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Cristiano Ronaldo is football’s first billionaire.

Forbes has named Portuguese football legend, Cristiano Ronaldo the first billionaire footballer. He’s only the third sportsperson to achieve the status after boxer Floyd Mayweather and golfer Tiger Woods. Ronaldo has also raked in around £36m-a-year in endorsements during his career, including lifetime partnerships with Nike.

The Juventus forward raked in £85million in the last year from his wages and endorsement deals. His Instagram earnings alone were put at £41.7m and he is the most-followed sports star on Facebook and Instagram.  Ronaldo took a £3.5m cut on his wages due to coronavirus, cutting his earnings down by 9%.

Also Read: Footballing world is joining the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March this year, as his contribution to the fight against coronavirus, he and his agent Jorge Mendes jointly donated life-saving equipment to Portuguese hospitals in Lisbon and Porto.

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 Sports

Premier League clubs to make 5 substitutions for the rest of the season.

Premier League clubs allowed to make five substitutions instead of the usual three for the rest of the 2019/20 season.

While each team can make five substitutions, each team will still only have three opportunities to make changes throughout the match in order to minimise disruption to the game.

A draft document containing biosecurity measures required for each match has been circulated. Premier League clubs will only be fined a maximum of £25,000 if they breach the competition’s new Covid-19 protocols.

The 20 clubs will be asked to voice any objections they have to relegation in the current season, ahead of a vote next week on how the league will be decided in the event of curtailment.

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 La Liga, Sports

Tax fraud: Diego Costa gets €543,208 fine.

Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa has been fined €543,208 and handed a six-month prison sentence for tax fraud.

The 31 year-old pleaded guilty to defrauding the state of more than €1m by not declaring payments of over €5.15m from his 2014 move to Chelsea in the UK and not did not declare more than €1m in image rights.

He will not serve jail term as Spanish legal system allows sentences under two years for non-violent crimes to be exchanged for a fine.

An Atletico spokesman told the Reuters news agency, “Diego Costa reached an agreement a few months ago with the prosecutor and has already paid the corresponding fine plus interest, and the request for a prison sentence was withdrawn.” 

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 Sports

Players who remove their shirts to protest against discrimination deserve applause, not punishment. – FIFA President

FIFA President, Gianni Infantino has said players who are calling for justice for George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed after a white policeman in Minneapolis handcuffed and kneeled on the American-African’s neck for around nine minutes.Image

The German Football Association (DFB) is currently investigating Borussia Dortmund duo Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi, Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram and FC Schalke’s American midfielder Weston McKennie who paid tributes ripped to George Floyd with handwritten messages, took off their shirts, knelt down after scoring. Infact, the entire Liverpool‘s squad took a knee at Anfield as a tribute to George Floyd on June 1st, 2020.

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FIFA had earlier called on football leagues to use “common sense” when deciding on sanctions for footballers for displaying political messages. “For the avoidance of doubt, in a FIFA competition the recent demonstrations of players in Bundesliga matches would deserve applause and not a punishment,” Infantino said in a FIFA statement.

“We all must say no to racism and any form of discrimination. We all must say no to violence. Any form of violence.”

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“FIFA fully understands the depth of sentiment and concerns expressed by many footballers in light of the tragic circumstances of the George Floyd case.”

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 English Premier League, Sports

Premier League clubs to hold friendlies ahead of resumption.

Premier League clubs have been given permission to play friendlies ahead of the season restart on June 17 but under certain conditions outlined by the league. Some of the measures put in place to ensure hygiene and social distancing rules are adhered to are:

  • Clubs being forbidden from traveling for further than 90 minutes, though teams like Newcastle will be granted special dispensation if they have to travel further.
  • All players must travel in their own cars, possibly in their kits.
  • No official referees will be allowed, with members of coaching staff taking charge.
  • Full risk-assessments of the stadium/training ground before games.

Meanwhile, all EPL clubs have begun considering how reduced numbers of fans might be accommodated next season when neutral venues could also remain as a back-up option to complete fixtures. Players are facing a crucial week of testing as any positive test would likely rule them out from the opening round of restarted games. All players and club staff are being tested for coronavirus twice a week ahead of the restart date of June 17.

 

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 La Liga, Sports

Real Madrid won’t play at the Bernabéu again this season.

Real Madrid president, Florentino Pérez has confirmed that the Los Blancos Will Not Return to Santiago Bernabéu once La Liga returns. The Bernabéu is currently undergoing renovation and was initially scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2022, but now that all games will be played behind closed doors, the club wants to take advantage of the situation to complete the work ahead of schedule. The team will now play their remaining ‘home games’ in the Alfredo Di Stéfano stadium.

“We have made the decision to play all the games in which we will play as the home team in the Alfredo Di Stéfano stadium in our Ciudad Real Madrid,” Pérez wrote. “This decision will allow us to advance in the works of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.”

