Month: December 2024

DOHA: Real Madrid striker Vinicius Junior won the men’s player of the year award at The Best FIFA ceremony in Doha early this morning, while Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women’s award for the second time.

The award comes two months after 24-year-old Vinicius finished second in the Ballon d’Or, with Real opting to boycott the ceremony when they learned in advance that Manchester City midfielder Rodri had won the trophy.

However, the Brazilian player this time was present to receive the award in Qatar with his club ahead of the Intercontinental Cup final against Mexican club Pachuca early tomorrow morning.

“Thank you so much. I don’t know where to start. It’s impossible to think I could get here. I grew up in a world of poverty, organized crime. It’s for all the children who grow up in that world. I thank everyone who voted for me,” Vinicius said on stage.

“Thanks to my family, to the club, to my teammates, to Carletto (Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti), who often helps me.

“To everyone who helped make my dream come true. I hope to be in Madrid for many years, because it’s the best club in the world. To Flamengo (his first club in Brazil). To my teammates in the national team. Also to my country, which has always supported me in all my work.”

Vinicius replaced Lionel Messi as FIFA’s best men’s player after the Argentine star won the last two editions of the award.

The striker scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists in 39 appearances in all competitions as he guided Real to a La Liga and Champions League double last season.

After completing his third La Liga title in May, Vinicius secured the second Champions League trophy of his career when Real beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on June 1.

Vinicius was on the scoresheet at Wembley with a stunning finish in the final 10 minutes to ensure the title was within their grasp.

26-year-old Spaniard Bonmati won the FIFA Women’s Player of the Year award for the second year in a row, adding to her two previous Ballon d’Or trophies.

“I am grateful, I am proud to receive this award,” said Bonmati via video link from the Olympic Stadium, Barcelona.

Last season, Bonmati guided Barcelona to a historic treble and won the Nations League with his national team.

She won every trophy with her club in 2023-24 – the Spanish league, Copa de la Reina, Supercopa de Espana and the Women’s Champions League for the second time in a row.

Bonmati scored one goal and produced a man-of-the-match display as Barcelona beat Lyon 2-0 in the Champions League final to claim their third title in four seasons.

Manchester United’s Argentine striker Alejandro Garnacho has won the Puskas award for the best goal of the year following his scissor kick against Everton in the Premier League.

Ancelotti won the men’s coach of the year award, after the Italian guided his club to a league and Champions League double last season.

“I want to share this success with the club, with my president and players, the best club in the world,” Ancelotti said.

Emma Hayes won the women’s coach of the year award, after guiding the United States to gold at this year’s Olympics and guiding Chelsea to the WSL title last season, their fifth consecutive title with the club.

The men’s goalkeeper award was won by Argentina’s Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez while the women’s award was won by the US’s Alyssa Naeher and Chicago Red Stars’ AFP.

MANCHESTER: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he was responsible for his team’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League at home.

City were ahead until the 88th minute when United were awarded a penalty which was converted by Bruno Fernandes and two minutes later Amad Diallo scored the winning goal.

“I have no excuses. I’m the boss. I’m the manager and I’m not good enough.

“I had to find a solution and I failed to do it. I didn’t do it well, that’s a fact,” Guardiola said.

City have only recorded one win from their last 11 matches in all competitions.

“Today we should have won the game because apart from Bruno Fernandes (a chance that the United captain failed to convert) nothing happened. So we wasted it again.

“I’m paid well to deal with this situation, to face press conferences, to take criticism, but I want to be honest, in one or two seasons, after a year, or a year and a half, we only lost eight games.

“I’m still here because of what I did before, otherwise a big club wouldn’t keep a manager like this.

“I knew it was going to be a tough season but I didn’t expect it to be this difficult. I’ll try to improve,” he said.

LONDON: Jamie Carragher has hit out at Liverpool fans on social media who criticised him for praising Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.

The centre-back played exclusively for Liverpool throughout his 17-year career, scoring five goals in 739 appearances for the club.

He often captained Liverpool in the absence of Steven Gerrard and lifted the European Champions League trophy in 2005, as well as two FA Cups and three League Cups.

Carragher is a well-known sports pundit on Sky Sports and was on duty during Chelsea’s 4-3 win at Spurs last Sunday.

