Author: DELEITURAS

Le Progrès report today that Norodom Ravichak, the Cambodian prince in the running to take over at Saint-Étienne after making his official bid, has as recently as last year worked with rivals Lyon.

Ravichak, the nephew of the current monarch of Cambodia, had been in contact with OL president Jean-Michel Aulas over a partnership with the club’s academy. As discussions advanced, the project would have included a development project based in the prince’s country. In the end, however, negotiations did not result in an agreement between the two parties.

This month, the Lyon management were surprised to see Ravichak’s name listed among the potential new owners of their arch rivals. The prince is even said to be retaining hope of striking his partnership with Lyon, despite his potential future investment in Saint-Étienne. The call for offers, which is being managed by auditing firm KPMG, has seen him put forward a guarantee of €100m. Nevertheless, the offer has yet to be approved for access to club’s recent accounts, unlike the two other candidates in the running.

The revelation comes in the build-up to the derby between the two sides, as a struggling, last-placed Saint-Étienne host a Lyon side in mixed form.

 

 

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L’Équipe report that Troyes has been chosen at the venue to host the replay of the suspended Nice-Marseille fixture, to be played on October 27.

The original match had been called off at the 75th minute, after a pitch invasion ignited when OM’s Dimitri Payet threw back one of the bottles that had been targeted at him. A mass brawl between players, fans and even staff ensued, culminating in a refusal on the part of the Marseille players to return to the pitch.

The Ligue 1 authorities, the LFP, later took the decision to have the game replayed at a later date, while Nice were sanctioned with a point deduction – and an additional one suspended – and were obliged to play several games behind closed doors, including this upcoming match in Troyes.

The question over where the replay would be hosted had been complicated by the need to play far away from Nice and Marseille, but also on a Ligue 1 pitch that was equipped with VAR and goal-line technology. Troyes eventually accepted the request, after various other clubs declined to add a match to their stadium schedule out of fear of damaging their pitch.

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Nice striker Andy Delort, who has been an Algeria international since 2019, has not been called up for the national team for the international break despite a successful start to the season.

Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi, however, has explained that it was the forward’s own choice to stay at home this time. His words transcribed in L’Équipe, Belmadi explained that Delort had sent him a message a few days ago to explain that he was prioritising his club commitments, in particular focusing on his competition for the striker’s spot with Kasper Dolberg and Amine Gouiri.

In order to ensure this, the former Montpellier forward explains, he will take a break from the national team for a year. As a result, he will not take part in AFCON 2022. Speaking to L’Équipe himself, Delort clarified that “it’s the result of a long reflection of which I made Djamel aware after a man-to-man discussion”.

“I won’t reveal the details as it was a private discussion, but there are many factors that come into play. First of all, my role in the national team. Aside from that, I will be 30 in two days and I’m at a key point in my career. I’ve just arrived at a club where the demands and the competition are a lot higher, I want to give myself the chance to succeed.”

“I have nothing to say [about Belmadi’s comments]. Just that the supposed clause in my contract is pure invention, as is the idea that someone else would dictate my own choices. I just hope my choice will be understood, people know me, I’m a man of integrity and I always give it my all. I think this choice is important for me this season, but I’m not retiring from the national team.”

RMC Sport had contacted Nice with regard to a supposed clause in his contract which Belmadi claimed would commit Delort to not play in the next AFCON. The club have denied this, adding that this practice is “illegal and holds no value”.  Les Aiglons also indicated that there had been no verbal agreement stopping Delort from joining up with the national team.

 

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The FIA is set to consider Ferrari’s request for a right of review of Carlos Sainz penalty in the Australian Grand Prix on Tuesday, April 18.

Ferrari submitted its request after Sainz was hit with a five-second penalty by the Aussie GP stewards for tagging Fernando Alonso into a spin on the exit of Turn 1 just after the race’s second restart.

The Spaniard finished fourth on the road in Melbourne, behind race winner Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, but dropped to 12th in the event’s final results once the five-second time penalty was factored in.

Read also: Ferrari requests right of review over Sainz Australian GP penalty

Tuesday’s process will see Ferrari introduce what it considers as a “significant and relevant new element” that was not available to the stewards at the time, after which the FIA will consider the evidence and decide whether the Scuderia’s request for a review is granted, or not.

