La Liga to punish players for diving, provocative celebrations
La Liga players could be punished retrospectively for overzealous goal celebrations and for diving to win fouls after the Spanish league’s authorities announced changes to its disciplinary system on Wednesday.
The changes come four days after Barcelona defender Gerard Pique celebrated an equaliser in a derby game at Espanyol by holding his finger to his lips to shush the home supporters, which prompted criticism from the league’s president Javier Tebas.
“La Liga promotes and fervently defends sporting values such as respect, cooperation, teamwork, fighting for equality, social responsibility... and will inform the Competition Committee of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) of any behaviour contrary to the dignity and decorum of sport...” said a statement.
REAL SHOULD SIGN NEYMAR : RONALDO
Real Madrid need the best players and should sign Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar, according to Brazil great Ronaldo.
“Neymar is a superb player, maybe he will be the best in the world in a few years, and Real Madrid need the best,” he said on Wednesday.
SPURS END NEWPORT’S FA CUP RUN
Tottenham Hotspur finally ended Newport County’s brave FA Cup run with a 2-0 win in a fourth-round replay at Wembley on Wednesday. Butler’s 26th-minute own goal and an Erik Lamela strike eight minutes later put Spurs 2-0 up before half-time.
SANCHEZ ACCEPTS DEAL TO AVOID PRISON
BARCELONA:
Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez pleaded guilty to two counts of tax fraud dating from when he played for Spanish team Barcelona and accepted a 16-month suspended jail sentence, his agent Fernando Felicevich said on Wednesday.
In a statement issued by the Barcelona prosecutor, Sanchez was accused of defrauding the Spanish state of a combined 983,000 euros in image rights in 2012 and 2013 by using a shell company in Malta and omitting the earnings from tax returns.
The Chilean was given a suspended sentence of eight months for each of those years and fines of 353,000 euros and 237,000 euros respectively.
MADRID: LONDON: BARCELONA: