Premier League
NO DIVIDED LOYALTIES; MOURINHO VOWS TOTTENHAM WILL BEAT CHELSEA
Jose Mourinho insists his loyalties are completely with Tottenham as the former Chelsea boss prepares for an emotional clash with his old club.
Mourinho once claimed he could never manage Tottenham due to his two successful spells with their London rivals Chelsea.
But the Portuguese coach accepted Tottenham’s offer to replace Mauricio Pochettino in November and on Sunday he will come face to face with Chelsea for the first time since taking charge in north London.
While Mourinho earned his place in Chelsea folklore for the six trophies he won at Stamford Bridge, which include three Premier League titles, he made it clear he no longer concerns himself with the Blues because his allegiance is with Tottenham.
“For me, it’s a game. I am 100 per cent Tottenham, 100 per cent my club always, all my career,” Mourinho told reporters on Friday (Dec 20).
“No space at all for my previous clubs. I gave everything to all of them. Everything. I kept nothing.
“I gave everything but they are my previous clubs. I give everything to my club – my club is Tottenham.
“It’s so easy for me to play that game. Difficult because of Chelsea’s quality but not difficult from an emotional point of view.”
Mourinho will remember that some Chelsea fans gave him a hard time when he returned to the Bridge as Manchester United boss, chanting “you’re not special anymore” in reference to his self-styled “special one” nickname.
He is likely to endure more taunts from Chelsea supporters at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend, adding another layer of intrigue to an already explosive fixture.
Tottenham are in good form in the early days of Mourinho’s reign and another win over Chelsea, who have struggled in recent weeks, would take them above the Blues in the top four despite trailing their rivals by 12 points when Pochettino was dismissed.
Mourinho will come up against a familiar face in the opposition dugout in the shape of Frank Lampard, one of the key players his two reigns at Chelsea.
The former Real Madrid boss revealed there will be a big hug waiting for Lampard, but he will not be inviting him for a post-match drink.
“I don’t think so because our stadium is built in the way that our office is completely on the inside our private headquarters,” Mourinho said.
“Until now, I didn’t invite any managers to go there and I don’t think I’ll do that with Frank.
“But like I used to say, a big hug before the game and another after the game, that’s for sure independent of results and who is happy.
“I think our feelings will be forever. I’ll always be grateful to him for what he gave me as a player.
“Nothing is going to change that. I love the guy, I will always love the guy. I hope he loses on Sunday.”
-AFP
Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.
Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.
Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.
Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.
He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.
-Reuters
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Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.
Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.
Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.
Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.
Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.
United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.
“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”
Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.
Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.
-Reuters
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.
The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.
“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.
“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”
Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.
“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.
“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”
The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.
However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
-Reuters
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