Simeone won’t stand in the way of Griezmann
MADRID: Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has said he will have no problem letting his side’s talismanic forward Antoine Griezmann walk away from the club in the future.
Griezmann, who has scored 90 goals in 178 games for Atletico since 2014, was reportedly close to moving to Manchester United in the close season but opted to remain at Atletico after the club’s appeal against a ban on registering new players was rejected. The 26-year-old signed a new contract last June until 2021 with a buyout clause of €100 million.
“Of course he can leave at some point, like Diego Costa and Arda Turan did, I’m not an ungrateful person,” Simeone said in an interview with French newspaper L’equipe published on Friday.
“I love watching my players grow, and if one of them tells me that they have the chance of playing for a certain team, after they did everything they could for me, like Griezmann has, I won’t cause him any problems.”
SPAIN FACE POSSIBLE WORLD CUP BAN
BARCELONA: Spain’s participation at the 2018 World Cup in Russia could be under threat after FIFA raised concerns about political interference within the Spanish football federation (RFEF).
Soccer’s governing body has warned the RFEF that the Spanish government’s involvement in the election for the federation’s new president could lead to them being expelled from next year’s World Cup. The RFEF is led by Juan Luis Larrea on an interim basis after former president Angel Maria Villar was forced to step down on corruption charges.
“We can confirm that FIFA recently sent a letter to the RFEF showing its concern with the situation the federation is in and reminding it that... all member associations should manage their affairs independently,” FIFA said in a statement. “All associations must be assured that there is no outside interference from third parties in its internal affairs.”
BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL CHIEF GIVEN 90-DAY BAN
PARIS: FIFA handed Brazilian football confederation (CBF) president Marco Polo Del Nero a 90-day provisional ban from all football activities on Friday.
The 76-year-old was indicted on corruption charges in the United States in December 2015 and has faced numerous calls, including from Brazilian greats Pele and Zico, to step down.
‘I’D HAVE WON MORE THAN RONALDO, MESSI’
MADRID: Diego Maradona has laughed off Cristiano Ronaldo’s claim of being the greatest footballer ever and believes he would have won more Ballons d’or than the Portugal star.
Ronaldo collected Europe’s most coveted individual honour for a fifth time earlier this month, equalling Lionel Messi’s record.
“Tell him to stop taking the p***,” Maradona joked to Spanish publication AS. “I would have more than Cristiano and Messi. It is very difficult to give just one Ballon d’or to a player. Because giving one to Cristiano and to Messi… it is boring now.”