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João Cancelo has taken a swipe at Manchester City, claiming “lies were told” about him following his departure to Bayern Munich in January 2023.

The Portugal international had been key player for City manager Pep Guardiola but fell out of favour in the first half of the 2022-23 campaign.

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There were claims in the media that Cancelo was unhappy with teammates Rico Lewis and Nathan Aké because they were getting more playing time and that it was affecting the team.

Cancelo, who is on a season long-loan at Barcelona from City told ABola newspaper : “Lies were told! I’ve never been a bad teammate for them and you can ask either Aké or Rico. I don’t have any superiority or inferiority complex towards them, but that’s the manager’s opinion…”

Asked if he was saddened by those reports, Cancelo said: “I was because it wasn’t true. I think Man City were a bit ungrateful to me when they said that, because I was a very important player in the years I was there. I never failed in my commitment to the club, to the fans and I always gave everything.

“I remember a time when I was robbed and attacked and the next day I was playing at the Emirates against Arsenal. These are things you don’t forget, I left my wife and my daughter alone at home, terrified.

“People will only remember this because Mister Guardiola has much more strength than me when he says something and I prefer to keep to myself. I prefer to know that I am telling the truth, I feel fulfilled with what I did. I am a transparent person, I never lie.”

Cancelo, 29. said he has no regrets over leaving City in January 2023 despite the club going on to win a historic treble — the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.

“I live life in the moment,” he said. “Certain things dictated that I was loaned to Bayern Munich last year. I have no regrets, even if City won the Champions League. I feel like I made the right choice, that I went to a club that really wanted me, even before renewing my contract. It was a club that gave me a lot in the six months I was there. I dealt with great players and the club is spectacular.

“Then I came here [to Barcelona], lowered my salary and I’m not bothered by it in the slightest. This was the third time I was about to come to Barcelona and I’m finally here.”

Cancelo, who has expressed his desire to continue at Barça beyond this summer, claimed he holds no grudge towards City. “Life goes on and I wish everything goes well, because while I was there I enjoyed my football and the team,” he said.

“They remain the favourite team to win the Champions League.”

Cancelo is under contract with City until June 2027.

LONDON — The sheer speed of Declan Rice’s evolution at Arsenal has taken many people by surprise. Just not the man himself.

The 25-year-old midfielder signed from West Ham United in the summer for an initial £100 million, with £5m in add-ons, and has been integral to the Gunners’ hopes of winning the Premier League title this season as they sit two points off Liverpool at the top of the table.

“I’ll be honest, some people might stand here and say ‘Yeah, I’ve surprised myself,’ but I haven’t,” Rice tells ESPN. “I was playing this well at West Ham, I feel like my levels at West Ham gave me so much confidence and belief in myself to have that belief I can be a top Premier League player.

“But the main thing was to be myself. Not to change anything. Just because I have been signed for £105 million, don’t do anything different, just be myself. Things can unlock and so far things have gone really well. I’ve signed for six years and there is still such a long way to go in my Arsenal career.”

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Rice is speaking after being named the Premier League Player of the Year at the London Football Awards, which is yet another indication of the significant impact he has made since leaving the Hammers in that club-record deal.

But it was a difficult decision for him. Rice joined West Ham aged 14 after being released by Chelsea and went on to captain the club and make 245 appearances, the last of which concluded with lifting their first trophy in 43 years as they beat Fiorentina 2-1 in the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Rice had developed into one of England’s finest midfielders and despite a genuine affinity with the club where he turned from boy to man, the time had come to test himself at the top end of the Premier League. Playing against his old side was always going to be tricky and Arsenal made it unexpectedly harder, losing 3-1 in the Carabao Cup in November — when Rice was a 57th-minute substitute — and then succumbing at home in the Premier League with a 2-0 defeat in which he conceded a penalty in the final minutes.

That backdrop made last month’s league trip to London Stadium — his first start as an opponent in the venue he used to call home — all the more intriguing. But the collective response was emphatic. After receiving a mixed reception when taking an early corner (Yes, he’s on set pieces now, more of that later), the Gunners went on to win 6-0, with Rice refusing to celebrate a brilliant sixth goal which he curled in from 25 yards. And he hasn’t spoken about the emotions of that day until now.