But the 46-year-old was criticised by his former club’s fans when he said Palmer was the best player in the Premier League over the past 18 months, with many criticising his statement for forgetting to mention Reds star Mohamed Salah.

However, Carragher responded to the criticism on social media by asking those who disagreed with him to watch the full recording of his statement.

“He took the penalty and was involved in (Enzo) Fernandez’s goal, three or four players around him. That’s what great players do – you’re terrified when he gets the ball.

“I liked him last season and he’s started well this season. A few weeks ago I said, if you look at the last 18 months at Chelsea, I don’t think there’s a player in the Premier League who has performed better than him.

“And he’s not playing for the best team. They look like one of the best teams in the league right now.

“Before Chelsea had great players in attack like (Giafranco) Zola and (Eden) Hazard, I think he has done more than Zola in these 18 months.

“If he manages to lead Chelsea to the title this season or in the next two or three seasons, I believe he will be the club’s greatest player.

“He’s a very special player and not just in the Premier League, but Europe and the world,” said Carragher.

MANCHESTER, England: Nottingham Forest inflicted Manchester United’s second consecutive defeat in the English Premier League early this morning, defeating Ruben Amorim’s men 3-2 at Old Trafford.

United striker Rasmus Hojlund cancelled out Nikola Milenkovic’s early goal but Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood put the visitors ahead and they held on to that advantage after Bruno Fernandes closed the gap.

Forest’s first win at Old Trafford since 1994 lifted them to fifth in the league table but United are stranded in 13th.

Amorim has made a positive start to his career as United manager after replacing Erik ten Hag, who was sacked last month, drawing once and winning two of his first three matches.

But he warned “a storm is coming” for the troubled club, who are enduring their worst start to the season.

Reality is now starting to set in after a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal in midweek followed by a defeat early this morning at home.

“It was a difficult game in a difficult moment but we have to keep going,” a disappointed Amorim told the BBC.

“It’s been a long journey. We’ve improved in a number of ways. We need to win games to help us improve as a team.

“We are at the beginning of something big because we are focusing on every detail. We already know it is a big task so we have to keep going.”

The former Sporting Lisbon boss must have been disappointed with the way the goal was conceded.

Corners proved difficult for Arsenal to stop and Milenkovic headed in Elliot Anderson’s corner in the second minute after soaring high past Lisandro Martinez.

United came back and equalised in the 18th minute with Hojlund heading in after Alejandro Garnacho’s attempt from Manuel Ugarte’s pass was blocked by Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels.

But Forest once again started brilliantly in the second half.

Fernandes lost the ball to Callum Hudson-Odoi and he found Gibbs-White, whose flicked shot from 20 yards out went past goalkeeper Andre Onana.

New Zealand international Wood met Gibbs-White’s cross in the 54th minute with a header that went over the line as Matthijs de Ligt, Onana and Martinez all failed to save the situation.

United hit back after the hour mark when Amad Diallo showed great skill as he raced down the right wing before feeding Fernandes, who beat Sels from the edge of the box.

LIVERPOOL: Pep Guardiola calmly responded to the boos of Liverpool fans during Manchester City’s defeat at Anfield.

Arne Slot’s side beat the defending Premier League champions 2-0 and extended the gap on City, who slipped to fifth, to 11 points – thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool fans taunted Guardiola by chanting “you’ll be sacked in the morning” towards the end of the game.

The City manager, however, simply responded with a six-finger gesture – the number of Premier League trophies he has won over the past seven seasons.

Guardiola once again showed the same gesture when applauding the City supporters after the match.

The defeat at Anfield continued City’s poor record which has now lost six of their last seven games.

“We didn’t have pre-season and then injuries, but we are aware of that and we have to deal with it. We competed but didn’t create many chances.

“We don’t have the strength in midfield at the moment and they are stronger in the ball, so need to work harder when we get the ball.

“I sit here as a manager and defend what we have done before, the result of their efforts. I want to continue with them and embrace them.

“We have to change this result and when the time is right we will. The whole stadium wants me to be sacked, it started in Brighton! Maybe they were right based on the previous results. I didn’t expect it at Anfield.

“They didn’t do it when it was 1-0, but after 2-0. Maybe they should sing it in the past.

“I didn’t expect it from Liverpool fans but that’s okay. It’s part of the game and I understand it. We went through a lot of great fights together. I respect them,” said Guardiola.