“AlifelongLiverpoolsupporter, Andrewcontinued
toattendmatchesatAnfieldwhenpossibledespite
sufferinglife-changinginjuriesatHillsborough”
LiverpoolpaytributetoAndrewDevine,whorecentlypassedawayfrom
injuriessuffered at theHillsboroughdisaster, makinghimits 97thvictim
ENGLAND
Headingrestrictions
introduced
After anumberofstudiesinvestigatingthelink
betweenfootballanddementia, professional
footballersaretobelimitedtoten“higher
forceheaders”perweekintrainingunder
newguidelinesforthisseason.
Accordingtoajoint-statementbytheFA,
PremierLeague,EFL,PFAandLMA“higher
force”describesheaderswhichfollow“along
pass(morethan 35 metres)or fromcrosses,
cornersandfree-kicks.”
“Thisrecommendationisprovidedtoprotect
player welfareandwillbereviewedregularlyas
furtherresearchisundertakentounderstand
moreregardingtheimpactofheadinginfootball.”
Leadingfiguresinthesporthavecomeunder
increasingpressuretodomoretoaddressthe
alarminganddisproportionatenumberof
formerprofessionalplayerswhogoontosuffer
fromdementia.Justweeksaftertheguidelines
wereissued,formerManchester Unitedand
ScotlandlegendDenis Lawbecamethelatest
formerplayertobediagnosedwiththedisease.
CAFpresident...
PatriceMotsepe
presentsthedraw
fromYaounde
GLOBALFOOTBALLINTELLIGENCE
BENDERTWINS
After retiringfromtop-flightfootballinthe
summer, LarsandSvenBenderhavereturned
tothe clubwheretheymadetheirnames:
ninth-tiersideTSVBrannenburg.“Westillhave
three or fourplayersinthe squadwhoplayed
withLarsandSven,”saysheadcoachHans
Nietzold.“Theykeptintouchandalwayssaid:
‘Ifwestop,we’ll play againfor Brannenburg.’”
DANIALVES
TheBrazilcaptainhascementedhisstatus
asthe most decoratedfootballerofalltime,
addinganOlympicgoldmedaltotakehishaul
to 43 trophies.The 3 8-year-oldfull-back
playedeveryminute of histeam’scampaign,
andwas oneofthe outstandingperformers.
“Heis anexampletoall Brazilianfootballers,”
saidBrazil’s OlympicscoachAndre Jardine.
CARLILLOYD
TheUSAlegendalsostarredat theOlympics,
before announcingthatshewouldbecalling
timeonherstellarcareeratthe endofthe
season.The39-year-oldscoredtwiceinher
finalcompetitivegamefor hercountry, toadd
a bronzemedaltoher collectionoftrophies,
whichalsoincludestwogoldmedals,two
WorldCupsandtwoFIFAWorld/BestPlayer
ofthe Yearawards,plus 312 USAcaps.
CHRISTIANERIKSEN
Atthe startofAugust,themidfielderreturned
tothe Internazionaletraininggroundforthe
first timesincehiscardiacarrestatEuro 2020.
“Eriksenisdoingwellandis inexcellentphysical
andmentalshape,” saida statementonthe
club’s website,althoughhisfuture is still in
doubt;SerieArulespreventhimfromplaying
withtheICDdevicethathecurrentlyhasfitted.
HEROES VILLAINS
Bendertwins...theformerBayer Leverkusen
pairretiredatthe endoflast season
Abused...TchouameniinactionagainstSpartaPrague
Diagnosed...
DenisLaw
JUVENTUSWOMEN
TheItalianclubcameunderfire fora tweet
thatwasdescribedas“blatantracism”.Thepost
wasdeletedjust 2 5 minutesafter beingposted,
withtheclublaterreleasinga statement:“We
wouldliketoexpressourdeepestapologies...
Juventusimmediatelyrealisedthatthe club
hadcommittedanunforgivablemistake, and
thismistakehas seriouslyhurt thefeelingsof
allpeople whoopposeracialdiscrimination.”
COLOMBIANFANS
Thereturnof fanstostadiumsintheColombian
capitalofBogotawasmarredby violencein
thestands.IndependienteSantaFe v Atletico
Nacional,thefirstmatchwithacrowdin 513
days, wassupposedtosignalthe returnof fans,
butstadiumswill continuetobeemptyafter
violenceinthestandsspilledontothepitch
leadingtosevenpeoplebeinghospitalised.
TALKSPORT
TheUKradiostationwasforcedtoapologise
after broadcastingananti-Semiticcomment
froma callerdirectedatTottenhamHotspur
chairmanDanielLevy. LeeClayton,headof
thestation,said:“We areallappalledbythe
commentthatwas madebya callerduring
a live YouTubebroadcastof TheSports
Bar.Weare deeplysorrytoTottenham
and,especially, tochairmanDanielLevy.”
SPARTAPRAGUEFANS
MonacomidfielderAurelienTchouameniwas
subjectedtoallegedracistchantingduring
a ChampionsLeaguequalifierintheCzech
capital.Thegamewas pausedwhilea message
wasplayedonthepublicaddresssystem
warningthatfurtherabusewouldleadto
postponement.“Iwon’tlethatewinthis
game,” saidthe 2 1-year-oldafterwards.