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Finidi George, former Super Eagles head coach, has been unveiled as the new manager of Rivers United.
The club announced the arrival of the 52-year-old in a post on its X account on Wednesday.
Finidi accepted the new role a few weeks after resigning as head coach of the men’s national team.
The resignation came after managing only two competitive games as the Eagle coach following his appointment in April.
He led the team to a 1-1 home draw against South Africa in his first game and a 2-1 loss to the Benin Republic in the second game. Both matches were 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The latest string of performances condemned Nigeria to fifth in the qualification group, having previously drawn against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
The uninspiring results stirred adverse reactions from Nigerians, particularly on social media.
John Enoh, minister of sports development, then summoned the NFF bosses over the losses to “give cause why there mustn’t be consequences for the disappointment caused both government and the generality of Nigerians”.
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Following the backlash, NFF announced it would appoint a foreign technical adviser for the team.
Rivers United is the second Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) that Finidi will be managing. He led Enyimba to 2022/23 NPFL title.
Former Super Eagles midfielder, Sunday Oliseh has revealed why he resigned as coach of the national team in 2016.
Oliseh made the revelation in an interview on Elegbete TV on YouTube, where he narrated the difficulties he faced during his tenure as the Super Eagles head coach
Sunday Oliseh was given the job to manage the Super Eagles in July 2015 and he left the position in February 2016.
The former Juventus midfielder said he resigned due to lack of support from his employers, the players and even the media.
“I coached the Super Eagles for fourteen games, won four, we lost only two games. One was a friendly against Congo in Belgium.
“After being unpaid for four months, and my assistants being unpaid for six months, and after me falling sick and not getting any support spending thousands of dollars to cure myself, and still being laughed at by some of your media friends for falling sick. I resigned because I didn’t get support.
“I left the job and Nigeria was still on track to qualify for the 2017 Nations Cup. Nigeria needed to beat Egypt and qualify,” Oliseh stated.
Former world number one Naomi Osaka navigated a tricky first round match against France’s Diane Parry at Wimbledon yesterday and eventually won 6-1 1-6 6-4 with the help of some nervous serving from her opponent.
The 26-year-old Japanese, who entered the draw as a wildcard, looked to be in total command in the first set, her hefty groundstrokes hitting the lines and her big serve forcing Parry on to the back foot.
But Osaka, who returned to the tour this year after 15 months of maternity leave for her daughter who turns one on Tuesday, appeared to lose concentration and rhythm in the second set and 21-year-old Parry, ranked 53, took advantage.
“I wish I could say I enjoyed (the match) all the time,” Osaka, who has won both the U.S. and Australian Opens twice, said in an interview on court. “My heart was racing.”
The match see-sawed into the third set with the players trading breaks at the start.
Osaka, who was playing at Wimbledon for the first time for five years, saved break points in a difficult ninth game to lead 5-4 before Parry’s serve crumbled and she produced three double faults to concede the match.
“I feel like these are the type of matches that you kind of have to play just in order to ease into the tournament,” Osaka said after thanking the crowd for getting behind her.
Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu snapped a dispiriting sequence of first-round defeats for British players at Grand Slams as the wildcard beat Mexico’s Renata Zarazua 7-6(0) 6-3 on Centre Court on Monday.
The 21-year-old got an unexpected boost when Russian 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, her scheduled opponent, withdrew because of illness on the morning of the match with Zarazua, a loser in qualifying, taking her place.
With former England soccer captain David Beckham watching on from the Royal Box, Raducanu looked nervous early on against an unorthodox opponent but eventually contained the unforced errors that littered the first set to move into round two.
It was a welcome win for the former U.S. Open champion who missed last year’s Wimbledon because of injury and who has struggled to reach the dizzy heights of her fairytale victory at Flushing Meadows in 2021.
[Leadership]
The United States crashed out of the Copa America on Monday after a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay, as Panama sealed their place in the quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Bolivia.
