dua pemain Motherwell dan melakukan tap dari jarak enam yard.

Motherwell mengancam tepat setelah turun minum ketika Matt Penney memenangkan bola sejauh 22 yard dan melepaskan tendangan menyudut yang didorong oleh Siegrist melebar.

Tapi dasi efektif berakhir pada menit ke-56 ketika beberapa tekanan Celtic terbayar. Kelly melepaskan tembakan dari Abada dan Josip Juranovic secara berurutan sebelum pemain Israel itu melakukan tendangan voli untuk rebound kedua dari jarak 12 yard.

Abada menjadi penyedia empat menit kemudian untuk memotong bola untuk Hatate di kotak enam yard. Ricki Lamie menjual dirinya sendiri dengan tantangannya dan gelandang Jepang itu dengan cepat bergerak di antara Kelly dan Sondre Solholm sebelum memasukkan bola ke gawang yang kosong.

Motherwell menghadiahkan pemegang kartu keempat pada menit ke-76 ketika Goss dan Lamie saling menghalangi dan pemain pengganti Daizen Maeda memberi umpan kepada Abada. Pemain sayap itu membentur tiang gawang dan Furuhashi menyarangkan bola rebound.

Para penggemar tuan rumah membuat beberapa banding penalti setengah hati di babak kedua tetapi beberapa dari mereka akan kembali ke rumah dengan 8 setelah pergi lebih awal sebagai rumah Celtic cantered.

Direktur Brentford FC Nity Raj mengatakan sepak bola memiliki jalan panjang untuk menormalkan kehadiran orang Asia Selatan Inggris di seluruh permainan elit.

Orang Asia Selatan Inggris adalah kelompok etnis minoritas terbesar di Inggris, tetapi tetap sangat kurang terwakili di seluruh permainan Inggris – sebuah masalah yang gagal ditangani oleh sepak bola secara efektif hingga saat ini.

Kurang dari 0,5 persen pemain yang dikontrak secara profesional berasal dari komunitas, dengan ketua Kick It Out Sanjay Bhandari secara eksklusif mengatakan Berita Olahraga Langit awal tahun ini ketidakhadiran komunitas dari permainan putra tetap menjadi satu-satunya anomali statistik terbesar di sepak bola Inggris.

Kurangnya keterwakilan di divisi teratas sepak bola wanita bahkan lebih menakutkan, dengan proporsi pesepakbola profesional dari latar belakang Asia Selatan hanya 0,3 persen.

“Ada beberapa perubahan besar dan visibilitas orang-orang di sekitar permainan luar biasa, tetapi masih banyak yang harus dilakukan,” kata Raj. Berita Olahraga Langit pada peluncuran kemitraan Heart of West London di Gtech Community Stadium.

“Saya ingin bisa melihat orang Inggris [South] Orang-orang Asia dalam sepak bola sebagaimana adanya dalam setiap aspek kehidupan. Untuk itu dinormalisasi, sehingga tidak mengejutkan ketika Anda melihatnya.”

Komentar Raj datang dengan otoritas sepak bola menghadapi pengawasan yang meningkat atas catatan mereka tentang orang-orang Asia Selatan Inggris dalam sepak bola dari tokoh-tokoh terkemuka dalam permainan.

Bulan lalu, asisten kepala pelatih akademi QPR Manisha Tailor MBE mengatakan kepada Sky Sports News bahwa jalur wanita dalam permainan elit tidak beragam atau mewakili demografi Inggris.

Perintis Derby County Women Kira Rai minggu lalu menggemakan sentimen Tailor, menambahkan: “lebih banyak pekerjaan perlu dilakukan di tingkat elit untuk menjadikannya lapangan permainan yang setara bagi semua orang yang terlibat.”

Asosiasi Sepak Bola diminta untuk menanggapi komentar Tailor dan Rai, dan tidak dapat memberikan data etnis apa pun tentang keterwakilan beragam dalam jalur elit anak perempuan dan perempuan ketika dihubungi oleh Berita Olahraga Langit.

FA mengatakan tujuan utamanya adalah untuk memberikan akses yang lebih besar bagi lebih banyak pemain sambil mendiversifikasi kumpulan bakat, menunjuk pada Temukan Bakat Saya inisiatif dan rujukan Berita Olahraga Langit untuk itu Strategi Inklusi Asia perbarui dan lebih luas Keanekaragaman dan Inklusi strategi.

Davies ditunjuk sebagai ketua Dewan Penasihat Inklusi

Sementara itu, direktur non-eksekutif Brentford Deji Davies telah ditunjuk sebagai ketua Dewan Penasihat dan Inklusi Asosiasi Sepak Bola (IAB), menggantikan mantan pesepakbola profesional Paul Elliot.

Ketua FA Debbie Hewitt mengatakan dia senang dengan penunjukan itu, dengan Davies menambahkan dia menikmati tantangan untuk mencoba membantu badan pengatur mendorong perubahan yang berarti.

“Sepak bola telah menjadi bagian utama dari hidup saya sejak usia dini, dan saya telah melihat secara langsung betapa kuatnya itu dalam menantang ketidaksetaraan dan memperjuangkan inklusi,” kata Davies.

“Dengan pengalaman saya baik di dalam maupun di luar permainan, saya percaya bahwa saya akan membawa perspektif baru untuk peran ini dan saya berharap dapat bekerja dengan anggota Dewan Penasihat Inklusi dan Dewan FA lainnya untuk menciptakan dan mendorong ke depan yang positif dan perubahan yang berarti.

“Nilai dan manfaat penyertaan dalam permainan kami tidak pernah sepenting ini, baik di dalam maupun di luar lapangan, dan saya ingin memulai.”

Raj: Preeti dan Deji telah menantang kita

Tahun lalu, Berita Olahraga Langit memecahkan cerita bahwa Brentford mengambil langkah langka mengiklankan seseorang untuk bergabung dengan dewan mereka yang sudah beragam.

Setelah wawancara yang ketat dan proses pemilihan, dan dengan sedikit pilihan di antara dua kandidat terakhir yang menonjol, The Bees memutuskan untuk menunjuk Preeti Shetty dan mantan pesepakbola semi-profesional Davies ke dewan mereka.

Keduanya mendengar tentang proses rekrutmen setelah melihatnya ditampilkan di berita olahraga langit, dan Raj memuji dampaknya, bersikeras bahwa pasangan itu memiliki ide-ide baru dan dorongan segar di ruang rapat.

“Mereka luar biasa. Sangat menyenangkan bisa bekerja sama dengan Preeti dan Deji,” katanya.

“Mereka telah membawa perspektif baru. Mereka menantang kami dan itulah yang kami inginkan ketika kami pergi ke sana dan kami mengatakan kami ingin memiliki suara independen di dewan kami, orang-orang dengan perspektif berbeda – itulah yang kami dapatkan.

“Kami benar-benar beruntung Sky memuat cerita itu dan kami mendapatkan kandidat yang luar biasa. Saya sangat berterima kasih kepada Preeti dan Deji atas apa yang mereka bawa ke klub.

“Kami akan terus memiliki pendekatan dan ide baru yang berbeda dan itulah yang diharapkan akan membantu kami menjadi lebih baik dan lebih baik lagi.”

Lebah memakai kode QR berbentuk hati di kaos vs Chelsea

Brentford akan memakai kode QR berbentuk hati di baju mereka melawan Chelsea untuk meningkatkan kesadaran tentang mempelajari keterampilan resusitasi.

Sebuah ‘kode CPQR’ berbentuk hati akan ditampilkan secara mencolok di bagian depan kaus Lebah untuk pertandingan pada Rabu malam, untuk “mendorong jutaan orang yang menonton di seluruh dunia untuk meluangkan waktu dua menit untuk mempelajari dasar-dasar CPR”.