If Ferrari’s request is deemed receivable, a new hearing will be held to discuss the sanction.

On Tuesday, Sainz and a Ferrari representative will report to the stewards for a virtual hearing to be held at 08:00 CET.

“The process is that first, they will have a look on our petition to see if they can re-open the case,” Scuderia boss Fred Vasseur told the media last week.

“And then we’ll have a second hearing a bit later, with the same stewards or the stewards of the next meeting, about the decision itself.

“What we can expect is at least to have an open discussion with them, and also for the good of the sport to avoid to have this kind of decision when you have three cases on the same corner, and not the same decision.

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“The biggest frustration was from Carlos, and you heard it on the radio, to not have a hearing.

“Because the case was very special, and in this case, I think it would have made sense considering that it was the race was over, it was not affecting the podium, to have a hearing, as Gasly and Ocon had.”

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As the U16 and U19 National Championships enter the final weeks, there are plenty of players pushing their cases ahead of the finals.The Brumbies were dominant as they came away from Harlequin Rugby Club with wins in both grades over the Melbourne Rebels.Meanwhile, the Western Force took the Queensland Reds to the limit in the U16s before the Reds responded in emphatic fashion during the U19s.High-Performance National Programs Coach Nathan Grey is among several keeping a keen eye on the action as they look to build for the future, highlighted by the Junior Wallabies and the likely return of the World U20 Championships.Rugby.com.au looks at the teams of the week from both competitions as picked by Grey.*Please note the NSW Waratahs had the bye in round four and will not featureUnder 16s ChampionshipsAfter their thrilling contest, the Queensland Reds and Western Force dominate the team of the week, earning five selections each.Force winger Ken Ah Hong was rewarded for his electric double, joined in the backline by scrumhalf Tamarangi Tunui and centre Christoffel Jansen.Manaia Te Tana continues his strong season with his second selection for the year alongside loosehead prop Lee Ruiz.Fullback Chase Oates and Prestyn Laine-Seitu headline the inclusions for the Reds after their strong second-half performances got the visitors back into the contest.Lock Will Pascoe earns his second selection in a row whilst hooker Ewald Kruger and replacement prop Princeton Ioane round out the Queensland contingency.It's an all-Brumby back-row as Alex Hardy is joined by standouts Bailey Bouquiaux and Harry Harrington whilst flyhalf Sam Chapman has been rewarded after his breakout performance.Rebels flyer Andrew Mulipola is the lone selection from the Victorian side as they look to bounce back this week against the Queensland Reds.Team of the WeekLee Ruiz (Western Force)Ewald Kruger (Queensland Reds)Princeton Ioane (Queensland Reds)Will Pascoe (Queensland Reds)Manaia Te Tana (Western Force)Alex Hardy (ACT Brumbies)Bailey Bouquiaux (ACT Brumbies)Harry Harrington (ACT Brumbies)Tamarangi Tunui (Western Force)Sam Chapman (ACT Brumbies)Andrew Mulipola (Melbourne Rebels)Christoffel Jansen (Western Force)Prestyn Laine-Seitu (Queensland Reds)Ken Ah Hong (Western Force)Chase Oates (Queensland Reds)

Under 19s ChampionshipsAfter their dominant victories, it's not surprising to see the Queensland Reds and ACT Brumbies dominate the team of the week, accounting for 12 of the 15 selections.Reds prop Harrison Usher once again earns nomination, joined in the front-row by Brumbies duo Liam Bowron and Sam Eden.Force standout Caleb Karangoaroa and replacement Brumby Xavier Degai make up the locks whilst Stuart Tualima, Nick Baker and John Bryant complete an all-Reds back-row.They are joined by teammate Willem Johnstone and Brumbies flyhalf Cullen Gray.Rebels duo Toby Fraser and Glen Vaihu are the lone selection from the Victorian-based side, rounding out the team alongside Brumbies duo Sonny Meleisea, Austin Anderson and Reds winger Robert Mapa.Team of the WeekHarrison Usher (Queensland Reds)Liam Bowron (ACT Brumbies)Sam Eden (ACT Brumbies)Caleb Karangaroa (Western Force)Xavier Degai ACT Brumbies)Stuart Tualima (Queensland Reds)Nick Baker (Queensland Reds)John Bryant (Queensland Reds)Willem Johnstone ((Queensland Reds)Cullen Gray (ACT Brumbies)Toby Fraser (Melbourne Rebels)David Vaihu (Melbourne Rebels)Sonny Meleisea (ACT Brumbies)Robert Mapa (Queensland Reds)Austin Anderson (ACT Brumbies)Click Here: Luis Suarez Jersey Sale

