United News of Bangladesh

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso has praised teenage signing Franco Mastantuono for his maturity while playing down the Argentine’s choice of Lionel Messi as the world’s best player. The 18-year-old midfielder recently signed a six-year contract with Madrid and, during his unveiling last week, said he considered compatriot Messi the greatest player. “It’s only natural Messi is his idol,” Alonso told reporters on Monday. “He’s Argentine and left-footed, so it doesn’t surprise me.” Mastantuono’s remarks, which referenced a Barcelona legend and long-time rival of Madrid, drew headlines in Spain and left some Madrid fans displeased. For over a decade, Messi battled Cristiano Ronaldo, who is regarded by many as Madrid’s all-time great, during the iconic La Liga rivalry. Ronaldo now plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, while Messi is with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. Madrid secured Mastantuono from River Plate after he turned 18, reportedly paying €45 million ($52.5 million) for the transfer. Napoli forward Lukaku may undergo surgery following thigh injury Alonso said he was impressed by the youngster’s personality early on. “When I first spoke to him at 17, he was confident and unfazed by the prospect of joining Real Madrid. His maturity has stood out since day one. I’m convinced he’ll adapt quickly on and off the pitch.” The coach hinted Mastantuono may feature in Madrid’s La Liga opener against Osasuna on Tuesday. “He’ll give us quality and energy, with a strong defensive drive,” Alonso said. “He has that Argentine warrior spirit combined with great technique and a superb left foot, whether from set-pieces or the final pass. He’s young, but already performing at a solid level. Our job is to guide him.” Source: Agency 

Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku could require surgery after suffering a left thigh injury during a preseason friendly, the Italian champions said Monday. The Belgium international was substituted in Thursday’s 2-1 win over Olympiacos. Tests revealed a “high-grade” thigh muscle injury in his left leg. Napoli added that Lukaku has started a rehabilitation program and will also undergo a surgical consultation. Lukaku scores 2 as Inter beats Genoa 4-0 to share lead The club did not specify how long the striker might be sidelined. Napoli begins its Serie A title defense against Sassuolo on Saturday. Belgium will also monitor the injury closely ahead of World Cup qualifiers in September, October, and November.   Source: Agency

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called two alleged incidents of racist abuse during German Cup games “unacceptable,” as local police investigate. The remarks followed Schalke’s Christopher Antwi-Adjei reporting racist abuse by fans during a match at Lokomotive Leipzig, where he was whistled throughout the game. In a separate incident, a Kaiserslautern substitute was allegedly racially abused while warming up in a game at RSV Eintracht, according to the team’s coach. Both incidents occurred in first-round matches hosted by lower-league clubs from former East Germany. FIFA president hints Ronaldo could join Club World Cup “It is unacceptable that incidents have occurred at two DFB-Pokal matches in Germany. Football has no place for racism or any form of discrimination,” Infantino said on social media. He added that FIFA’s Players’ Voice Panel would remain in contact with the German football federation. Antwi-Adjei has filed a police complaint, while at RSV Eintracht, fans and security quickly identified the alleged offender, prompting chants of “Nazis out” from both sets of supporters. The incidents follow Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo reporting racist abuse during a match at Liverpool, leading to the brief stoppage of the game and the arrest of a 47-year-old man from Liverpool on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offense. FIFA has said its Players’ Voice Panel will also contact Semenyo.   Source: Agency

Sébastien Haller’s turbulent three-year spell at Borussia Dortmund came to an end Monday as the Ivorian striker sealed a move to Dutch side Utrecht. Haller’s time in Germany began in 2022 with a shock cancer diagnosis before he had played a single game. Following two surgeries and chemotherapy, he returned six months later, scoring nine Bundesliga goals in the second half of the 2022-23 season as Dortmund narrowly missed out on the league title. Dortmund edge past Mamelodi Sundowns 4-3 in Club World Cup heat battle He also reached last season’s Champions League final with the German club, coming on as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid. In the same period, he lifted the African Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast. Despite those highs, injuries and loss of form left Haller sidelined, and he spent last season on loan — first at Spain’s Leganés and then at Utrecht, where he netted six goals in 18 appearances to help them secure fourth place in the Dutch league. Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl praised Haller, saying, “He has written a special story here.” The 30-year-old striker has now signed a one-year deal with Utrecht, returning to the club where a decade ago his prolific scoring first put him on the European stage.   Source: Agency