“It was so tough,” he says. “We lost in the cup to them. We lost in the league at the Emirates; I didn’t play well and gave away a penalty. The West Ham fans bantered me and I can 100% take that; I played for West Ham for 10 years and I know how they work. When I went over to take the corner, there were a few boos, but there were claps as well.

“I know my love for them has never changed; their love for me has never changed. It is one of those things where you move on. Obviously I scored a great goal, it was really odd. Even speaking about it now, it is weird. A lot of the lads asked me afterwards, ‘How does it feel?’ It was a bittersweet feeling, really odd.

“I always said I would never celebrate against West Ham and I don’t think I ever will. They made me who I am. I spent 10 years there; I owe them a lot. I would never ever celebrate; I think that would be really disrespectful. Overall, [it was] a really good day to win and to score, but a bittersweet feeling.”

Rice has brought composure and class to Arsenal’s midfield, but there are new aspects to his game emerging all the time. He had ostensibly been labelled a defensive midfielder — critics arguing earlier in his career that his passing range was too conservative — but under Mikel Arteta’s tutelage, Rice has switched between playing as a deep-lying No. 6 or a more attack-minded No. 8, a change which has helped in part lead to some unexpected goal contributions.

The England international has already equalled his best-ever return in a Premier League season, netting four times, including some vital moments such as a stoppage-time strike against Manchester United and a last-second winner at Luton.

“To score that and watch the goal back, you can’t help but smile,” he says of his goal against United in early September. “Probably my best moment so far. My role has completely changed to what I was doing at West Ham and it has taken time to adapt, to improve, to ask questions, and I am really just trying to buy into it. I was bought for a lot of money, I want to ask questions and improve, and I want to win stuff with this club.”

In perhaps the most unexpected twist yet, Rice is now given responsibility for corners and set pieces — a trait first witnessed with a goal from his corner in Arsenal’s first game back after a warm weather training break in Dubai: a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace.

“We had actually been having conversations about it with Nico [Nicolas Jover], the set-piece coach, since the start of the season,” he says. “Obviously because of my height [6-foot-1], he’s wanted me in the box. I just feel like he wanted a switch-up. If I hadn’t got the assist [against Palace], I don’t think anyone would have been talking about it.

“Obviously I’ve been putting in good deliveries near middle, back post in games. I get excited by getting assists now. It is a big thing for me. Whereas before, goals and assists weren’t really my thing. But now I like getting assists, getting goals and I feel it gives me that extra energy on the pitch. I’m striving, I’ve got targets between the end of the season, what I want to hit.”

Arsenal’s ultimate target is to go one better than last season and win the league. They held an eight-point advantage at the beginning of April only to win three of the final nine league matches as Manchester City overhauled them.

Rice was just an onlooker for West Ham then, aware of the perception that either the Gunners ran out of steam or wilted when the pressure reached maximum intensity.

“I think Arsenal were the best team in the league last season, but they slipped up at the end,” he says. “What they say now is they can’t believe they lost the league from being eight points ahead.

“This year I feel like everyone in the team including the manager, the staff, want to learn from those mistakes. We’re stronger; we have the belief. If we go 1-0 down, we have that confidence and mental strength in us that we can push on and win games. The league is so strong this year anything can happen. There are 12 games to go but the main thing is we’re right in there. At Christmas we had a little wobble, we lost two games on the bounce which wasn’t good, but we’ve won big games at home recently which has been really important.

“Come the end of the season, we’ll see who wins it, but playing in it has been special, going head-to-head with the top teams every week and the pressure, it is so good and I know me and all the lads are really enjoying it. So we’ll continue and see what happens.”

So are there even greater levels Rice can reach?

“I have this conversation with the manager all the time,” he adds. “A couple of weeks ago he said, ‘You don’t realise the potential of how far you can go.’ Maybe sometimes I don’t, maybe sometimes I play it down and I don’t feel as confident as I seem. The next thing is winning trophies.”

Once Arsenal’s season is over, Rice will head to Germany where England are among the favourites to win Euro 2024. Gareth Southgate will hope to benefit from Rice’s progress at Arsenal, Jude Bellingham’s elevation at Real Madrid and Harry Kane’s consistent goal scoring at Bayern Munich. The high-class individual talent at the manager’s disposal will only heighten talk of whether, finally, England can end a 58-year wait for silverware.

