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Tuesday Kickoff: De Gea to decide on future; FIFA could punish CONMEBOL; and more

DavidDeGeaManchesterUnited1-Arsenal2015 (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea is expected to make a decision on his future in the coming days.

According to AS.com, De Gea is deciding between signing a new contract at Man United that would quintuple his earnings, or moving back to the Spanish capital to join Real Madrid. De Gea spent his youth career and four years as a professional with Atletico Madrid, making 57 first team appearances.

Spanish publication Marca reports that Man United have placed a €40 million transfer-fee tag on De Gea, but Real Madrid are reportedly hell-bent on signing De Gea to be the eventual replacement for Iker Casillas, who is 33-years old and hasn’t played at his prior level of world class goalkeeping for a few years. Marca also adds that Fabio Coentrao could also be thrown into the deal to soften the transfer price.

Balague reports that contrary to other reports, there is no verbal agreement between Real Madrid and De Gea or Real Madrid and his agent Jorge Mendes, but that a decision on De Gea’s future is expected soon.

Here are some more stories to kick off your Tuesday:

FIFA MAY REMOVE WORLD CUP SPOT FROM CONMEBOL

FIFA has reportedly taken a dim view of CONMEBOL’s punishment of Boca Juniors for incidents that caused Boca’s second-leg match with River Plate in the Copa Libertadores to be suspended.

Spanish publication AS is reporting that FIFA will announce at their congress in Zurich, Switzerland on May 29 that CONMEBOL has lost their half World Cup place due to what FIFA believe was a soft punishment to Boca Juniors. CONMEBOL have had 4.5 places available to qualify for the World Cup since 1998, and more often than not it’s meant that five South American nations would participate at the World Cup.

But if the report is true, the half-place, which calls for a playoff match against an Asian Football Confederation nation, will go to either CONCACAF or the AFC, eliminating the need for a playoff.

CONMEBOL kicked out Boca Juniors from the Copa Libertadores, fined them $200,000, and banned them from hosting their next four continental cup matches after River Plate players were pepper sprayed as they headed back on to the pitch for the start of the second half.

XAVI READY TO ANNOUNCE MOVE TO QATAR

One of Spanish soccer’s most decorated players is set to depart the country and head east to continue his career.

Xavi Hernandez will announce that he’s leaving Barcelona this summer to sign for Qatari club Al-Sadd, according to reports in Spain. Xavi is set to hold a press conference on Thursday to make the announcement.

Xavi will reportedly sign a three-year contract with an option worth €10 million per season. He’ll also work as a coach with the Aspire academy, and he’s set to sign another contract with the Qatar World Cup organizing committee to become a Qatar 2022 World Cup ambassador.

The 35-year-old midfielder won his 23rd trophy in his 17th season at Barcelona last Sunday, when Barcelona defeated Atletico Madrid, 1-0, to secure the La Liga title. The title haul tied Paco Gento for the most trophies won by a Spanish soccer player. Barcelona have two more titles to play for, the Copa Del Rey on May 30 and the UEFA Champions League on June 6.

QUICK KICKS

PSV Eindhoven winger Memphis Depay has completed his medical at Manchester United, clearing the way for him to join the club this summer. (REPORT)

Cüneyt Çakir, a 38-year-old referee from Turkey, has been chosen to officiate the UEFA Champions League final. (REPORT)

Borussia Dortmund is looking at Anderlecht youngster Youri Tielemans as a possible replacement for Ilkay Gundogan. (REPORT)

Fifty people were arrested and 70 others were interviewed by police in a match-fixing investigation in third, fourth, and fifth-division soccer in Italy. (REPORT)

Despite heading for relegation, Queens Park Rangers have signed head coach Chris Ramsey to a three-year contract. (REPORT)

 

What do you think of these reports? Do you see De Gea remaining at Man United? Should he spread his wings and move to Madrid? What did you think of Boca’s punishment?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Yep, it’s about time for another match-fixing scandal in Italy. I have it as a recurring appointment in my Outlook calendar.

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  2. also, there’s a good article by uli hesse at espn on fc ingolstadt’s (alfredo morales’ team) rise from the 4th division.

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    • But Man Utd fans don’t want Ancelsholcky. LVG is the exact Manager they need at this time. But losing DeGea will be an enormous blow. He’s the only reason they are in 4th. As a Man U dan, I hope he stays but based on all the reports he’s as good as gone. Just hope Man U can squeeze Bale away from them. They keep reporting Contrao but he’s just not good enough to be a makeweight in this deal.

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    • The clown fans at RM will be jeering De Gea and whoever else they get in no time. I can understand RM pays well so players want to go there but they earn their money playing in front of those fans. Ancelotti wins the Champions league but the next year he finishes second and goes out in the CL semis and they run him out of town. Same thing will happen to the next guy too.

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    • Chicha is not going back to Madrid. thinking that is even in the cards is delusional. not saying that is right or wrong, but it’s reality. they have a bigger chance of triggering Morata’s buy out clause.

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  3. The decision to take CONMEBOL’s World Cup spot and give it to the AFC reeks of politics. On the same day as the election for FIFA President, a confederation with 47 votes in that election gets a World Cup spot from a confederation with 10 votes. Standard FIFA behavior.

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    • Yeah, total after-the-fact justification going on. They are stating that the reason that 1/6 of the world confederation will lose their spot is due to one dude with a can of pepper spray?

      I am not in any way denigrating this incident, but when you look at Putin disrupting the entire Ukrainian League – just to put it in soccer terms since FIFA doesn’t look at it in any other way – it seems a little silly.

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      • continued racist incidents especially against black players in EUFA’s member leagues should also force FIFA to take away 1 or 2 WC spots…

        I know Conmebol is as corrupt as FIFA, but they should uprise against Blatter. A World Cup without Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia would feel like another UEFA championship, many wouldnt watch it, ratings would go down and sponsorships would leave.

        Conmebol could actually start a more transparent new FIFA based in North America, preferably Canada… of course, with the help of Concacaf.

    • No, they’re taking the half spot away because of the ridiculously soft punishment Boca got. FIFA wanted Boca banned from international competition for a few years, CONMEBOL promised to take care of the punishment and didn’t. Now is FIFA’s turn.
      I’m fine with that. The Argentinian league is awesome but the violence makes it hard to support.

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      • FIFA may have been dissatisfied with CONMEBOL’s punishment of BOCA but the action that FIFA is proposing to take is politically-driven.

        Taking a WC spot away from a confederation is an extreme punishment and one that I can’t recall FIFA ever taking before. So why are they doing it now? Because the FIFA presidential election is coming up. Why are they giving the spot to the AFC, a confederation where match-fixing is a major problem and one that has not performed well at the WC? Because the AFC has far more votes to help Sepp Blatter get re-elected than CONMEBOL does. Why don’t they also take spots from UEFA due to soccer violence in Eastern Europe, or the CAF due to soccer violence in Egypt? Because those confederations have lots of votes and taking a spot from either of those confederations may jeopardize those votes.

      • They haven’t giving the half spot to anybody. It could even go go UEFA since they lost one spot by way of Russia’s automatic qualification. maybe we should wait and see who gets it. My guess is CONCACAF does,

    • I don’t agree with this punishment but if they’re going to take away the half spot it can’t go to the AFC. The performance of AFC teams at the world cup has been pathetic and 4.5 is already too many. Concacaf or CAF should get it.

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      • Oceania should get two spots. Anyway, Conmebol should call a meeting of Boca Jr president and team management, and spray them in the face with pepper spray while tasing them at the same time.

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