The Santiago Bernabeu was first completed in 1942 and last upgraded in 1982, the external facade of the stadium will be made up of strips of steel, the roof will have a retractable feature that will allow matches to be played under any weather conditions. Restaurant and entertainment areas will be featured. The rebuild of the stadium is expected to end right before the start of the 2022-2023 season.

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 English Premier League, Sports

Odion Ighalo reacts to his contract extension at Old Trafford.

Nigerian striker, Jude Odion Ighalo has spoken of his excitement about the extension of his loan at Old Trafford. The 30 year-old forward’s loan to Manchester United became extended till January following an agreement with chinese side, Shanghai Shenhua.

“I’ve been supporting Man Utd and playing for it is a dream. Now I’ve extended my loan, it makes it more even clear. I’m here until January ending. I just want to work hard and enjoy it, support the team and do whatever I can to make us go higher and higher. I’m really happy. It’s a dream for me to be here. I’m buzzing and ready to go. The last few days have been difficult as there have been different talks about it but now I’m really happy so I need to concentrate fully.” He said.

When Odion Ighalo returns to Shanghai Shenhua, he will be expected to sign a new contract until the end of 2024 worth £400,000 a week.

Odion Ighalo at Manchester United:

• 319 minutes
• 17 shots
• 11 on target
• 4 goals
• 1 assist

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 English Premier League, Sports

Odion Ighalo agrees extension of loan with Manchester United.

Nigerian footballer, Odion Ighalo has agreed to an extension of his loan with Manchester United until January 2021. His agreement with Shanghai Shenhua officially expired on Sunday night, and both sides have now come to an agreement for the 30-year-old to stay in Manchester until the new year.

His agent Atta Aneke told online newspaper, Nettavisen: “We are nearing an agreement with Manchester United on an extended loan. The agreement will mean that Ighalo will remain with them until January 2021.”

Ighalo has scored four goals in eight games for the Red Devils this season.

“Ighalo will now hope to pick up from where he left off, after winning United’s Goal of the Month award for March with a stunning strike in our last match, the impressive 5-0 victory over Austrian club LASK in the Europa League. That last-16, first-leg game at Linzer Stadion on Thursday 12 March was a sign of things to come, as it was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That will also be the case for all remaining fixtures in 2019/20.” The club wrote on its website.

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 Sports

Tax fraud: Diego Costa to face trial on June 4.

Atletico Madrid forward, Diego Costa is to face trial for alleged tax fraud on June 4. 

The Spaniard is accused of defrauding the state of more than 1 million euros (£900,000) by not declaring payments of more than 5.15m euros (£4.63m) following his move from Chelsea in 2014. He allegedly failed to declare image rights of more than 1m euros. The court proceeding will take place a week before the resumption of the La Liga season.

This is not the first time a footballer will be accused of tax evasion. The likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Alexis Sanchez etc have also been indicted.

Also Read: Real Madrid issue statement on Ronaldo’s tax evasion allegations

If found guilty, he risks a six-month prison sentence and a fine of more than 500,000 euros (£450,000).

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 Sports

Mike Tyson offered £900,000 to fight Peter McNeeley.

American boxing legend, Mike Tyson has been offered £900,000 for a rematch with 1995 opponent, Peter McNeeley amid his rumoured comeback. Iron Mike has been posting series of training videos posted on his Instagram page  and once said during a Facebook livestream that a return to the ring is possible.

“It may not be over yet, Anything’s possible. I feel unstoppable now. The gods of war have reawakened me, ignited my ego and want me to go to war again. I feel like I’m [young] again.” He also said during a chat with rapper T.I on Instagram that he’d be doing “three- or four-round exhibitions for some charities and stuff.”

Also Read: Mike Tyson interested in Camp Nou’s naming rights.

The 53 year-old who competed from 1985 to 2005 hung his gloves in 2005 in a loss to Kevin McBride. McNeeley, 51, who has not fought since 2001 was destroyed by Tyson in just a round with two knockdowns in just over a minute . He threw in the towel just 89 seconds into the fight.

‘Mike Tyson, do you want me to try to wrap you in a cocoon of horror again?’ hewas quoted on Boxing Scene.

Boston Boxing Promotions  have approached Tyson with a huge offer.

Promoter Peter Czymbor said: “Some have asked if this is a publicity stunt, and to that I choose to dodge the question.

McNeeley is the latest of past opponents to offer Tyson a re-match amid a potential comeback

‘This will be an event like no other when it comes off.

‘We are offering undercard slots to the entire cast of Tiger King, the girl who got hit in the head with a basketball she threw behind her at a hoop while dancing on TikTok, and Doja Cat because I can’t get that ‘Say So’ song out of my head.”

If Iron Mikes agrees, a percentage of the proceeds will be donated to local charities.

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