As reported by L’Équipe, Fenerbahçe defender Kim Min-jae will not be joining Ligue 1 club Rennes despite lengthy talks between the interested parties.

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Rennes assumed they were involved in a straight fight between themselves and Italian side Napoli to sign the 25-year-old South Korean international after both clubs activated the player’s release clause this weekend, reportedly set at around €19.5m. However, the defender has, so far, decided against joining both clubs who were in the process of offering personal terms following sporting director Florian Maurice’s trip to Istanbul in the last few days.

This is because at least one Premier League club has now also entered the race at the final stage and, with the delay and the player’s wage demands being sizeable, Rennes have switched their focus to other targets. Rennes would be unlikely to be able to compete with English clubs on salary but Rennes haven’t entirely given up signing the defender, as they look for a replacement for Nayef Aguerd who left for West Ham, but a deal now seems unlikely despite the fact that a verbal agreement was reached between Rennes and Kim last week.

Loosehead prop Joe Marler has returned from injury to take his place in Harlequins’ XV for their game against Bristol Bears at Twickenham Stoop.

Marler sustained the problem in Quins’ 39-31 Champions Cup defeat to the Sharks, which meant he missed the victory over Racing 92 a week later.

However, he returns to the starting line-up with player of the match from the previous contest, Fin Baxter, dropping to the bench.

A front-row trio of Marler, Jack Walker and Wilco Louw are reunited and backed up in the engine room by George Hammond and Irne Herbst.

The back-row sees Archie White return to the starting line-up at blindside flanker in place of the injured Jack Kenningham, joining Will Evans and Alex Dombrandt at the back of the scrum.

The backline remains unchanged, with Danny Care and Tommy Allan looking to control proceedings from the half-back department in what is set to be a thrilling encounter between two attacking sides in South West London.

Head coach Tabai Matson said: “You might get sick of me saying it, but this game against Bristol in particular is really important. You get a result and we have the chance to create a bit of space between ourselves and the teams in fifth and sixth. In the larger scheme of things, this would be a really important victory.

“We’ve discussed that with the senior players and they’re fired up to get back into the Premiership. Being at home in front of a sold-out Stoop, we want to deliver a good performance.”

Six changes for Bristol

Meanwhile, Ellis Genge and Magnus Bradbury return to action for Bristol when they make the trip to West London.

Pat Lam makes six changes from the side that beat Zebre Parma in the European Challenge Cup, with Rich Lane, Sam Bedlow, Andy Uren and Max Lahiff all named in the starting XV.

Luke Morahan will make his final appearance in a Bears shirt in the festive clash, while Joe Batley, who signed a long-term extension with the club this week, continues in the second-row.

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Form: Harlequins have won their last four fixtures in Premiership Rugby since their 19-27 defeat at home to Leicester on 16 October. Harlequins’ other loss at the Twickenham Stoop in the Premiership this season was to Saracens on 17 September. Bristol Bears drew their most recent league fixture 26-all with Leicester Tigers on 3 December but are without a win in the tournament since their home success over London Irish on 24 September. The Bears have won only once away from home in Premiership Rugby since October 2021: 23-8 against Wasps on 17 September. Harlequins have won their last three fixtures against Bristol whilst the Bears’ only victory at the Stoop since September 2001 came behind closed doors on Boxing Day 2020.

