21, May 2023
Football: Mbappe goals secure PSG Ligue 1 title 0
A brace by Kylian Mbappe propelled Paris Saint-Germain to a 2-1 win at Auxerre on Sunday that effectively secured a second straight Ligue 1 title and a ninth in the last 11 seasons.
Mbappe’s goals, his 27th and 28th of the season in Ligue 1, both came in the first eight minutes at the Stade Abbe-Deschamps and set PSG up for victory.
Auxerre pulled one back early in the second half through Lassine Sinayoko but Paris held on for a victory which leaves them six points clear of second-placed Lens with two games remaining.
They require just a draw away to Strasbourg next weekend to officially be crowned champions for a French record 11th time.
However, a goal difference advantage of 16 over Lens means they are almost certain to win the title even if they end the season level on points with their rivals.
Mbappe opened the scoring in style, collecting a Fabian Ruiz pass and turning home defender Gauthier Hein inside out before shooting high into the net.
It was 2-0 two minutes later, as Hugo Ekitike left a Lionel Messi pass for Mbappe to rifle in a shot from the edge of the area.
Rayan Raveloson hit the bar late in the first half for the hosts, who reduced the deficit six minutes after the break when Nuno da Costa headed on a long clearance downfield for Sinayoko to run through and score.
Christophe Galtier’s PSG team had hoped to celebrate winning the league on Sunday, but a 3-1 victory for Lens in Lorient earlier ensured they would have to wait at least another week regardless of their result in Auxerre.
The result left Auxerre still one point and one place above the relegation zone with two matches of the season to play.
Source: AFP
23, May 2023
Football’s racism protocol obsolete: Ancelotti after Vinicius abuse 0
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti’s said on Tuesday that FIFA’s racism protocol in football was “obsolete” after Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior was abused by Valencia fans.
The 22-year-old forward suffered vile racist taunts at Mestalla on Sunday in La Liga, with three fans arrested by Spanish police on Tuesday.
Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea activated the racism protocol after Vinicius squared off with fans, singling out one whom he saw abuse him.
FIFA’s three-step process involves the match being paused until a stadium announcement is made asking for racist abuse to stop, which happened at Mestalla.
The second step, after any further abuse, is to temporarily take players off the pitch and the third step, if it continues, is to abandon the game and give three points to the opposition.
“The protocol is obsolete,” Ancelotti told reporters.
“The protocol had to be applied when the team bus reached the stadium, because the insults started there.
“Two hours before the game, and it was not an isolated case — someone from Valencia said it was — sure, it was not 46,000 people but it was not one or two.”
Video emerged Monday of Valencia fans chanting “Vinicius, you are a monkey,” when Real Madrid arrived at Mestalla.
“The protocol has to start there,” continued Ancelotti.
“If you start the protocol in the 70th minute, you have made a mistake.
“It has to start two hours before the game, and then during the game. It’s obsolete, yes.”
Vinicius was sent off later in the game for hitting Valencia’s Hugo Duro and will not be able to face Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday.
Ancelotti said the player did not train on Tuesday because he felt some knee discomfort.
The striker said Spain was viewed as a “racist country” in a statement he made on Instagram late on Sunday, which Ancelotti disagreed with, but he called for drastic action to combat racism.
“Spain is not racist, I have to say that too, but there is racism in Spain, like in other places and that has to end,” Ancelotti said.
“It’s a moment to take drastic measures. Institutions have chances, above all now, to take radical measures on this important subject.”
Source: AFP