Kode tersebut juga akan ditampilkan di layar di sekitar Gtech Community Stadium di platform digital klub, dan di sampul program matchday.

Demonstrasi CPR juga akan berlangsung di sekitar stadion pada malam hari. Selain itu, pemain tim utama Brentford Mads Roerslev dan Kane Lewis-Potter ditampilkan dalam video instruksional mereka sendiri yang akan dipublikasikan di media sosial.

Ini merupakan bagian dari tahun ini Mulai ulang Hati kampanye dan kemitraan baru klub – ‘Jantung London Barat’ – dengan sejumlah badan amal terkemuka untuk meningkatkan kesehatan jantung di masyarakat setempat.

Grup Heart of West London terdiri dari Brentford FC, Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, Royal Brompton dan Harefield Hospitals Charity, Cardiac Risk in the Young, Resuscitation Council UK, Pablo London dan AKA Day.

Brentford untuk menghormati Robert Rowan

Brentford juga menamai fasilitas pelatihan baru mereka setelah mendiang mantan direktur teknis mereka Robert Rowan.

Ini akan secara resmi bernama Robert Rowan Performance Center sebagai bagian dari penghormatan klub untuk mengenangnya dan secara resmi dibuka oleh keluarganya dalam sebuah upacara resmi akhir tahun ini. Rowan menderita episode kardiomiopati fatal pada dini hari Senin 12 November 2018, dan meninggal pada usia 28 tahun.

Pusat ini sedang dibangun di lokasi tempat latihan Brentford saat ini di Jersey Road dan akan berdiri selama lima tahun.

Ketua Cliff Crown berkata: “Merupakan suatu kehormatan bagi kami untuk dapat menamai pusat pertunjukan baru kami dengan nama Robert. Dia adalah seorang pemuda yang membuat dampak besar pada Brentford. Ini akan menjadi warisan abadi bagi Robert, untuk istrinya Suzanne dan untuk keluarganya.”

Ada lebih dari 30.000 serangan jantung di luar rumah sakit di Inggris setiap tahun, dan setiap menit tanpa CPR dan defibrilasi mengurangi kemungkinan bertahan hidup hingga sepuluh persen.

Penelitian terbaru yang dilakukan oleh Satu Polling menemukan bahwa 74 persen orang telah belajar bagaimana melakukan CPR – tetapi hanya 44 persen yang merasa percaya diri dalam melakukannya jika seseorang berada dalam situasi yang mengancam jiwa.

Menurut Yayasan Jantung Inggris, generasi pertama Asia Selatan hingga 50 persen lebih mungkin menderita penyakit jantung koroner daripada populasi kulit putih Eropa di Inggris.

Orang Asia Selatan Inggris dalam Sepak Bola

Untuk lebih banyak cerita, fitur, dan video, kunjungi halaman terobosan kami di Asia Selatan dalam Sepak Bola di skysports.com dan orang Asia Selatan di blog Game dan pantau terus Sky Sports News dan digital Sky Sports kami

Tony Yeboah. A name synonymous with the spectacular, etched into Premier League history.

His goals against Liverpool and Wimbledon at the start to the 1995/96 Premier League season, a season the Ghanaian would end being crowned Leeds United’s Player of the Year, were the iconic moments of a career which left an indelible mark at Elland Road and beyond.

From the over-the-shoulder volley, which cannoned past David James off the underside of the Liverpool bar, to the chest control and thunderbolt which nearly took the Wimbledon goal out of the ground, the debate over which strike was better rumbles on.

Few players have scored one goal of such quality, let alone two, let alone two off their weaker right foot, as was the case for Yeboah, but it was the goal against his idol John Barnes’ Liverpool which he holds in special regard.

“It was marvellous,” he exclusively told Sky Sports. “John Barnes was my hero. I always looked at Barnes, Ian Rush and thought, ‘wow, they are the great players’.

“I had the opportunity to play against them, so I had to do something. When I finished the game and came back to my house, I could not believe I did this.