Santos dismissed head coach Cleber Xavier on Sunday following a crushing 6-0 home defeat to Vasco da Gama, a loss that left Neymar in tears at full time. In a statement, the club thanked Xavier, who had been in charge since April, for his service and wished him success in his future career. The heavy defeat dropped Santos to 15th in Brazil’s 20-team top division, sitting only two points clear of the relegation zone. Vasco’s Philippe Coutinho scored twice in the match. Neymar signs contract extension with Santos through 2025 Neymar, 33, was comforted by staff after the loss. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward returned to his boyhood club in January after a short stint in Saudi Arabia, signing an extension in June that keeps him at Santos until the year’s end.   Source: Agency

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim voiced frustration after Arsenal’s decisive goal in a 1-0 Premier League win at Old Trafford on Sunday, insisting it should have been ruled out for a “clear” foul. The only goal came in the 13th minute when Declan Rice’s corner swung into the box. Arsenal defender William Saliba leaned into United goalkeeper Altay Bayındır, who failed to clear and knocked the ball into the path of Riccardo Calafiori for a close-range finish. “I think it’s clear,” Amorim said. “Players are making contact with the goalkeeper without attempting to play the ball. That should not be allowed.” Messi scores, assists as Inter Miami beat LA Galaxy 3-1 He added that referees seem to be favoring attacking players: “When you are touching the goalkeeper like that, it’s difficult.” United captain Bruno Fernandes also recalled that referees had promised stricter calls on blocking at set pieces this season. “Altay said he was touched when he went for the punch, but in the Premier League these moments rarely go our way,” he said. Source: Agency 

AC Milan began their season with a 2-0 victory over Serie B side Bari in the Italian Cup on Sunday, though the win was marred by an apparent injury to Portugal winger Rafael Leão. Leão headed in the opener but appeared to hurt his right calf while celebrating and was forced off. His replacement, Santiago Gimenez, later set up Christian Pulisic, who added the second early in the second half at the San Siro. The American had earlier struck the crossbar. Veteran midfielder Luka Modric made his Milan debut in the 66th minute. The 39-year-old Ballon d’Or winner joined the club last month after 13 years with Real Madrid. Coach Massimiliano Allegri, back at Milan nearly 15 years after guiding them to the Serie A title, was absent as he began a two-match suspension stemming from a referee outburst in last season’s Cup final while managing Juventus — a controversy that led to his dismissal. Raphinha, Yamal strike as Barcelona cruise past nine-man Mallorca in La Liga opener Milan, normally among the top eight seeds exempted from early Cup rounds, had to play from the start this season after finishing eighth in Serie A and losing the Cup final to Bologna. They will next meet Lecce in late September. Elsewhere, Empoli, Sassuolo, Genoa, Venezia, Como, Cagliari, Pisa, Palermo, Frosinone and Parma also advanced. Serie A kicks off next weekend, with Milan hosting newly promoted Cremonese on Saturday. Leão’s availability remains uncertain.