“I feel like it is the conversation every time a tournament comes around,” Rice says. “A lot of players are obviously playing really well. So many players in the Premier League: Jarrod Bowen at West Ham, Ross Barkley at Luton, Cole Palmer [Chelsea], Curtis Jones [Liverpool], so many players playing well.

“[It’s a] big one in Germany; never been done on foreign soil. Gareth and [assistant coach] Steve [Holland] have reminded us of that. We’re confident. We’ve got two big games in March [against Brazil and Belgium] which will be a really good test. If we learn from the previous World Cup and the Euros, anything can happen. It is what happens on the day, you know? If you can perform and deal with the pressure. I really believe we can.”

Everton’s punishment for breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSRs) has been reduced from 10 points to six on appeal by the Merseyside club, the Premier League announced on Monday.

The initial 10-point sanction was handed down in November, with Everton immediately filing their appeal against what was the harshest such penalty in Premier League history.

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In a statement on Monday, the league said: “Everton FC appealed the sanction imposed against it on nine grounds, each of which related to the sanction rather than the fact of the breach, which the club admitted.

“Two of those nine grounds were upheld by the Appeal Board, which has substituted the original points deduction of 10 for six.

“This revised sanction has immediate effect and the Premier League table will be updated today to reflect this.”

The decision moves Everton from 17th in the league table to 15th, five points clear of the relegation zone.

Everton said they were satisfied at the ruling in a club statement posted Monday.

“We understand the Appeal Board considered the 10-point deduction originally imposed to be inappropriate when assessed against the available benchmarks of which the club made the Commission aware, including the position under the relevant EFL regulations, and the 9-point deduction that is imposed under the Premier League’s own rules in the event of insolvency.

“The club is also particularly pleased with the Appeal Board’s decision to overturn the original Commission’s finding that the club failed to act in utmost good faith.

“That decision, along with reducing the points deduction, was an incredibly important point of principle for the Club on appeal. The club, therefore, feels vindicated in pursuing its appeal.”

The Premier League’s PSRs stipulate that a club can lose no more than £105 million ($133.6m) over a three-year period.

Everton’s figures that led to the punishment showed a fifth straight year of losses, with their total loss over that period amounting to more than £430m.

The club said they had posted a loss of £44.7m for the 2021-22 season earlier this year.

After three straight years of losses in excess of £100m, Everton said they had made significant reductions to their losses, down £76m from last year’s loss of £121m.

Everton were charged again in January for further contraventions of the PSRs, along with Nottingham Forest, but no punishment has yet been given by the league.

“Notwithstanding the Appeal Board’s decision, and the positive outcome, the club remains fully committed to cooperating with the Premier League in respect of the ongoing proceedings brought for the accounting period ending in June 2023,” Everton said of those charges in their statement.

Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso would not be drawn on reports linking him with a potential move to the Premier League or Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich, saying on Thursday he had nothing new to add.

The Spanish coach has a contract with Leverkusen until 2026, and his team are top of the Bundesliga, eight points clear of champions Bayern, who on Wednesday said they would part ways with coach Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season.

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Leverkusen are unbeaten across all competitions this season as they eye their first ever Bundesliga title that would end 11 years of uninterrupted Bayern dominance in the league.

Tuchel’s end-of-the-season departure from Bayern has fanned speculation regarding Alonso possibly succeeding him, with the Leverkusen boss having played for the Bavarian giants from 2014-17.

“Maybe you have questions about my future but I have nothing new to say about that. I wanted to say that in advance,” Alonso told a press conference.

The 42-year-old has also been linked with a possible move to Liverpool with coach Jurgen Klopp stepping down at the end of the season. Alonso also had a successful spell at Liverpool from 2004-2009, and Klopp described him as the “standout” manager of his generation last week.

“For me this [speculation] is not a problem,” he said. “I know that my goal is to be successful with my team. That is my job. We are currently in a good position and we want to keep at it.

“It is normal to have questions but it is not an issue for me.”

Asked whether he would be coach of Leverkusen next season as well, Alonso said: “That is what I assume.”

Leverkusen host Mainz on Friday.