The tournament hosts suffered an upset 2-1 defeat to Panama last week and went into Monday’s final Group C game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City needing to match or better Panama’s result against Bolivia to advance.
But US coach Gregg Berhalter’s side never looked like doing enough to seriously threaten a well-drilled Uruguay who advance to the last eight as group winners.
“Just looking at the faces of the staff and the players, we’re bitterly disappointed with the results,” Berhalter said.
“We know that we’re capable of more and in this tournament we didn’t show it. It’s really as simple as that. We should have done better.
“We’ll do a review and figure out what went wrong, why it went wrong, but it’s an empty feeling right now for sure.”
USA captain Christian Pulisic blamed a lack of attacking quality.
“We had a good start and brought a lot of energy, but just didn’t have enough quality,” he said. “We just couldn’t find a solution.”
Hopes of a great escape for Berhalter’s men faded inside the first 30 minutes as news filtered through that Panama had taken a 1-0 lead against Bolivia in Orlando.
US hopes were revived early in the second half after Bolivia equalised, leaving the hosts on course for qualification, provided they continued to hold Uruguay.
Yet the US optimism was punctured just moments later when Uruguay took the lead in controversial circumstances through Mathias Olivera on 66 minutes.
– ‘Pretty crazy’ –
Ronald Araujo’s powerful header from Nicolas de la Cruz’s free-kick was parried away by US goalkeeper Matt Turner, but only into the path of Olivera, who tucked away the rebound.
Replays appeared to show that Olivera was offside when Araujo first made contact with the ball, but despite a lengthy VAR review, Peruvian referee Kevin Ortega ruled that the goal should stand.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Berhalter said. “I don’t understand it, I feel like I know the offside rule pretty well.
“It’s disappointing. It really is. But you know that that happens in football, and we have to live with it.”
The mathematics of qualification looked even more bleak for the US after news that Panama had scored again through Eduardo Guerrero to regain the lead at 2-1, and the final nail in the coffin came when Cesar Yanis added a third for Panama in stoppage time.
The USA’s first-round exit raises fresh questions about the future of Berhalter, who remains deeply unpopular amongst swathes of American fans.
Berhalter was only reappointed to the US job in June last year following a hiatus after leading the team to the 2022 World Cup.
The nature of Monday’s early exit is certain to reignite debate about whether he is the best man to lead the United States into the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
Failure to defeat Uruguay, 14th in the latest FIFA rankings, extends Berhalter’s poor record against top 20 teams.
Berhalter has just five wins in 20 matches against top-20 teams during his reign, and four of those victories came against regional rivals Mexico — who were also eliminated from the Copa in the first round.
That dismal sequence continued after a toothless attacking performance against Uruguay, where the US registered only three shots on goal in a misfiring offensive display.
Defender Antonee Robinson described the officiating as “amateur hour” but stressed responsibility for the defeat lay with the players.
“Just not enough quality in the final third,” Robinson said.
“At the end of the day we weren’t good enough to get the result today. This is on us.”
AFP
Jan Vertonghen would wish he wasn’t included in Belgium’s national team squad for Euro 2024 as he helped France to end his team’s campaign in the round of 16.
Jan Vertonghen who has played 156 times and scored ten goals for the Belgium national team was arguably the most experienced player on the pitch in the France vs Belgium clash. Unfortunately for him, he left the pitch with his head covered in shame.
The scrappy first half of the round of 16 clash at the Merkur Spiel Arena ended in a 0-0 draw giving the Belgian side hope that they could come up with something tangible in the second half.
They were able to hold their own against the French side in most parts of the second half as the game was relatively balanced.
While Belgium looked good in midfield, they weren’t looking that convincing in the final third. France looked more dangerous in the final third throughout the game as they recorded 19 shots but only two were on target.
Jan Vertonghen’s woes in the game started in the 76th minute when the 37-year-old defender who currently plays for Belgian side, Anderlecht, received a yellow card for his harsh reaction against Kolo Muani.