“I do not understand, I am not a right-footed player. I don’t know how I did it. When I see it, I am so proud of myself, they were great goals. I always preferred the one against Liverpool because before the game I met my heroes.”

Yeboah’s penchant for the spectacular earned immediate adulation from the fans of Leeds United and was the highlight of a two-and-a-half season love affair at Elland Road.

“I loved Leeds and felt loved there,” Yeboah added. “Leeds supporters are fantastic. I remember my first game against QPR, my first touch was so bad and yet the fans were clapping. I wondered what was going on, I thought they were going to boo me, but they clapped.

“My game was about being comfortable, and at Leeds I felt comfortable, the fans were behind me, the players were very nice to me. It was like I was home.”

Yeboah’s goal against Liverpool took on such significance due to the guiding influence, at a distance, Barnes had throughout the challenging early years of his career in Germany.

Yeboah became one of the first high-profile black footballers to play in Germany when he joined FC Saarbrucken in 1988, but the move brought with it racist abuse no player should have to experience. His arrival as Eintracht Frankfurt’s first black signing in 1990 brought with it even more racist abuse, this time from sections of his own support

Like Barnes, who experienced abhorrent abuse playing in England, Yeboah would rise through this adversity. He would become the first African to captain a Bundesliga side and clinched two successive Golden Boots with Frankfurt in 1993 and 1994 to silence his abusers.

“John Barnes was my hero for a long time,” Yeboah said. “I was so proud of him, as a black player he was performing very well in England.

“I wanted to be like John Barnes, that is what I was trying to do. I was wearing the No 10 jersey, every time I saw John Barnes so something on the pitch, I wanted to do the same thing, and this was when I was in Ghana.

“He was a motivating person, a person you could follow who could motivate you to do your own thing. I never thought I would have the chance to come to England and play against him – even today I am so proud that I was able to do that. It was great, it was fantastic.”

While Yeboah’s memorable strikes have their place in Premier League history, the legacy of his pioneering career lives on, with a path forged for others to follow in his footsteps.

“I know I was always standing for my people,” he said. “Now we have a lot of black people from lots of different countries playing in Germany and for the national team. It means that we fought for them.

“We Africans, years ago our great, great, great, great grandparents fought for us so we can enjoy life now. The same happened in football, we were always fighting for our youth, and it has worked.

“We are very proud of ourselves, in the beginning it was difficult but now they are there enjoying their football.”

Celebrate the Premier League’s African Heroes throughout Black History Month and beyond across Sky Sports and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.

Roberto De Zerbi remains winless as Brighton boss after his side slipped to a 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest.

Despite creating ample opportunities, especially in the first half, Brighton failed to score for the third game running as they simply ran out of ideas against a resolute if limited Forest.

Leandro Trossard clipped the bar and Dean Henderson was called upon to make six saves, the pick of which came late on to deny Pascal Gross.

This was Brighton’s 16th 0-0 since the start of the 19/20 season – the most of any Premier League side in that period.

Forest took 59 minutes to register a shot or even have a touch in Brighton’s penalty box – but it was another improved defensive showing with a point lifting them off the bottom of the table.

Forest boss Steve Cooper said: “We’ve been on a poor run and could have been even more deflated when a few things didn’t go our way against Wolves. But we showed resilience, spirit and desire. It was a good point. If we were higher in league, it would have been a great point.”

A tale of frustration for Brighton…

Brighton paid tribute pre-match to Enock Mwepu in their first home game since his sad retirement because of a hereditary heart condition, and the home fans chanted his name throughout the opening stages.

The Seagulls played with great intricacy and flow with Forest sitting deep, but it took them 29 minutes to create a strong opening as Joel Veltman blazed over from 12 yards.

That opened the floodgates for Brighton. Solly March tested Henderson with a low drive before Trossard crashed an effort off the top of the bar.

Henderson then produced a brilliant double save to deny Gross and Danny Welbeck as Brighton yet again failed to capitalise on their dominance in a home game.

