CONCACAF rules French Guiana draw a forfeit, bans Malouda

CONCACAF came out with a strong response
early Friday morning to French Guiana’s
decision to break the rules and play Florent
Malouda Tuesday evening in the Gold Cup.
The CONCACAF disciplinary committee
announced that the match between French
Guiana and Honduras, which finished as a
scoreless draw on the night, would be
forfeited by French Guiana, awarding
Honduras a 3-0 result.
In addition, French Guiana was fined an
undisclosed amount and the 37-year-old
Malouda was assessed a two-match stadium
ban.
“As a consequence of fielding Florent
Malouda, who was confirmed by the
Disciplinary Committee to be ineligible to
play in the Gold Cup 2017 according to the
applicable regulations, the Disciplinary
Committee has levied sanctions and fines
against the French Guiana Football League
(LGF) and has suspended the player ruled
ineligible,” CONCACAF said in a statement.
Malouda of course earned 80 caps for the
French National Team during a long career
in Europe where he starred for Lyon and
Chelsea, but began playing for his native
French Guiana earlier this year, captaining
the side to third place at the Caribbean Cup,
which served as a qualifying tournament for
the Gold Cup.
For whatever reason, CONCACAF allowed
Malouda to compete for French Guiana in
that competition but has decided to honor
FIFA rules, which say a player cannot switch
international teams once they’ve played in
an official FIFA match, at the Gold Cup,
which ruled Malouda ineligible for the Gold
Cup. Normally FIFA rules don’t apply to
French Guiana because the nation, an
overseas department of France, is not a
member of FIFA.
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At the same time, Malouda was allowed to be
registered on the French Guiana roster,
placed on the starting lineup and take the
field, even though the game was almost
surely going to be forfeited.
The strange situation has perhaps met its
end, with French Guiana now with no chance
of advancing to the knockout round of the
Gold Cup with two losses through its first
two games against Canada and Honduras.
French Guiana wraps up the group stage
against Panama on Friday evening.

Transfer Rumor Wrap: Barcelona resigns Deulofeu, Milan spending spree continues

Gerard Deulofeu is heading home.
Barcelona announced it had re-signed the
23-year-old Spanish winger early Friday,
two weeks after exercising his buy-back
clause after he was sold to Everton in 2015.
According to the BBC, the buy-back clause is
worth $13.75 million.
The Catalonian club signed Deulofeu to a
two-year contract and Deulofeu is already
taking part in preseason training with the
club.
[ FOLLOW: @ozyfire06 on twitter ]
Since leaving Barcelona in 2013, Deulofeu
has played for Everton, Sevilla and AC
Milan, where he finished last season, making
16 starts and scoring four times. Overall
with Everton Deulofeu made 62 Premier
League appearances with five goals and 11
assists. But he found himself out of coach
Ronald Koeman‘s plans heading into this
season, opening the door for a return to
Barcelona.
For Barcelona, Deulofeu likely wasn’t their
first choice to sign this summer but bringing
in a homegrown winger who can impact the
game off the bench is never a bad idea,
especially at a cut-rate price.
Here’s a look at more transfer news from
around the Premier League and Europe

Man City signs Kyle Walker from Tottenham Hotspur in a reported record fee

Never shy to splash the cash, Manchester
City has reportedly spent enough to break a
new transfer record.
The club announced Friday the signing of
England international right back Kyle Walker
on a five-year contract, reportedly joining
for more than $65 million, with another $4
million in add-on fees . If the add-on fees
are paid, Walker would be the most-
expensive transfer for a defender, breaking
Chelsea’s record that it spent on David Luiz
in 2016.
Walker was rumored to be on his way out of
Tottenham at the end of the last Premier
League season and with Bakary Sagna and
Gael Clichy both departing Man City, Pep
Guardiola‘s side was in need of new
fullbacks.
The move appears to make sense for both
sides. Tottenham manager Mauricio
Pochettino appeared to prefer Kieran
Trippier over Walker in the second half of
last season and with the influx of cash,
Pochettino can use that money to improve
his squad.
Meanwhile, Guardiola adds an international
right back who can play in a back four or
potentially as a right wing back in a 3-4-3
or 3-5-2, and Walker is also a home-grown
player, which helps Man City for UEFA
Champions League squad registration
purposes.