Nine minutes later, the worst happened to him in the game when he scored an own goal that gifted unconvincing France a 1-0 win and ended Belgium’s run in the Euro 2024.
France who had masked Kylian Mbappe to bank on for 90 minutes couldn’t score a goal of their own but they wouldn’t have much to complain about as they make it to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
Ecuador ground out a nerve-jangling 0-0 draw with Mexico to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Copa America on Sunday as Venezuela sealed top spot in Group B with a 3-0 win over Jamaica.
Ecuador, needing only a point against Mexico in Glendale, Arizona to advance on goal difference, withstood a furious late onslaught from ‘El Tri’ to reach the last eight.
Mexico launched wave after wave of attacks in the final quarter, with Johan Vasquez forcing a save from Ecuador goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez in the 71st minute, six minutes after Santiago Gimenez struck the post with a shot from close range.
There was almost a dramatic twist deep into eight minutes of time added on, when Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar awarded what would have been a winning penalty to Mexico after Ecuador’s Felix Torres appeared to foul Guillermo Martinez in the area.
The Mexican-dominated crowd erupted in delight only for the celebrations to be cut short when VAR instructed Escobar to review the decision.
Replays showed Torres clearly got a touch on the ball in his challenge on Martinez and the penalty was overturned.
Ecuador will now face Group A winners Argentina in the quarter-finals in Houston on Thursday.
Venezuela, meanwhile, will take on Group A runners-up Canada in Arlington on Friday as they chase a place in the semi-finals.
The Venezuelans, who were already assured of a quarter-final place after wins over Ecuador and Mexico, preserved their 100% record against winless Jamaica.
Eduard Bello headed Venezuela into the lead after 49 minutes, nodding home at the far post after a perfectly weighted cross from Jon Aramburu.
Veteran striker Salomon Rondon then doubled the Venezuela lead on 56 minutes, latching on to a through ball from Yangel Herrera and then smuggling a low finish into the net past advancing Jamaica goalkeeper Jahmali Waite.
Copa America: 'I won't watch any game or celebrate', Ronaldinho blasts Brazil's squad
A decisive victory was sealed in the 85th minute when Eric Ramirez was sent through on goal by Kervin Andrade before coolly finishing past Waite.
Spain came from a goal down to overcome Georgia 4-1 in the second round of the 2024 European Championship.
Goals from Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo turned the game against a spirited Georgia side that went ahead in the first half via an own goal at the Cologne stadium on Sunday.
Coming off a historic 2-0 win over Portugal in the group stage, Georgia were on the back foot but took the lead fortuitously in the 18th minute when Robin Le Normand diverted a dangerous cross into his team’s goal.
Spain, the only team with immaculate performance in the competition, restored parity 20 minutes later through a Rodri’s curler into the bottom corner, ensuring both nations went into the interval level.
La Furia Roja took the lead six minutes after the interval through Ruiz’s header from Lamine Yamal’s cross, before the electric Williams left a player for dead before slamming a shot into the top corner for 3-1 on 75 minutes.
Olmo added more gloss to the victory seven minutes from time with an identical goal to Spain’s first.
Spain will face hosts Germany in the last-eight round on Friday, July 5.
On the other hand, England required a last-gasp Jude Bellingham acrobatic-kick equaliser to force extra time before Harry Kane’s header won it for the Three Lions in their 2-1 win over Slovakia.
Saved from embarrassment, Gareth Southgate’s side will face Switzerland in the quarter-final.
Bayern Munich legend, Lothar Matthaus has named former Manchester United midfielder, Marcel Sabitzer as the best player at Euro 2024 so far.
Sabitzer has played a key role for Austria at Euro 2024.
The Borussia Dortmund star helped his nation finished top of Group D ahead of France and the Netherlands.
He will hope to lead Austria to victory when they play Turkey in the last-16 on Tuesday.
“My player of the tournament so far is Marcel Sabitzer,” Matthaus wrote in his column for German outlet Sport.
“I saw him live in Berlin during Austria’s 3-2 win over Holland.
“His speed, his lightness, his finesse, the way he uses his teammates, the way he works in the back, the speed with which he plays forward – I have hardly seen him like this in Dortmund.
‘”Sabitzer stands out in this impressive Austrian team.”
[DailyPost]
Antelopes do not fly. That’s why I often wondered why Rangers International Football Club of Enugu are nicknamed ‘the Flying Antelopes’.
I know the genesis of the name ‘Rangers’. It is a deadly and destructive cannon used by Biafran soldiers during the bloody Nigerian Civil War.
In ‘fighting’ their way back to the mainstream life in Nigeria, and in shedding the toga of a defeated people after the Civil War, some Igbo leaders set up the football club to fast track their re-integration and chose the name ‘Rangers’ to reflect strength, power and an indomitable fighting and winning spirit.
I am happy and grateful that God created me this way - Joshua Akugbe, visual artist born...
One year after the end of the war, the team played its way to the finals of the most prestigious club competition in Nigeria at the time – the FA Cup!
They were only halted in their march to the top only by the heroics of Amusa Adisa, the goalkeeper of WNDC FC, the team that later became IICC Shooting Stars International FC.
Adisa had dramatically caught a last-minute penalty kick taken by Godwin Achebe, Captain of the Green Eagles (before and immediately after the War) and of Rangers FC, that would have possibly helped the team to go on and win a match they were dominating up till that point in the dramatic match. That’s how Rangers lost their first major final match by 2-1 to a team that would become their greatest rival in Nigerian football through the decades since then.
That same year, 1971, in a competition that was referred to as an ‘emergency league’, Rangers FC emerged the league champions for the first time.
But it was in 1974 that their 3-year dominance of Nigerian football truly began. From that year, they went on to win the FA Cup 3 times and the league cup twice, back-to-back.
These achievements were unprecedented in Nigeria’s football history and have not been matched fifty years after.
Remarkably, it was not only the victories that made Rangers International FC famous and a great team. It was inthe manner of their performances on the field of play. They played with uncommon passion and determination. They had very skillful, very strong and very fast players in all departments on the field, with a goalkeeper who,at about 6 ft 5 inches tall, was a real giant between the posts. Emmanuel Okala went on to become the most celebrated goalkeeper with his award of Africa’s Best Player in 1978 by the African Sports Journalists Union.
Rangers International FC always and everywhere played as if possessed, contesting for every ball on the field as if their lives depended on it, physically intimidating and dominating teams with their physicality, power and speed, leaving a physical or mental ‘scar’ on every opposing team.
These achievements were unprecedented in Nigeria’s football history and have not been matched fifty years after.
Remarkably, it was not only the victories that made Rangers International FC famous and a great team. It was in the manner of their performances on the field of play. They played with uncommon passion and determination. They had very skillful, very strong and very fast players in all departments on the field, with a goalkeeper who,at about 6 ft 5 inches tall, was a real giant between the posts. Emmanuel Okala went on to become the most celebrated goalkeeper with his award of Africa’s Best Player in 1978 by the African Sports Journalists Union.
Rangers International FC always and everywhere played as if possessed, contesting for every ball on the field as if their lives depended on it, physically intimidating and dominating teams with their physicality, power and speed, leaving a physical or mental ‘scar’ on every opposing team.
In 1977, Rangers FC added the appellation ‘International’ to its name when it won the Africa Cup-winners Cup, only the second Nigerian club side to win the same continental trophy. One year earlier, in 1976, IICC Shooting Stars International FC had blazed the international success trail.
That achievement meant a great deal in Nigerian football and to the global followers of the great club based inEnugu. To mark the 40th anniversary of winning the continental trophy, in 2017, the clubs patrons and supporters organised and held the biggest celebration in the history of the team in Houston, Texas, USA.
Why USA?