With frustration levels growing as the game wore on, Forest sensed their hard graft may just be enough for an unlikely point. Brennan Johnson scampered away on 59 minutes but his effort from the angle went out for a throw in – one of just two shots Forest had in the game.

Back at the other end, Brighton remained cool in possession but limp in attack. Forest defended their box very astutely and when required their goalkeeper came to their rescue. Gross thought he had scored with eight minutes to go but Henderson’s reactions were superb to claw the chance away.

Brighton have now failed to score with their last 54 shots with 18 of those on target.

Problems for De Zerbi to fix.

A tough watch but Forest are digging in

Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones writes:

Steve Cooper has made a bold decision to go against all his natural principles when it comes to football in order to get Nottingham Forest up the table. He is a manager who likes his players to play with freedom, to express themselves.

That, for now, is very much in the bin.

It’s all about defensive security and discipline in the search for Premier League points. Jesse Lingard and Brennan Johnson, two players that like to create and posses an abundance of talent in forward areas, were made to run and run some more at The Amex. Lingard had just 16 touches. Johnson had 10. Even the Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez had more than both of the Forest duo combined.

It took Forest 59 minutes to record a touch in the Brighton box and they managed just three shots on Sanchez’s goal. The goalkeeper could have got his deck chair out and read a good book such was the lack of action he saw.

But despite the lack of excitement as an attacking unit, Forest have now taken two points from the last nine available. It’s certainly a start but such lack of adventure and freedom in their play must be hard for Cooper to watch.

De Zerbi enjoyed Brighton’s performance

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi: “In my experience in the Premier League it’s not the first time my team play like this and we can’t win. I don’t want to speak about whether it’s unfair or unlucky.

“I say thanks to the players. Today I enjoyed a lot. I watched a very fantastic game. We shoot 20 times, we have a lot of chances. We have to work in the last 25 metres to choose the best solution. We have to attack the space better, to work in the last pass.

“You can choose the way to win. You can choose what style of play you can play. These players have chosen their way. I really like this way. This evening we’re sorry for the result. This is our way to achieve our result.”

Cooper: We showed resilience, spirit and desire

Forest boss Steve Cooper said: “It was always going to be tough. Brighton are a really good team. We’ve been on a poor run and could have been even more deflated when a few things didn’t go our way against Wolves. But we showed resilience, spirit and desire. It was a good point. If we were higher in league, it would have been a great point.

“Is that what we want to be tonight? No. But there is small progress, but a lot to improve on.

“We want to be more of a threat and create more chances. We’ve had times where we’ve been that but we’ve conceded too many goals. We need to find a balance. We’re going to have to defend more this season.

“We need to pick up enough points whilst becoming the team we need to be.”

Opta stats: Boring, boring Brighton?

• Since Brighton’s debut Premier League season (2017-18), the Seagulls have failed to score in more games (72) and played out more goalless draws (23) than any other side in the competition.
• Having picked up four points from their first three Premier League games this season (W1, D1, L1), Nottingham Forest have since won just two points from their eight games in the competition (D2 and L6), although they did keep their first away clean sheet in the top-flight since February 1999 this evening (0-0 vs Charlton).
• De Zerbi (D2 and L2) is the first Brighton manager to fail to win any of his first four league games in charge since Barry Lloyd, who failed to win his first 12 in charge between January and April 1987.

What’s next?

Brighton visit Manchester City on Saturday at the Etihad at 3pm in the Premier League while Nottingham Forest host Liverpool at the City Ground on the same day; kick-off 12.30pm.

Our tipster Jones Knows thinks he’s found a huge slice of value in Brentford’s chances of getting a result at home to Chelsea. Back this 4/1 shot.

How did we get on at the weekend?

Winners. Finally.

