N. Michael
Pafos · UEFA Nations League · Goalkeeper · #22 · Cyprus · 32 yrs
N. Michael news
Bayern chief Freund confident on Olise’s future amid Real Madrid rumours
Bayern Munich's Michael Olise has been linked with a move to Real Madrid all summer, but Christoph Freund quickly shut down those rumours. The post Bayern chief Freund confident on Olise’s future amid Real Madrid rumours appeared first on SoccerNews.
Folarin Balogun red card suspension reversal could lead to Norway complaint to FIFA
The handling of Folarin Balogun's red card and the decision to suspend his automatic ban could lead to Norway presenting a complaint to FIFA. The biggest controversy of the 2026 World Cup was clearly the incident involving Folarin Balogun, which could end with Norway presenting a formal complaint to FIFA’s ethics committee over the decision to suspend the ban after the USMNT forward received a straight red card, according to BBC Sport. The report suggests that the federation is now considering challenging the handling of the case, with president Lise Klaveness expected to seek the backing of the federation’s board before a possible complaint is submitted to FIFA’s ethics committee. Balogun was initially expected to miss the USMNT’s Round of 16 match, a 4-1 loss to Belgium, after being sent off during the victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, FIFA later suspended the ban after Donald Trump’s intervention, allowing him to play in the next match. Norway’s reaction to the Balogun decision BBC Sport also reports that the Norwegian Football Federation has expressed in a statement strong concern over the way FIFA handled the case, arguing that a direct red card should automatically lead to a one-match suspension. Balogun saw a red card but was not suspended (Michael Steele/Getty Images) This incident became a major controversy because the decision to suspend the ban was made without a public explanation beyond FIFA’s reference to a rule allowing the enforcement of a disciplinary sanction to be suspended. The Norwegian federation believes the case raises questions that go beyond Balogun, including the FIFA Peace Prize award handed to Trump when the World Cup draw was held in Washington, D.C. Belgium’s complaint Norway was not the main team affected by the suspension of Balogun’s ban, but its federation was one of those to raise concerns over the decision. The main team involved did submit an appeal asking FIFA to reconsider the ruling, but it was deemed inadmissible before the red card was ultimately rescinded. In response, the Belgian Royal Football Association had issued a statement criticizing the handling of the case: “The RBFA has still not received any grounds for this decision, nor has it received the information it has been requesting since the start of this procedure for a copy of the decision and the motivation declaring the player eligible as well as the referee’s report. Which is a breach of FIFA regulations.”
A tournament that crossed borders: crunching the numbers on the diaspora World Cup
Nationality in football is increasingly complex and the influence of players from the diaspora has never been higher at a World Cup“Nationality says where you come from. And I actually come from four countries: France, Algeria, Nigeria and Great Britain. I consider myself very lucky to possess these four parts, which all enrich me.” This view was given by Michael Olise. He set up seven goals at the World Cup, breaking Pelé’s record for the most assists at a single edition of the tournament. And he did so for France, one of four countries he was eligible to represent, but not the one in which he was born.The influence of players from the diaspora has never been higher at the World Cup. Four years ago, 16.5% of the players at the tournament were born in different nations from those for whom they played. That represented a 5.1% increase on 2018 and was the previous high for the tournament. No longer. Almost a quarter (23.6%) of the 1,248 players named in squads this year were selected by countries other than their birthplace. This proportion remained broadly consistent for the contribution these players made towards the minutes played, assists provided and goals scored. In a 48-team, 104-match tournament, these are big numbers. Continue reading...
'Best to let him go for a large sum'? Fans on Scott turning down contract
Michael: Not sure why any player would want to leave Bournemouth this summer and join a club not playing in Europe. David: It's disappointing that Alex and Bournemouth cannot agree terms for a new contract. Alex wouldn't be in full football focus without Bournemouth giving him a massive push.