Most of the surviving players of the 1970s and 1980s had moved to the USA for studies or in pursuit of a better life. It was, therefore, a great opportunity to re-unite and celebrate them in an audience of members of the Igbo community in the USA with a surprise-guest to embellish the historic event.
… a Ranger that never played for Rangers International!
When I received a phone call from the Patron of the Rangers FC Supporters Club in the USA, Chief Benson Ejindu, inviting me to the celebration, it was a confirmation of my deepest love. I had always loved members of the Rangers International football players in the national team. They infected every one of us from different clubs with their positive attitude and fighting spirit. They inspired and drove us to new heights in the national teams of the 1970s. A few of the players became my best friends beyond the football field, a relationship we have sustained till this day.
Despite this mutual admiration and respect between us, I was a tormentor-in-chief of Rangers International FC during the years of their rivalry with my team, Shooting Stars FC. There were 6 players from Rangers FC and 5 from Shooting Stars in the 1980 AFCON-winning Green Eagles. We should have been ‘enemies’, but were not. The friendship between us sustained beyond our times as members of the national team.
The epic semi-final matches of the Africa Cup-Winners Cup in 1977, pitched Rangers International with their fiercest domestic rivals, Shooting Stars FC. Those two matches are still considered amongst the greatest and most memorable football matches in Nigeria’s football history. Although Rangers eventually won via penalty kicks after the second match that was played on neutral ground in Kaduna, the story of what actually transpired could only be recalled and told by one deeply involved in the unprecedented football drama.
That’s why I was invited. To grace the event with my presence and to recall the period for the benefit of the audience of over 400 Nigerians packed into a hall in downtown Houston in 2017.
It was apparent from my unscripted story that my love for Rangers International FC is deep. It was a team I would have loved to play for in those days of our rivalry, but for the fact that I was Yoruba, and Rangers were a team that wore the banner of a team with a mission after the Civil war between ‘brothers’.
That’s why, I refer to myself a Ranger that never played for Rangers International FC.
That’s why, last week, I celebrated Rangers International’s return to the top of Nigerian football in their achievement as professional Football League winners.
I am hoping that this will spur other teams in the category of Movements of the people, to make a comeback and be in the fore front of football development as business in the country.
That’s why the return of Rangers International FC as champions of the Nigerian Professional Football league is huge! I add my humble voice to the celebrations
India won the T20 World Cup title with Virat Kohli starring in a thrilling seven run victory over South Africa in a classic final at Kensington Oval on Saturday.
Kohli, who later announced his retirmenet from T20 internationals, steadied the India innings with his fine 76 taking them to a strong 176-7.
When Heinrich Klaasen blasted a superb 52 from 27 balls, it looked as though South Africa, appearing in first final, were closing in on victory but they were halted by some outstanding Indian bowling and catching at the end.
South Africa ended on 169-8 with Hardik Pandya taking 3-20 for India to the delight of the huge Indian following at the stadium.
The win is the second T20 World Cup title for India following their triumph in the first edition in 2007 and it also ends their 11-year wait for a major title going back to the 2013 Champions Trophy.
Veteran Kohli had struggled in the tournament, coming into the final with an average of just 10.7, but he delivered his best innings at the perfect moment with his balanced batting ensuring India won the title after an unbeaten tournament.
“I am so proud to get the runs for the team the day it mattered most,” said Kohli.
“The occasion prompted that change for me, I felt like it was now or never. We have wanted to lift a trophy for a long time.
“The occasion made me put my head down, respect the situation and play the innings that the team needed from me.
“I wasn’t feeling myself before today. I wasn’t confident. So I am very grateful and humble right now. It has been difficult, so there are a lot of emotions,” he added, confirming that the game was his last T20 for India.
“This was an open secret. It’s time for the next generation to take over.”
– Yadav catch –
Kohli’s asssured display was just what was needed for India who had slipped to 34 for three after their captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat.