A profit of 9.5 across the board from the bets advised, with Dominic Solanke taking just 62 seconds to deliver on his anytime goalscorer prospects at 3/1 (2pts win) for Bournemouth at Fulham. Not to be for the 22/1 on him scoring twice and 150/1 on him hitting a hat-trick but let’s not be greedy. Our 13/2 double also copped maximum return as Brentford and Brighton played out a game where both teams didn’t score and Chelsea won without conceding at Aston Villa. It really is a funny old game as that Chelsea victory without conceding was smothered in fortune as Kepa Arrizabalaga performed miracles to keep Villa at bay. Proof that sometimes bad bets win, and good bets lose.

It wasn’t all rainbows and lollipops, though, as Ruben Neves scored from the spot in a 1-0 Wolves win at Nottingham Forest. I had made the case for a Wolves penalty sooner rather than later two weeks ago and tipped Neves to score it and Wolves to win 1-0 at 80/1. See, good bets lose.

P+L = -3.5

2pts on to Brentford to draw or win vs Chelsea & 27 or more match shots (4/1 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

I do like this angle, a lot.

Chelsea were very suspect to direct balls down both channels as Aston Villa swung in 30 crosses and caused big issues. Brentford at home do like to get the ball forward quickly too, so this will be another test defensively for the Blues, who are playing their sixth game in 19 days and may just lack for intensity in the cut and thrust of a west London derby that means a lot to the Bees.

This can be seen in the two meetings last season where Brentford performed exceptionally, falling to an unlucky 1-0 defeat at home before rampaging to a 4-1 win at Stamford Bridge. The expected goals data from those two meetings also presented that Brentford had Chelsea’s number, winning that battle 3.21 vs 2.03 across the two fixtures. The 6/5 with Sky Bet for Brentford to win or draw is a price I want on my side.

Combining a pro-Brentford result with the total match shots also holds huge appeal at the prices. Since promotion to the Premier League, Brentford’s home games average 24.7 shots per match and I’d expect that number to be above average for a game involving an elite attack like Chelsea’s plus the intense derby atmosphere.

Brentford managed 34 shots on their own in their two fixtures with Chelsea last season, with the game at Stamford Bridge producing a whopping 38 shots. I’m happy to play the 27 or more shots, which looks a lovely play and I’m happy to combine that with the 6/5 on Brentford double chance with double stakes being advised.

Tuesday’s bets…

1pt on Solly March to score for Brighton vs Nottingham Forest (7/1 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Solly March’s shot prices may have been snipped by Sky Bet, so that angle has gone but his goalscorer price remains absolutely soaked in value. I may have said that before.

However, against one of the most welcoming defences in the Premier League, a player with attacking metrics of 2.17 in non-penalty expected goals – the 26th highest of any player in the league this season – should be backed to score when the anytime price is bulky enough. It is here with 7/1 about him scoring certainly backable. It’s now 55 shots since he last scored and no player has had more shots (20) or more shots on target (9) without scoring in the Premier League so far this season.

Please, Solly. We can then all get on with our lives.

1pt on Max Kilman to score first for Wolves vs Crystal Palace (50/1 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

In games of such tight nature, set-pieces will undoubtedly play a big part and Palace’s inability to defend their box from such situations remains a weakness. They may have only conceded two goals from set-pieces this season but their expected goals data suggests they have allowed almost five – that is the worst record (4.79) of any team in the Premier League this season. It’s been a common trend since Patrick Viera took charge, with only Leicester, Everton and Southampton shipping a higher expected goals against figure from set-pieces than Palace (19.3).

Timothy Castagne should have scored from his header from eight yards out at the weekend and continued the trend of defenders having very presentable chances to score against Palace. Thiago Silva, Sven Botman, Fabian Schar, Ben Mee, Mathias Jorgensen, John Stones, Ezri Konsa, Nat Phillips and Virgil van Dijk all have had at least one shot from a set-piece situation against Palace this season.

This leads me to the prices about Max Kilman for Wolves standing out as particularly bulky. He may have only scored once for Wolves, but he goes up for every set-piece and struck the post with an effort in the win over Nottingham Forest. He is 11/8 with Sky Bet to have at least one shot at goal and is 40/1 to score the first goal. Both are worth backing.