Thomas Tuchel has insisted he can fix the issues at Bayern Munich despite seeing his team lose their third consecutive competitive game for the first time since May 2015 on Sunday.

Bayern were beaten 3-2 at VfL Bochum to increase the pressure on the German manager, who was already under fire after last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at the hands of Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen.

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Bayern are now eight points behind unbeaten Leverkusen after 22 games of the Bundesliga campaign.

“If you ask me, if I firmly still believe me and coaching staff can turn things around — yes,” Tuchel said after the defeat to Bochum.

“Growing pressure? That happens after every defeat. But today we never stopped, never stopped trying.”

Tuchel can take comfort from the comments made by Bayern’s CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen after the game when asked whether the 2021 Champions League winner would remain in charge for the team’s next game against RB Leipzig.

“Of course,” Dreesen said. “I am not a fan of monstrous coach-backing statements — they usually run out after a week.

“But this [Tuchel’s future] is not an issue we are dealing with at the moment. We have to focus on our next matches.”

Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka compared Bayern’s run of losses — to Leverkusen, Lazio in the Champions League and now Bochum — to a scary film.

“It feels like a horror movie that is not ending. Everything is going against us at the moment.” he said.

“We can again sit here and say we started well. But now you feel stupid to limit yourself to half an hour. In the end we tried everything, so you can’t blame us.”

Bayern’s defeat to Bochum was temporarily halted by fan protests against a proposed deal to sell a future stake in the league to a private equity investor.

“That interruption threw us off our rhythm. Today it was a win of mentality over quality,” Dreesen said.

“If we play this game five more times, we win it five times,” Tuchel added. “I don’t blame the players today.”

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.

A physical Australia side dominated India to win their Asian Cup Group B opener 2-0 on Saturday in front of a crowd largely made up of Indian fans at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.

After a cagey opening 45 minutes, Australia got on the board through Jackson Irvine before Jordan Bos made it 2-0 seconds after coming on as a substitute.

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The encounter felt almost like a home game for India with the crowd at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium largely made up of fans from the Indian diaspora in Doha and they made their presence felt, roaring the team on despite Australia’s early dominance.

But after being shut out in the first half, Australia silenced the crowd with the opening goal soon after the break. Their second deflated both the Indian team and the arena.

“The excitement of the first game [of the Asian Cup] got to the players in the first half,” Australia’s coach Graham Arnold said.

“At half-time, we discussed where we could hurt India and calmed them down. We told them, ‘Just be patient and it will come.'”

The match also saw Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita become the first woman referee to officiate a men’s Asian Cup encounter, with assistant referees Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi making it an all-female trio.

Spurred on by the crowd, Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri missed a golden opportunity when he sent a header wide, but Australia turned the screws thereafter and controlled possession as India rarely managed to venture out of their own half.

It soon became apparent that India were no match for Australia’s physicality across the pitch as the 2015 champions regularly won duels to prevent Igor Stimac’s side from progressing the ball.

“[It was] very difficult match for us with the physicality of Australia, we suffered from their corners,” Stimac said.

“We couldn’t get out of the zone and were unable to make that second pass to move past the half line… Australia are more experienced, they read situations better.”

India held firm until the break, but five minutes after the restart Australia found the breakthrough.

Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh failed to deal with a cross and his tame effort to palm it away fell to Irvine, who needed no second invitation to score.

Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

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“We had to be patient. These games are cagey when teams play deep,” Irvine said.

“We created some really good moments but maybe rushed things in the first half.”

The goal took the wind out of India’s sails and Australia capitalised with a second in the 73rd minute when Riley McGree dribbled into the box and cut a pass back for Bos to score.

Although Australia took all three points, Arnold said there was still room for improvement.

“One disappointment was our set pieces. You’ve got to credit India for how they set up against that,” Arnold said.

“Full credit to India for their determination and their fight, they put their bodies on the line a lot of times when we had opportunities… They’re very well-coached.”

Late rally fails to save Tottenham in 4-2 loss at Brighton

Tottenham Hotspur’s top-four ambitions suffered a blow as they lost 4-2 at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Thursday with only a late rally saving them from their heaviest defeat since Ange Postecoglou became manager.

Dec 28, 2023, 09:40 pm – Reuters