Accrington’s Sam Finley gets eight-game ban for calling opponent ‘pikey’

The Accrington Stanley midfielder Sam Finley has been handed an eight-match ban for calling the Republic of Ireland international Paul McShane a “pikey”.

Finley was charged with an aggravated breach of the Football Association’s rules after a League One game against McShane’s Rochdale in January. An independent regulatory commission has found the comment was a slur based on the Wicklow-born defender’s nationality and as well as the suspension fined Finley £850 and ordered him to attend an FA education course.

EFL and PFA reach wage deferral deal for League One and Two playersRead more

The midfielder could have been hit with an 11-match suspension for a second aggravated breach of FA Rule E3 (1), having mad…

German Bundesliga clubs have a habit of wrapping up transfer deals even before the official start of a transfer window, which is by no mean a bad thing, seeing that this helps the teams prepare for the new season in the best possible way.

While the summer transfer window is open from 1 July to 31 August, winter transfer window lasts from 1 January to 31 January, but it is important to note that the deadline in Germany is at 18:00, some 6 hours before the transfer window closes in most other leagues. FIFA Transfer Matching System ensures that only deals confirmed by both selling and buying club are processed, thus making sure there are no last minute hiccups.

Prediction: AS Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen

Best odds: 5/2

Bookmaker:

Still unbeaten this season, Bayer Leverkusen will travel to face AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday, in the first leg of their encounter in the semifinals of the Europa League.

Seeking to avenge their loss in last season s semis, the newly crowned German champions are determined to advance to the Dublin final, where they could potentially meet Marseille or Atalanta. Meanwhile, the hosts bring with them a wealth of experience from their recent European campaigns.

AS Roma

Emerging victorious from an all-Italian showdown in the quarterfinals, Roma sealed their advancement against AC Milan. After securing a narrow lead in the first leg at San Siro, they clinched a 2-1 victory on their home turf a week later.

Gianluc…

Serie A 2019-20: How will the new appointments at Italy´s heavyweights fare?

The wait for the new Serie A season is almost over and, remarkably, five of last season s top six will be entering the 2019-20 campaign with new faces at the helm.

Champions Juventus surprisingly parted company with Massimiliano Allegri and replaced him with Maurizio Sarri despite winning the title yet again, although runners-up Napoli have stuck with Carlo Ancelotti.

Inter and AC Milan both appointed new head coaches, with Antonio Conte and Marco Giampaolo taking charge respectively, while Paulo Fonseca is the new man in the Roma dugout.

We look at how the four new men have fared previously in Serie A to see how things might pan out with their new clubs.

 

Maurizio Sarri (Juventus)

Perhaps the most daunting task awaits Sarri next seaso…

Mourinho: Ibrahimovic will return in 2017

Jose Mourinho has confirmed Zlatan Ibrahimovic will return to action before the end of the year, as the Manchester United manager hit out at England and rival clubs over Phil Jones.

Ibrahimovic tore his anterior cruciate ligament in April to place his career and United future in doubt.

But the 36-year-old forward has recovered swiftly from the serious injury and is closing in on a first-team comeback.

Mourinho suggested last month the former Sweden international could be back this year and the Portuguese boss is now certain of that timescale.

He is a lion, he is a fighter, Mourinho told Sky Sports, amid reports that Ibrahimovic and fellow long-term absentee Paul Pogba could be in contention to return as early as Saturday s match at home to Newcastle Unit…

South Africa is the host of the 2010 World Cup and this will be an exciting year for the teams as well as South Africa. The cities involved in the World Cup in , , , , .

Each city is more than prepared for the thousands of spectators that will embark upon South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. Visitors can expect newly constructed stadiums, upgraded stadiums, tight security in place, and the welcoming of the residents that wish to make all visitors stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

The Favorites

The two teams who start as favorites around the world are Brazil and Spain. Of course, in England favorites are of course England themselves. I do not think you would find that anywhere else in the world though!

Spain looks to be the most favored side…

Mbappe considered retiring from France duty after Euro 2020 penalty miss, says Le Graet

Kylian Mbappe considered retiring from France duty after being criticised for his displays at Euro 2020, according to French Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet.

The 23-year-old failed to score in any of his four outings in last year s competition, with France surprisingly being eliminated by Switzerland in the last 16.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Mbappe missed the decisive spot-kick as the reigning world champions suffered a shock defeat on penalties following a 3-3 draw after extra time.

Mbappe was subjected to much of the criticism at the time, and FFF chief Le Graet has revealed just how much that affected the former Monaco star.

I met with him after the Euros. He felt that the Federation had not defended him after his missed penalty an…

Cardinals vs Jaguars Week 3 Picks and Predictions: Murray Leads Cards to Blowout

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in disarray and now face a dangerous Arizona Cardinals team as they look for their first win of the season.

Urban Meyer and the Jags have the near-impossible task of stopping star Kyler Murray, who is off to an MVP-type start while leading Arizona, 7.5-point road chalk Sunday, to a 2-0 mark going into Week 3.

Check our best free NFL picks and predictions for Cardinals vs. Jaguars on September 26.

Bills vs Chiefs Divisional Round Prop Bets and Same-Game Parlay: Dual-Threat Passers Shine

The final matchup of the NFL Divisional Round is the de facto AFC Championship game, as the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs are regarded by many to be the top two teams in the conference.

It’s a star-studded matchup with the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, and Travis Kelce, just to name a few. But in a game with so many big names and everything on the line, where is the NFL betting value in the player prop market?

Find out in our free player props and predictions for the Bills vs. Chiefs.

Joe Mixon SNF Spotlight: Player Props for Wild Card Round Sunday Night Football

A triple-header of Wild Card action on Sunday will conclude with an SNF showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The Ravens will be without Lamar Jackson once again, but the Bengals have no such worries on offense. Not only is Joe Burrow calling the shots under center, but he has a dynamic teammate in the backfield in Joe Mixon to turn to. 

I’m expecting Mixon to make some major contributions in the passing game, which I’ll dive into below, as well as break down a three-leg Same-Game Parlay built around my best NFL pick of the evening.

Also, be sure to check out Josh Inglis’ full Ravens vs. Bengals betting preview, as well as our favorite player prop picks.