Chelsea signs Tiemoue Bakayoko from monaco £40m agreed

Sportingfire is reporting that Chelsea have
finally agreed a fee of $51.7 million with AS
Monaco for defensive midfielder Tiemoue
Bakayoko and the player is set sign a five years contact with the london cub.
The 22-year-old destroyed has been linked
with a move to Chelsea for much of the past
month but he required minor knee surgery
after helping Monaco win Ligue 1 and reach
the UEFA Champions League semifinals last
season, hence the delay.
Per the report, Bakayoko will have his
medical later this week at Chelsea before
completing the long-awaited move.
Manchester United were said to be
interested in Bakayoko, but Chelsea were
the frontrunners all along and in connection
with Bakayoko’s imminent arrival it is
believed Nemanja Matic could leave Chelsea
and head to Manchester United but relations
between the two clubs are strained after
United beat Chelsea to the signing of Romelu
Lukaku.
What can Chelsea’s fans expect from
Bakayoko?
He’s a pure defensive midfielder who will
shield the defense but it also capable of
pressing high and making surging runs from
central midfield. A good comparison already
playing in the Premier League would be
Victor Wanyama.
Bakayoko isn’t a flashy player but like
N'Golo Kante , who he will likely line up
alongside, the French international does the
simple things extremely well and he’ll add an
extra steel to Antonio Conte ‘s midfield.
Following goalkeeper Willy Caballero arriving
on a free transfer and center back Antonio
Rudiger coming in for $43.9 million,
Bakayoko will bolster Chelsea’s midfield
options with youngsters Ruben Loftus-Cheek
loaned out to Crystal Palace and Nathaniel
Chalobah set to join Watford.
It will be intriguing to see how Cesc
Fabregas slots into this Chelsea midfield but
there’s no doubting Conte will go with a
3-4-3 once again as he prefers two strong
defensive midfielders in the center of
midfield. Kante and Bakayoko will provide
just that.
Follow on twitter @ozzyfire06

Man city close in on deals for Mendy, walker

Manchester City are said to be close to
signing Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy
with Pep Guardiola about to spend $120
million on a new right and left back.
City need these two additions badly, but
that’s a lot of cash.
Multiple reports state that Walker, 27, has
agreed to join Man City from Tottenham
Hotspur in a $65 million deal (that would
make him the the most-expensive defender
in history) with the England international
set to have a medical later this week and
then jet off with City on their preseason
tour of the U.S. next week. After losing out
on Dani Alves to Paris Saint-Germain signing
Walker was a priority for City.
As for Mendy, the 22-year-old French
international has an incredible engine and
his displays last season in the UEFA
Champions League have convinced City to
spend over $55 million with reports stating
City and Monaco are close to an agreement
and Mendy could be a City player early next
week.
Now, we all know defense was the main issue
for City last season and quite frankly it’s
been that way for the last five seasons.
After letting Pablo Zabaleta , Bacary Sagna
and Gael Clichy leave this summer, Guardiola
badly needed full backs and although he has
overpaid for them, just like he did for
goalkeeper Ederson earlier this summer, he’s
got what he wanted.
Walker will provide pace and power from the
right back slot and City finally seem to have
broken Daniel Levy’s resolved as Spurs’
chairman has played this perfectly. At the
end of last season Walker fell out with
Mauricio Pochettino and Kieran Trippier
impressed as he slotted into the team, so
know Spurs already have a replacement for
Walker and they’re getting $65 million.
Mendy is the latest in the mass exodus from
AS Monaco as the French champions have
also sold Portuguese playmaker Bernardo
Silva to Man City earlier this summer for
$55 million and are set to lose Tiemoue
Bakayoko to Chelsea while Arsenal are
chasing Thomas Lemar and Kylian Mbappe
seems destined for Real Madrid.
Back to City though, and if they complete
this double swoop it will be a huge upgrade
on their defense from last season as ageing
full backs struggled to cope with the extra
demands placed on them by Guardiola, and a
shaky central defense didn’t help matters
with John Stones struggling and Vincent
Kompany only able to play the second half of
the season when he returned from injury.
Balance is everything for Guardiola and with
two attack-minded full backs he now has
that. Just like he did at Barcelona with Dani
Alves, Maxwell and Eric Abidal, he has full
backs who can keep the ball and join the
attack but are also quick enough to recover
and keep a solid defensive shape after a
turnover.
Walker and Mendy will basically play as wing
backs for City and will be asked to move
inside with the ball, something Walker isn’t
too comfortable doing but he has everything
else needed to excel at the Etihad Stadium.
Yes, they overpaid, like they usually do for
defenders, but City have addressed their
needs perfectly just as their preseason
kicks up a few notches with the small matter
of playing both Manchester United and
Tottenham Hotspur in the U.S. over the next
two weeks.

