Britain’s first gay football referee tackles homophobia
CLOSE CONTEST With the English Premier League season kicking off tonight, HT looks at how the top six teams are placed for the gruelling season
Empowered by a closeseason transfer splurge of some £200 million (~1,666 crore ), Manchester City are the early favourites to topple Premier League champions Chelsea.
Pep Guardiola endured a bruising first season in English football as City failed to challenge for the title, finishing 15 points adrift of Chelsea in third place.
The club reacted with a glut of new signings — three new fullbacks in Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Danilo, plus goalkeeper Ederson and playmaker Bernardo Silva — and now look a force to be reckoned with.
“I think Manchester City are the team to beat,” said Manchester United great Ryan Giggs in a recent Sky Sports column. “I looked at them towards the end of last season and the forward players they’ve got is scary.”
While City shimmered in attack, they frequently looked vulnerable in defence and resculpting the back four has been Guardiola’s main priority.
Brazilian Ederson replaces the error-prone Claudio Bravo in goal, while dynamic pair Walker and Mendy will add thrust on the flanks after becoming the world’s two most expensive defenders. City also have John Stones and Eliaquim Mangala on their books, giving them four of the most expensive defenders ever, but with total spending in the league having exceeded £900 million (~7,496 crore), Guardiola is unrepentant. “I would like to pay less for the club, for everybody, but the market is the market,” said the City manager. “All the clubs spend a lot of money — not just us.”
Across town at Manchester United, Guardiola’s old sparring partner Jose Mourinho is also looking to kick on after ending a difficult debut season with a silver flourish. United finished outside the top four for the third time in four seasons, but secured a Champions League berth by winning the Europa League and also tasted glory in the League Cup.
Mourinho’s teams traditionally peak in his second season and he has strengthened in each *PPG: Points per gAmes Romelu LukAku AlvAro MorAtA BenjAmin Mendy Kyle WAlker A LAcAzette BernArdo SilvA NemAnjA MAtic Tiemoue BAkAyoko MohAmed SAlAh Ederson Everton ReAl MAdrid MonAco TottenhAm Lyon MonAco ChelseA MonAco RomA BenficA department with the acquisitions of Victor Lindelof, Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku.
Mourinho won the league in his second seasons at Porto, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, as well as in both of his stints at Chelsea, but he expects this season’s title race to be an almighty scrap.
“Normally the second season should be better than the first, but again, this is modern football. The reality is totally different,” he said. “It’s getting much harder for everyone, so we don’t know.”
Chelsea, the champions, have thus far failed to enhance a squad that now faces the twin rigours of a league title defence and Champions League campaign.
Alvaro Morata has replaced the exiled Diego Costa up front, Tiemoue Bakayoko has taken Matic’s place in midfield and Antonio Rudiger brings extra defensive cover, but Chelsea still look a few players short.
In the meantime, manager Antonio Conte says his main priority is to avoid what he has saltily called “the Mourinho season” in reference to the 10th-place finish that followed Chelsea’s 2015 title win. Chelsea were sensationally upstaged by Arsenal in last season’s FA Cup final and lost to them again in Sunday’s Community Shield, but Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger retains little margin for error.
While Wenger has pulled off the big-name signing of Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are now in the last years of their contracts and fan dissent will quickly return if results go awry.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham are trusting in the same formula that swept them to second place last season and must adapt to a temporary home at Wembley.
Fourth last season, Liverpool have signed relatively modestly, adding Mohamed Salah, Dominic Solanke and Andrew Robertson to their ranks.
Both Juergen Klopp’s team and their title rivals will be mindful of the menace posed by Everton, who have splashed out on young talents like Jordan Pickford and Michael Keane, as well as bringing Wayne Rooney. MAn United ChelseA MAn City MAn City ArsenAl MAn City MAn United ChelseA Liverpool MAn City StAts: OptA
Ryan Atkin, Britain’s first openly gay professional referee, hopes his decision to come out will help tackle homophobia in football.
Atkin broke new ground for the gay, bisexual and transgender communities on Thursday when he spoke openly about his sexuality and the way sport reacts when confronted with the issue.
The 32-year-old will have fourth official duties in the English Football League and the fifth tier National League this season, while also refereeing matches at several levels below that.
Atkin, who began refereeing in 1999, is backing Stonewall’s ‘Rainbow Laces’ campaign, which is supported by the English Football Association, the Premier League and the Football League.
The campaign aims to raise awareness in football of antiLGBT language and behaviour that makes gay, bi and trans people feel unwelcome and unsafe.
“Being gay doesn’t matter in the context of refereeing a football match,” he told Sky Sports on Thursday.
“But if I’m speaking about equality and diversity, then I’m going to mention that I’m gay because it’s relevant. Homophobia is still a problem, but things are improving all the time. You can change the game and culture when you change your mind.”