In what has been a low scoring tournament, the total looked to be a daunting one for South Africa but then Quinton de Kock (39) and Tristan Stubbs (31) set the Proteas on their way before Klaasen turned the game in their direction in the 15th over, smashing Axar Patel for 24 including two fours and two sixes.
When Klaasen was finally removed, caught behind off Hardik Pandya, the Proteas needed just 26 off the last 23 balls.
Knowing they had to take the initiative, Rohit turned early for Jasprit Bumrah’s final over and he answered the skipper’s call perfectly, bowling Marco Jansen and conceding just two runs in the 18th over.
That meant South Africa needed 20 from the final two overs and Arshdeep Singh bowled a superb length to allow just four.
With 16 to win off the last over, Pandya bowled a full-toss at Miller who smashed it high straight down the ground but Suryakumar Yadav produced a breath-taking catch on the boundary, throwing the ball back into play before he crossed the ropes and then returning to complete the catch.
Kagiso Rabada edged a four and Pandya showed some nerves with a wide but the seamer kept his cool to ensure silverware for India after they lost in last year’s 50 Over World Cup on home soil.
For the 35-year-old Kohli it was the perfect way to bow out in the format.
“This was my last T20 World Cup and this is exactly what we wanted to achieve,” he said.
“It was an amazing game. One day you feel like you can’t get a run but one day, things just click. It hasn’t quite sunk in for me yet.”
It was a bitter end for South Africa who had reached their first World Cup final after ending a streak of seven defeats in semi-finals in both World Cup formats.
“Gutted for the time being, it’ll take some time to reflect on a really good campaign, hurts quite a bit but incredibly proud,” said captain Aiden Markram.
“We bowled well, not a lot to work with, it was a chaseable total, batted well, came down to the wire, gutted not to get over the line.
“Things happen quickly at the back end, but got into a great position to prove we were worthy finalists.
“South Africans are competitive, respectful and will go down with a fight. It’s still a proud moment for us.”
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Germany scored twice in the second half to overcome Denmark 2-0 in the second round of the 2024 European Championship.
Kai Havertz’s penalty and Jamal Musiala’s well-taken goal made the difference against a spirited Danish side at the BVB Stadion on Saturday.
The Germans, who were shaky in their last group game, started the second-round clash a better side and thought they had the lead early on, but a review by the video assistant referee (VAR) ruled it out for offside.
The Danes eventually settled into the match, but their newfound confidence was scuttled when the game was suspended after 36 minutes due to heavy rain and lightning.
The players were forced off for 25 minutes before the match was resumed, but both teams went into the interval with the score goalless.
The eventual breakthrough goal came dramatically in the 53rd minute after VAR cancelled Joachim Andersen’s goal for Denmark for offside before awarding a penalty against the same player for handball.
Havertz duly stepped up to dispatch the penalty, handing Germany a controversial lead.
The scoreline was extended in the 68th minute when Musiala latched on to a long punt forward before slotting into the bottom corner to send a vociferous crowd into celebration mode for an impending passage into the last eight.
Die Mannschaft held on for a comfortable win and progressed to the quarter-final stage, where they will face either Spain or Georgia.
In the other match of the day, Switzerland scored once in each half to claim a deserved 2-0 win over Italy, knocking the holders out of the tournament.
Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas were on target as the Swiss bagged the shock win to book a place in the last eight.
The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has dismissed Athletics Integrity Unity’s (AIU) appeal against the clearance of Tobi Amusan’s anti-doping rule violation.
The court announced the decision in a statement published on its website on Friday.
In July 2023, AIU handed Amusan a provisional suspension for allegedly “missing three tests in 12 months”.
The case was transferred to a disciplinary tribunal. A month later, a “majority decision” of the tribunal ruled that the 27-year-old “has not committed an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) of three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period.”
Amusan was cleared of the charge by the disciplinary tribunal.
Later that year, AIU announced that it had filed an appeal against the tribunal’s decision before CAS.
