Documents sent to the US may reveal links between Newcastle and the Saudi state. Antonio Conte is believed to be on his way out after the latest turn and Victor Geocris is rumored to be in the Premier League.
Here are the headlines for today’s English football news.
SNACKIS TODAY: New questions about the Newcastle owner
Newcastle chairman Yasser Al-Rumayyan was described as a “current minister of the Saudi government” in a document sent to a US court. The Guardian reported that this raises new questions about the extent of the club’s owners’ involvement with the Saudi state.
The English Premier League agreed to the takeover in October 2021 after promising that Saudi Arabia would not control the club.
The owners of the Public Investment Fund do not wish to comment on the new information. Nor can the Premier League, which has previously said it can remove owners if a link to the country emerges.
Amnesty International for human rights is now pressuring the League to investigate the truth of the matter.
It was always naive to think that the Saudi state was not directly involved in buying Newcastle with the aim of using the club as a component in its attempts to launder sports, says Peter Frankenthal of Amnesty International.
Even league rivals were said to be upset, something many were already when the takeover was approved in 2021. Shortly afterwards, among other things, a rule barring Newcastle from being sponsored by Saudi firms with links to The owners.
Question tag of the day: Conte on the way out?
Antonio Conte has decided not to return from Italy for Tottenham’s away meeting with Wolverhampton on Saturday. The delay is seen as another step towards the Italian’s departure, reports the Daily Mail.
Assistant coach Christian Stellini, who has led the team on the sidelines since Conte’s gallbladder surgery, claimed the coach would be back by the end of the week. Now it looks like he won’t be back until Tottenham’s return to the Champions League against AC Milan.
Conte’s illness, combined with the fact that his family still lives in Turin – and that several Italian clubs are looking for a new manager this summer – makes the newspaper believe this is the beginning of the end for North London.
Quote of the day: Van Dyck is done
When I came back from my knee injury I played all the Premier League games because I wanted to help. This is what I work so hard for. What finally caught my eye was that I played a lot of games, says Virgil van Dijk after the win (and the goal) against Wolves earlier this week.
The Liverpool defender wanted to explain why his performances this season have been so inconsistent compared to the previous one.
Absurdity of the day: Fulham’s new trial with Geokers
Everton are in competition with Fulham to sign Victor Geocris, according to local newspaper the Liverpool Echo. Sean Dyche’s side made a late bid for the Swede on deadline day but Coventry refused to sell midway through the season.
Fulham’s Marco Silva has also shown interest in the striker. The club has now submitted a new bid, according to Football Insider.
Coventry manager Mark Robins has no desire to discuss the current situation.
– I don’t want to keep talking about Vic because everyone is trying to sell him, says Robbins, according to the Liverpool Echo.
He’s a good player who deserves everything because he works hard. But we have a team that works hard and creates opportunities for him as well. It is a team sport.
Silly day two: Tierney is on his way out
Not so long ago, Kieran Tierney was expected to become the new captain of Arsenal. Now the left-back has been rumored for rivals Newcastle, according to The Chronicle. The newspaper claimed the player is frustrated with the lack of playing time since Oleksandr Zinchenko’s arrival and is now looking for a new challenge closer to his Scottish homeland. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reportedly doesn’t want to get in his way.