π¨|ποΈPatrice Evra on Arsenal fans being humbled after the UCL final loss:
"Let me tell you, last night was a cold shower for Arsenal fans."
"Iβm looking at the Arsenal fans, and finally, they are grounded. For weeks, they were talking like they already had the trophy in their hands, like they were the next legends of the game. But football has a funny way of bringing you back to earth, no?"
"You see, a jersey doesnβt make you legendary. A few good months doesnβt make you legendary. You need to suffer, you need to win the big wars, and last night? They were just boys playing against men. This team is not legendary....not yet."
"They are talented, yes, but legendary? That is a word you must earn with blood, sweat, and trophies. Tonight, the dream was quieted, and the reality is that they have a long, long way to go. [Laughs]"
Goodbye Casemiro! He has come so far since early days in football and now it's time for us to officially say goodbye to him at Man United. Farewell Unc. π₯Ή
πΊπΈπππΌ ππΎπΌππΏπΌππ πππΎπ πππππΏ πΎπππΊπΈ
Brace yourself for a HUGE number of scandals plaguing the World Cup before it even starts.....
Iranian team visa denials: Players, coaches, and some trainers received US visas; however, at least 15 key support staff, managerial/executive members, and technical advisers denied visas (Iran calls it βvindictiveβ obstruction). Team relocated training base to Mexico; US claims βnecessary support staffβ approved but Iran disputes.
Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein detained: Held and questioned for 7 hours at Chicago OβHare Airport (phone inspected) before eventual entry.
Iraqi team photographer Talal Salah denied entry: Detained over 10 hours at Chicago OβHare and refused US entry.
Strict checks on Senegal and Uzbekistan teams: Players faced individual searches immediately after disembarking; Uzbekistan delegation inspected with narcotic dogs before a friendlyβwidely called βembarrassingβ and βtreating players like criminals.β
FIFA ticket-pricing investigation: New York and New Jersey attorneys general probing FIFA for misleading fans on seat locations, withholding tickets, and artificially inflating prices.
Spot-fixing scandal: Two players heading to the World Cup allegedly deliberately received yellow cards in recent matches as part of a broader fixing ring.
Visa issues for players/staff are tied to US travel bans/restrictions on nationals from Iran, Haiti, Senegal, and Ivory Coast (exemptions exist for core team members but βnecessary support staffβ definition remains unclear and inconsistently applied). High visa rejection rates and extra scrutiny have affected multiple delegations. No other major player/staff visa incidents reported in the past few weeks.
FIFA-appointed referee turned away at Miami International Airport and barred from customs (first Somali World Cup referee).
@raphnelson_abah They also promised there wouldn't be issues like this. It's hugely disrespectful to the countries that have worked so hard towards this.
πΊπΈπππΌ ππΎπΌππΏπΌππ πππΎπ πππππΏ πΎπππΊπΈ
Brace yourself for a HUGE number of scandals plaguing the World Cup before it even starts.....
Iranian team visa denials: Players, coaches, and some trainers received US visas; however, at least 15 key support staff, managerial/executive members, and technical advisers denied visas (Iran calls it βvindictiveβ obstruction). Team relocated training base to Mexico; US claims βnecessary support staffβ approved but Iran disputes.
Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein detained: Held and questioned for 7 hours at Chicago OβHare Airport (phone inspected) before eventual entry.
Iraqi team photographer Talal Salah denied entry: Detained over 10 hours at Chicago OβHare and refused US entry.
Strict checks on Senegal and Uzbekistan teams: Players faced individual searches immediately after disembarking; Uzbekistan delegation inspected with narcotic dogs before a friendlyβwidely called βembarrassingβ and βtreating players like criminals.β
FIFA ticket-pricing investigation: New York and New Jersey attorneys general probing FIFA for misleading fans on seat locations, withholding tickets, and artificially inflating prices.
Spot-fixing scandal: Two players heading to the World Cup allegedly deliberately received yellow cards in recent matches as part of a broader fixing ring.
Visa issues for players/staff are tied to US travel bans/restrictions on nationals from Iran, Haiti, Senegal, and Ivory Coast (exemptions exist for core team members but βnecessary support staffβ definition remains unclear and inconsistently applied). High visa rejection rates and extra scrutiny have affected multiple delegations. No other major player/staff visa incidents reported in the past few weeks.
FIFA-appointed referee turned away at Miami International Airport and barred from customs (first Somali World Cup referee).
ππππ πππΌπππ ππΌππΏππ:πππ ππππΌππ ππ-ππΌπππ
People are forgetting the absolute MADNESS of what actually happened with Sandro Tonali. This isn't just a player who had a LITTLE flutter. Italian prosecutors literally caught him in a MASSIVE illegal betting ring, and he admitted to wagering on his own teams, Brescia and AC Milan, while he was under contract with them.
He was handed a 10-month global FIFA ban and forced into rehab for a gambling addiction. That is a massive, deep-rooted issue, not some minor slip-up.
Then it got WORSE when he moved to England. The FA slapped him with another 50 breaches (over just 3 months) for betting on football matches AFTER he signed for Newcastle.
The guy couldn't even stop when he arrived in the Premier League. He got lucky that his two-month English ban was suspended, but the pattern of behavior is clear as day.If INEOS drops β¬70m+ on him, they are out of their minds.
The pressure at Old Trafford is an absolute pressure cooker, and putting a recovering addict into that environment is a recipe for disaster. One relapse, one more investigation, and he gets hit with a LIFETIME ban. We'd lose our entire midfield and flush millions down the drain.
Everyone deserves a second chance but the risk is we lose out on the ENTIRE investment.
INEOS cannot afford to gamble on a gambler.
ππππ πππΌπππ ππΌππΏππ:πππ ππππΌππ ππ-ππΌπππ
People are forgetting the absolute MADNESS of what actually happened with Sandro Tonali. This isn't just a player who had a LITTLE flutter. Italian prosecutors literally caught him in a MASSIVE illegal betting ring, and he admitted to wagering on his own teams, Brescia and AC Milan, while he was under contract with them.
He was handed a 10-month global FIFA ban and forced into rehab for a gambling addiction. That is a massive, deep-rooted issue, not some minor slip-up.
Then it got WORSE when he moved to England. The FA slapped him with another 50 breaches (over just 3 months) for betting on football matches AFTER he signed for Newcastle.
The guy couldn't even stop when he arrived in the Premier League. He got lucky that his two-month English ban was suspended, but the pattern of behavior is clear as day.If INEOS drops β¬70m+ on him, they are out of their minds.
The pressure at Old Trafford is an absolute pressure cooker, and putting a recovering addict into that environment is a recipe for disaster. One relapse, one more investigation, and he gets hit with a LIFETIME ban. We'd lose our entire midfield and flush millions down the drain.
Everyone deserves a second chance but the risk is we lose out on the ENTIRE investment.
INEOS cannot afford to gamble on a gambler.
There's another element that nobody seems to want to discuss in relation to Tonali. After his previous gambling ban, one more infraction and he will be banned permanently. Obviously, everyone deserves a second chance but it's a huge risk considering the addiction element involved. We could lose out on our entire investment.