1pt on Kilman to have one or more shots, West Ham +2 handicap vs Liverpool & Brentford vs Chelsea to have 23 or more match shots (6/1 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

It would be rude not to combine my three best angles for the midweek card into a juicy treble.

Stonewall is launching its award-winning Rainbow Laces campaign for a ninth year and calling on fans to keep up the fight for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport after new research showed ‘fantastic progress’.

New research from ICM/Walnut and Stonewall shines a light on the transformative impact of the iconic Rainbow Laces campaign.

Over the last five years, the proportion of sport fans who think homophobic remarks in sport are acceptable has almost halved – from 25 per cent in 2017 to 14 per cent in 2022. This follows five years of dedicated campaigning by Stonewall and sporting bodies such as the Premier League, FA, Premiership Rugby and leading sponsors who are part of TeamPride.

There has been fantastic progress, but there is still a way to go before all LGBTQ+ people are truly welcomed as equals in sport. This year, a number of openly LGBTQ+ athletes have taken prominence and inspired the nation. Whether it’s Jake Daniels coming out or the proud lesbian and bi inclusion of the Lionesses in this year’s Euros-winning England Women’s Football team, LGBTQ+ people in sport have never been more visible.

Despite this progress, many LGBTQ+ people still feel unsafe and unwelcome at sporting events and fitness facilities. The research shows that sport fans are not confident that competitive sport is a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ sport personalities. Just four in 10 sports fans think competitive sport is welcoming for gay and bi men (40 per cent) or lesbian and bi women (43 per cent). Just three in 10 fans (29 per cent) think competitive sport is welcoming for trans sport personalities.

So, although it’s been heartening to see athletes like Jake Daniels, Zander Murray and Josh Cavallo comfortable playing as their authentic selves, the campaign to make sport everyone’s game is far from over.

The campaign is encouraging people to continue to lace up, speak up and keep it up.

Liz Ward, Director of Programmes at Stonewall, said: “Sport has the unparalleled ability to bring us together. From Premier League Clubs to grassroots teams and local gyms, it’s been fantastic to see so many people coming together to fight for a more inclusive sporting world this Rainbow Laces season.

“Since the beginning of the Rainbow Laces campaign, we’ve seen awareness grow and grow, with more than one million laces modelled in boots across the world’s pitches and, as a result, we’ve seen attitudes fundamentally shift – the majority of Britons are now supportive of LGBTQ+ athletes.

“However, we cannot become complacent. This new research shows that the public recognise that there is more work to do to create a world where LGBTQ+ people are free to be themselves both on and off the pitch.

“So, this Rainbow Laces season, it’s vital that we all ‘Keep it Up’ and truly make sport everyone’s game.”

• Rainbow Laces celebrates its ninth anniversary as Stonewall urges sport to continue to Lace Up and Keep Up the fight to make sport everyone’s game.
• Iconic brands in TeamPride, including Sky Sports, Adidas and the Premier League, as well as grassroots clubs and fans are celebrating changing attitudes – and coming together to renew their commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport.
• New research* from ICM/Walnut and Stonewall shows that over the last five years the proportion of sports fans who think homophobic remarks in sport are acceptable has almost halved – dropping from 25 per cent in 2017 to 14 per cent in 2022.
• The Rainbow Laces campaign is highlighting the plight of LGBTQ+ people in Qatar as we gear up for the World Cup. The World Cup is an event where the global sporting community needs to stand up and call out the criminalisation and persecution of LGBTQ+ people in Qatar.

Ward added: “As we approach the 2022 Men’s World Cup, we must remember that Qatar is a country where LGBTQ+ people are persecuted simply for being themselves. Sadly, this year’s tournament is not safe for everyone, which is why it’s so important to see players and fans stand up to be counted.

“The World Cup is a vital moment for the global sporting community to stand up and call out the criminalisation and persecution of LGBTQ+ people in Qatar.”