Weekly Football News Catch-Up: October 30th: Iwobi Vows To Repay Fulham Boss; Man Utd Will Never Play Like Ajax – Ten Hag; Others

Iwobi Vows To Repay Fulham Boss

Alex Iwobi has promised to repay Fulham boss Marco Silva for his belief in him.

Silva recruited Iwobi for Everton in 2018 and urged him to move to Craven Cottage in the summer.

Iwobi was effusive in his praise for his current boss and is motivated to succeed under his guidance.

“He’s the one that actually got me to Everton. I did speak with him, and he has a lot of faith in me. For a player to have that trust and confidence from the manager allows you to go and express yourself and play with freedom. I just need to repay the faith,” Iwobi told the Standard.

“I have to give credit to Fulham. They were very welcoming to me and I’m enjoying my time here. We just need to climb up the table and get results like we did today.”

On Sunday, Iwobi played in Fulham’s 1-1 draw at Brighton.

Man Utd Will Never Play Like Ajax – Ten Hag

Erik ten Hag, manager of Manchester United, has confessed that he will “never” be able to make his squad perform like his famed Ajax side.

Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford in May 2022 and was given £400 million to spend on transfers.

With Ajax, the Dutchman established a reputation for playing lively, attacking football, but he has been unable to replicate that with United.

Following Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Manchester City, Jamie Carragher stated United was playing “underdog football,” depending on “counter-attacks and a lot of long balls.”

Ten Hag has now outlined why the Red Devils will struggle to play smooth football like his previous club.

“We will never play that football,” Ten Hag told Viapla.

“Because those were different players,” he explained. “This is also not why I came here. We are playing different football than I showed at Ajax because I have to because I can’t play the same way. The players decide how you play.

“Ajax has a very typical and characteristic style of play, with Manchester United I will always show different football, I did so last year as well. We play much more direct football here because I have the players for that here.”

Mikel Obi Reveals His Best-ever Game For Chelsea

John Obi Mikel, a former Chelsea midfielder, has revealed his best-ever game for the Blues.

Mikel, who is no longer a professional footballer, believes Chelsea’s 2012 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich was his best-ever game for the Premier League West London club.

Remember how the Nigerian midfielder helped Chelsea upset Bayern Munich 4-3 on penalties in the Champions League final in Germany?

After 120 minutes, the 2012 Champions League final finished in a 1-1 tie.

Though Didier Drogba and Petr Cech deservedly received the spotlight on that night, many supporters felt Mikel delivered a magnificent performance over 120 minutes.

“My best-ever game [Chelsea’s 2012 Champions League final against Bayern],” Mikel was quoted by Chelsea’s official website as saying.

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“I should have won the man of the match but Didier [Drogba] obviously came good and saved the day. I have watched that game a few times since.

“There is nothing better than this,” he added.

Mikel finally left Chelsea in 2017 to join Tianjin TEDA of China.

Since then, the 36-year-old has retired from professional football.

FIFA bans Luis Rubiales From Football For Three years

FIFA has barred Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), from all football-related activities following a controversy on August 20, 2023, during the medal ceremony of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Rubiales, then-president of the RFEF, kissed Jennifer Hermoso, a member of the Spanish national team, on the lips.

Today, October 30, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee barred Rubiales from all football-related activities for three years.

Rubiales had made a suggestive gesture in the VIP box prior to the kiss by touching his genitals. This incident was recorded on video and quickly went viral on social media.

“The FIFA disciplinary committee has banned Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Association (RFEF), from all football-related activities at national and international levels for three years,” the Zurich-based organisation said in a statement.

FIFA said Rubiales was informed of the decision on Monday and had 10 days to request a so-called motivated decision, which would be published on FIFA’s legal website if requested.

“The decision remains subject to a possible appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee,” the statement said.

“FIFA reiterates its absolute commitment to respecting and protecting the integrity of all people and ensuring that the basic rules of decent conduct are upheld.”

Hermoso said the incident left her feeling “vulnerable and like the victim of an assault” and described it as “an impulsive, macho act, out of place and with no type of consent on my part”.

Rubiales, who insisted the kiss was mutual, resigned as president of the Spanish Football Federation in September.

Sandro Tonali To Agree 10-month Ban From Football

Sandro Tonali, a midfield player for Newcastle United, will miss the next ten months as Italian authorities prepare to validate his ban for engaging in unlawful gambling.

An agreement is almost reached between the football federation, the player’s attorneys, and the prosecutors.

In addition, Tonali will engage in eight months of therapy and take part in anti-gambling campaigns as part of his suspension.

The 23-year-old Italian midfielder’s agent recently asserted that the player is a gambling addict, after the player acknowledged placing bets on his own teams to win games.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Newcastle will suspend Tonali’s €8 million (£7 million) salary; however, the team has not yet confirmed this to Mail Sport.

The shocking news was revealed, less than four months after he paid £52 million to transfer from AC Milan to the Premier League club, 

For the duration of his suspension, which is scheduled to last until late August of next year, Tonali will be allowed to train with the team. He will be absent from both the opening weeks of the Premier League season and Euro 2024.

Nicolo Zaniolo of Aston Villa, Nicolo Fagioli of Juventus, and Tonali of Newcastle United were all named in a Turin prosecutors’ investigation that sent shockwaves through the Italian football community.

Juventus midfielder Fagioli was also given a seven-month suspension last week, but he will still be able to practice with the first team and receive his full salary from the club.

The 22-year-old, who cooperated with authorities and acknowledged his guilt, was able to obtain a substantial reduction in the standard minimum punishment of a three-year ban for similar offenses.

Zaniolo is aiding the investigation, Aston Villa has confirmed, and he recently met with senior club officials. On Sunday, he made his Villa debut in midfield against West Ham.

In an attempt to mitigate any potential ban, Tonali also acknowledged his guilt and expressed a willingness to seek treatment for what his agent called a “gambling addiction.”

Tonali has only made 11 appearances since joining Newcastle in the summer after leaving Milan.