Manchester United named most valuable team in the world

Manchester United are sitting atop the
soccer world once again.
At least, in terms of financial value… Sorry,
Jose, you still have quite a bit of work to do
at Old Trafford on the pitch.
Off the pitch the Red Devils were named the
most valuable soccer team on the planet by
Forbes Magazine , as they moved ahead of
Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid
with Man United worth an estimated $3.69
billion.
That’s an 11 percent increase, the biggest
rise in the top 10, on last year and they’re
the third most valuable sports team overall.
The NFL dominated the top 50 list with 29
teams included as the Dallas Cowboys are
the most valuable sports team on the planet
at $4.2 billion and Major League Baseball’s
New York Yankees came in second at $3.7
billion.
Below is a look at the top 10 overall sports
teams with teams from the NFL, MLB, NBA
and the soccer world all making the top 50
and seven soccer teams were in the top 50.
Four Premier League teams made the list
with Manchester City at 35th with a value of
$2.083 million, Arsenal in 43rd at $1.93
billion and Chelsea in 45th at $1.84 billion.
Bayern Munich were the only other soccer
team to make the top 50 at 15th with a
value of $2.71 billion.
Forbes’ top 10 most valuable teams
1. Dallas Cowboys – $4.2 billion
2. New York Yankees – $3.7 billion
3. Manchester United – $3.69 billion
4. Barcelona – $3.64 billion
5. Real Madrid – $3.58 billion
6. New England Patriots – $3.4 billion
7. New York Knicks – $3.3 billion
8. New York Giants – $3.1 billion
9. San Francisco 49ers – $3 billion
10. Los Angeles Lakers – $3 billion
15. Bayern Munich – $2.71 billion
35. Manchester City – $2.083 million
43. Arsenal – $1.93 billion
45. Chelsea – $1.84 billion

Dortmund’s Sven Bender to join twin brother at Leverkusen

LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) Bayer
Leverkusen is signing Sven Bender from
Bundesliga rival Borussia Dortmund,
reuniting the German midfielder with his
twin brother Lars, who captains the club.
[ MORE: Walker, Mendy to Man City? ]
Leverkusen says the 28-year-old Bender will
sign a contract through June 2021 after
undergoing a medical examination.
Bender played 158 Bundesliga games for
Dortmund after joining from 1860 Munich –
where his brother also played – in 2009. He
won the Bundesliga with Dortmund in 2011
and 2012, as well as the German Cup in 2012
and 2017.
Bender says he requested to leave in order
to get more games. He made only eight
appearances last season due to injury and
competition for places.
Leverkusen did not give financial details.
But Kicker magazine reports Leverkusen will
pay around 15 million euros ($17 million) for
the player, who has made seven appearances
for Germany.