Barcelona kicked off the defense of their La Liga crown with a 3-0 victory at Mallorca on Saturday, capitalizing on two first-half red cards for the hosts. Raphinha and Lamine Yamal combined in the seventh minute to open the scoring, with Yamal’s curling cross met by a close-range header from the Brazilian forward. Ferran Torres doubled the lead in the 23rd minute with a long-range strike that sparked protests from Mallorca players, who argued play should have been stopped after teammate Antonio Raíllo was struck in the head during the buildup. “The ball hit my head and I got dizzy. I tried to get up and I couldn't. The referee should have stopped the game,” Raíllo said. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick acknowledged Mallorca’s frustration but stressed that players must continue until the referee halts play. Mallorca’s problems deepened when Manu Morlanes was sent off in the 33rd minute for a second yellow after fouling Yamal, before Vedat Muriqi received a red card in the 39th following a VAR review for a dangerous high boot on Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García. Messi scores, assists as Inter Miami beat LA Galaxy 3-1 Yamal sealed the result in stoppage time with a superb strike into the top corner. Barcelona played without Robert Lewandowski, sidelined by injury, while new signing Marcus Rashford made his debut as a second-half substitute. García, signed from Espanyol, started in goal with Marc-André ter Stegen recovering from back surgery. Young defender Jofre Torrents also debuted. Elsewhere, Valencia were held 1-1 at home by Real Sociedad after Diego López’s opener was canceled out by Takefusa Kubo. Alaves edged Levante 2-1 with a stoppage-time goal from Nahuel Tenaglia. On Friday, Rayo Vallecano defeated Girona 3-1 and Villarreal beat promoted Oviedo 2-0. Atletico Madrid visit Espanyol on Sunday, while Real Madrid host Osasuna on Tuesday. Source: Agency 

Lionel Messi returned from injury to inspire Inter Miami to a 3-1 win over LA Galaxy on Saturday night, scoring the decisive goal and setting up another in the closing minutes. The Argentine star, who had missed the last two games with a right hamstring injury sustained in a Leagues Cup match against Necaxa on Aug. 2, started on the bench and entered at the beginning of the second half. Messi broke the 1-1 deadlock in the 84th minute with a trademark left-footed strike from distance after weaving past defenders. Moments later, he delivered a clever back heel assist to Luis Suárez, sealing the victory. It marked Messi’s 19th goal of the season — the highest in MLS — and a crucial result for Inter Miami, which climbed to fourth place in the Eastern Conference after slipping to sixth following a 4-1 loss at Orlando last week. Jordi Alba had opened the scoring for Miami late in the first half, converting a through ball from Sergio Busquets. Joseph Paintsil equalized for the Galaxy in the 59th minute. Semenyo appreciates football community’s support after alleged Anfield abuse Head coach Javier Mascherano said Messi will be evaluated Sunday to check on his hamstring and overall fitness, noting that while the forward occasionally stretched his right leg during the match, he finished strongly. “The important thing is that he finished the match,” Mascherano said through an interpreter, adding that Messi looked more comfortable as the game progressed. The defending MLS Cup champions Galaxy remain at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Source: Agency 

Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo expressed gratitude to his teammates, Liverpool players, and the broader football community for the “overwhelming messages of support” after reporting racial abuse by a fan during the Premier League season opener at Anfield. Police launched a hate crime investigation after a 47-year-old fan was ejected from Liverpool’s stadium for allegedly racially abusing Semenyo, who is Black, during Friday’s match. “Last night at Anfield will stay with me forever — not because of one person’s words, but because of how the entire football family stood together,” Semenyo wrote on social media Saturday. “The overwhelming messages of support from across the football world remind me why I love this sport. We keep moving forward, together.” The incident occurred in the first half with the score at 0-0, when Semenyo reported the abuse to referee Anthony Taylor, prompting a brief stoppage while Taylor consulted both coaches and team captains. “To my teammates who supported me, to the Liverpool players and fans who showed their true character, to the Premier League officials who handled it professionally — thank you,” Semenyo added. “Football showed its best side when it mattered most.” The 25-year-old Ghana international scored both of Bournemouth’s goals in the 4-2 loss. “Scoring those two goals felt like speaking the only language that truly matters on the pitch,” he wrote. “This is why I play — for moments like these, for my teammates, for everyone who believes in what this beautiful game can be.” Police investigate hate crime after Semenyo reportedly racially abused at Liverpool match Merseyside Police confirmed the fan’s identity and removal from the stadium. “We will not tolerate hate crime of any form,” said Chief Inspector Kev Chatterton. “We take incidents like this very seriously and will proactively seek football banning orders, with the club, against those responsible.” Following the game, Semenyo also reported further racial abuse received online. Bournemouth players consoled him, and an anti-discrimination message was read to the crowd at halftime. The Premier League said it would investigate the incident and provide full support to the player and both clubs. Liverpool stated it condemns “racism and discrimination in all forms” and will cooperate fully with the ongoing police investigation.   Source: Agency