Prediction: Harlequins by 12

The teams:

Harlequins: 15 Nick David, 14 Cadan Murley, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Tommy Allan, 9 Danny Care, 8 Alex Dombrandt (c), 7 Will Evans, 6 Archie White, 5 Irne Herbst, 4 George Hammond, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Jack Walker, 1 Joe Marler
Replacements: 16 George Head, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Simon Kerrod, 19 Charlie Matthews, 20 Tom Lawday, 21 Lewis Gjaltema, 22 Will Edwards, 23 Oscar Beard

Bristol: 15 Rich Lane, 14 Luke Morahan, 13 Semi Radradra, 12 Sam Bedlow, 11 Gabriel Ibitoye, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Andy Uren, 8 Magnus Bradbury, 7 Jake Heenan, 6 Steven Luatua (c), 5 Chris Vui, 4 Joe Batley, 3 Max Lahiff, 2 Harry Thacker, 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Jake Kerr, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Jay Tyack, 19 Elliott Stooke, 20 Dan Thomas, 21 Tom Whiteley, 22 Callum Sheedy, 23 Ioan Lloyd

Date: Tuesday, December 27
Venue: Twickenham Stoop
Kick-off: 16:15 GMT
Referee: Karl Dickson
Assistant referees: Sara Cox, Simon Harding
TMO: Stuart Terheegee

According to L’Équipe AS Monaco have been priced-out in a deal for Leicester City midfielder Boubakary Soumaré after the Monagasques’ management deemed a €20m price-tag to be too high for the player – as the side are still searching for a replacement for Aurélien Tchouameni, who joined Real Madrid for a €100m fee earlier this transfer window.

Monaco submitted a €15m bid for the Leicester City midfielder – but the Premier League side were holding out for a €20m fee for Soumaré. The principality side were initially pushing for a loan deal, but the option was ruled out by Leicester.

Having edged slowly into Brendan Rodger’s starting eleven at Leicester in the Premier League at the start of last season, the midfielder has quite rapidly dropped out of the Foxes’ side – playing only two matches in the last 17. In total, Soumaré played 19 times in the Premier League, and made 14 appearances in the Europa League – scoring one goal in each competition.

The former Paris Saint-Germain youth prospect was  part of Lille’s Ligue 1 winning side in 2020/2021 – and has only sent one year away from France after moving to Leicester for €17m. 

 

 

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L’Équipe report this morning that French forward Marcus Thuram has turned down an offer from Nice, who had made the Borussia Mönchengladbach man their priority signing for the number 9 position this summer.

The 25-year-old, who opened his Bundesliga campaign with a goal against Hoffenheim over the weekend, had made his decision known shortly before the game, after weeks of discussions over a potential return to Ligue 1.

The former Guingamp man, who has one year left on his contract with the German club, ideally wants to be playing in a club which is on the European stage so as to compete for a place in Didier Deschamps’ France squad for the World Cup, over a year after his last call-up.

To get there, he wants to have a better season than last – he has already bettered his tally in all competition from last year with a hat-trick in the cup – and play in the Champions League, which Nice cannot offer with their Conference League qualifying status.

Lucien Favre had called him multiple times and ensured that he had high ambitions for Les Aiglons, but Thuram – who also wants to move to the number 9 position permanently – wanted to play at the highest level now, with his current team missing out on Europe entirely.

Thuram was also on Borussia Dortmund’s shortlist for a Sébastien Haller replacement, but his signing proved too costly and Anthony Modeste was chosen. The 25-year-old is said to have attracted interest from Italy instead.

 

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As reported by Foot Mercato, the former Watford, Everton, Sevilla, Barcelona and AC Milan winger Gerard Deulofeu is interesting Ligue 1 club Marseille this summer ahead of their return to the Champions League this season.

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The 28-year-old Spanish international is currently with Udinese in Serie A but is attracting interest from across the continent this off-season, say the outlet. Villarreal, Napoli, Torino and Atalanta are also keen on the player who joined Udinese in January 2021.

Napoli were in talks over a €16m move last month while Villarreal have also been described as a front runner and Real Sociedad and Roma also enquired with Udinese over their €15m asking price for Deulofeu back in June. However, the player’s agent says his client has not ruled out staying with Udinese for another year.

Deulofeu enjoyed the most productive campaign of his top-flight career last season, scoring 13 goals and adding five assists over 34 games in Serie A for the Udine side.