Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher called on the owners of Manchester City to sell the club after he was convicted of violating the financial rules of the English Premier League, considering that all officials involved in the case should leave, at a time when the club intends to appeal the ruling.
On the sidelines of the English Premier League’s investigations, an independent committee concluded that Manchester City “clearly intended to circumvent the rules of the English Premier League” by inflating revenues and concealing costs, through a series of “fictitious” commercial deals over the course of nine seasons.
Carragher wrote in the British newspaper “The Daily Telegraph” today (Thursday): “The club can only recover from the shame of its conviction when those responsible for its management realize that they have failed in their duty and sell the club.”
He added: “There is no way to sugarcoat the matter; The extent of the institutional fraud and lack of cooperation in the investigation make the position of all City officials involved untenable. Continuing the battle will only prolong the suffering of the fans who mistakenly believe that the club is innocent.”
Carlos Alcarras overcame some of the difficulties associated with the adjustments he recently made to his serving style, to make his way to the next round of the “Japan Open Tennis Championship” by defeating American Alex Mikkelsen 7-6, 4-6, 6-1, today, Thursday, maintaining his hopes of retaining the title, on a day that witnessed the fall of a number of the most prominent seeds in “Tokyo.”
Alcarras found himself under pressure early; He saved 3 points to decide the first set before turning things around in his favor through a tiebreak. But he continued to test his new and faster serving movement, which was reflected in his stability in the second set, after his serve was broken twice at the beginning.
The 23-year-old Spanish star gradually regained his rhythm, regaining some of the level that led him to the round of 8 in the US Open last month after his return from injury. However, a double fault in the seventh game gave Mikkelsen an opportunity to return to the atmosphere of the match.
The American did not waste the opportunity; He maintained his composure in the decisive moments of the second set, before a ball that hit the net and changed direction fortunately helped him snatch the set and impose a deciding set.
But Alkaras settled matters quickly in the third set, after grabbing two exceptional points that gave him a 2-0 lead, before he imposed complete control and settled the match with a strong and convincing performance.
The first seed's victory came on a day full of surprises in the tournament's "500 points category" competitions, after American Taylor Fritz bid farewell. The third seed, the competition, losing to Spaniard Jaume Munar 6 - 7, 6 - 4, 6 - 3.
Norwegian Casper Ruud, seeded 6th, also exited after losing to Italian Luciano Darderi 7-6, 6-3, while American Tommy Paul, seeded 7th, fell to Chilean Alejandro Tabello with a score of 6-1, 6-2.
The Dane, Holger Rone, was no better off. His participation ended early when he lost 6-3, 6-1 to Frenchman Kyrian Jacquet, in a new setback for the former fourth-ranked player in the world, who is trying to regain his best levels after recovering from an Achilles tendon injury.
On Thursday, Portuguese Carlos Queiroz announced his departure from his position as coach of the Ghana national football team, five months after assuming the job and amid disappointing results.
“It was not an easy decision, but both parties agreed that, under the current circumstances, ending our professional relationship is the most appropriate solution, as the interests of Ghana, the Black Stars and Ghanaian football remain above all else,” Queiroz said in a farewell message published Thursday on the Ghana Football Association’s website.
He added: “The necessary conditions were not fully available, and our recent results contributed to the decision to end this experiment.”
The decision came after Ghana lost at home to Gambia 2-4, on Tuesday, in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Ghana also lost away to Côte d'Ivoire 0-2 last week, leaving it at the bottom of Group C without a point after two matches.
Queiroz leaves with a modest record, as he achieved one win, two draws, and four losses in 7 matches, during which the Ghanaian national team scored 5 goals and conceded ten.
His departure ends a turbulent five-month period that began in April, when the 73-year-old signed a four-month contract to lead Ghana in the 2026 World Cup.
The “Black Stars” reached the round of 32; Where they were eliminated by Colombia.
Queiroz's term officially ended after the tournament, but the Ghanaian Federation renewed its mission on September 2 to lead the next phase of the national team program.