In its ruling on the case, CAS judged that although Amusan “committed two filing failures,” the appellant “did not confirm the existence” of a third missed test “which would have been the third whereabouts failure committed within a 12-month period”.
The court ruled that the athlete did not violate any Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) rule and that the “challenged decision should be confirmed.”
“The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeals filed by World Athletics (WA) and by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the decision issued on 17 August 2023 (the Challenged Decision) by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal (WADT) in relation to the hurdler Oluwatobiloba (Tobi) Amusan (Nigeria),” the statement reads.
“In their respective appeal to CAS, WA and WADA had sought the imposition of a two-year period of ineligibility. The CAS Panel held a hearing on 19 January 2024. Having deliberated, the CAS Panel has issued its decision today dismissing both appeals. The CAS Panel unanimously acknowledged that the athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within a 12-month period. Accordingly, the CAS Panel concluded that the athlete did not commit an ADRV and that the Challenged Decision should be confirmed.”
With the latest decision, Amusan is cleared and is expected to represent Nigeria at the Paris Olympics next month.
UEFA has dismissed two Spanish referees, Alejandro Hernández Hernández and Jesús Gil Manzano, from officiating at Euro 2024 after receiving complaints about their performance.
Hernández, who served as the VAR official, faced criticism for dismissing Scotland’s penalty claim in their 1-0 loss to Hungary last Sunday. Manzano was under fire for his error during France’s 1-0 victory over Austria.
Alongside the two referees, their assistants, Diego Barbero Sevilla and Ángel Nevado Rodríguez, have also been sent home.
This decision leaves Martínez Munuera, a VAR official, as the only Spanish representative for the remainder of the tournament.
Former La Liga referee Iturralde Gonzalez has called on the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to improve relations with UEFA following the dismissal of four out of five Spanish officials after the group stage.
“There is an urgent need for a Spanish representative on the refereeing committee,” Gonzalez told Spanish radio network Cadena SER.
In related news, Argentine referee Facundo Tello, who dismissed Scotland’s penalty protests against Hungary, has been named the fourth official for Italy’s last-16 tie against Switzerland on Saturday, despite earlier reports suggesting he had been dropped by UEFA.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke was visibly frustrated after his team was denied a penalty when Stuart Armstrong was brought down inside the box by Willi Orban.
Tello dismissed the claim, and lead VAR Hernández did not advise a review.
Clarke commented, “In a European competition it might have been better to have a European referee. But we had European VAR. Maybe the referee didn’t see the challenge clearly on the pitch, but what’s the purpose of VAR if they’re not going to come in on something like that? It’s a penalty. It’s 100 percent a penalty.”
Austria also expressed their displeasure with Manzano’s officiating in their 1-0 defeat to France, after they were not awarded a corner shortly before Max Wöber’s own goal secured the win for Didier Deschamps’ side.
Nigerian-born British heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua, doesn’t want to wait for too long to fight a fellow British boxer, Tyson Fury.
The rivalry between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury has been raging for years but the two boxers haven’t been able to agree on a bout even though they were close to doing so a couple of times.
Due to the online banter between the boxers, especially from Fury, most boxing enthusiasts are anxiously looking forward to when the two Britons will finally clash in the ring.
Hence, it is expected to be one of the most talked about and lucrative fights of all time especially if it takes place now that they are still at the peak of their respective boxing career.
But currently, the two fighters are preparing for different bouts. 35-year-old Fury is preparing for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in December, while 34-year-old Anthony Joshua is preparing for his IBF world title fight with Daniel Dubois on September 21.
If Fury beat Usyk and Joshua beat Dubois, the two British veteran boxers will finally face off in a unification bout. But AJ told the BBC that his meeting with Fury is long overdue.
“It’s a fight that’s been brewing for a long time,” Joshua said on Thursday.
“I can’t wait until I’m 50 to fight Fury because I’d have had so many wars, I can’t sit around and wait, I’ve got to continue to fight.”