Celtic have been handed a pre-Hampden boost after Alistair Johnston returned to training.
Johnston has been out since taking a heavy knock to his lower leg during Celtic’s Scottish Cup semi-final win over Rangers on April 30.
The Canada right-back will not feature in Wednesday’s cinch Premiership encounter with Hibernian at Easter Road but is in line to return against Aberdeen on Saturday, seven days before the cup final against Inverness.
Johnston was back in training on Tuesday morning and came through the session with no problems.
Manager Ange Postecoglou said: “All things being equal, if he gets through the rest of the week’s training he should be available for the weekend’s game.
“We will hopefully get him some game time at the weekend and assess it from there.
“He has worked really hard to get back with the cup final in mind. He has got back really well and worked hard with the medical team and looked after himself really well.
“It was good to see him training and good to see him part of it because he has obviously been a big part of the second half of the year.”
Celtic have only taken a point in two games since clinching the title and face a Hibs side who are still battling for a European place.
Postecoglou said: “We just go out there and try to play our football but we know the league is done.
“We can’t lose the league now, unless someone has brought in a new rule. The players are aware of that so I can’t go about pretending, trying to create some alternative universe where they are trying to achieve something they have already achieved.
“But we still want to enjoy our games and prepare for the cup final and the best way to do that is play our football and take each challenge as it comes.
“The players are training well and we want to finish the season strongly.”
Meanwhile, Postecoglou was completely unmoved by news from Rangers that several experienced players will be leaving Ibrox this summer including Allan McGregor and Scott Arfield.
When asked if he expected a tougher title challenge from their rivals next season, he said: “I don’t know why that would even concern me to be honest.
“This time last year Rangers were in a Europa League final and a Scottish Cup final, and they strengthened after the season didn’t they?
“So does anybody really care? Like, seriously. We didn’t start favourites in my first year and probably weren’t overwhelming favourites this year, so people will say what they want, mate. Everyone has got a plan until they are punched on the nose and then you kind of reassess from there.
“When we start next year, when the games start, everyone will see who is really strong and who isn’t strong and all that sort of stuff.
“Right now, league-wise anyway, it’s the equivalent of junk-time, mate, so we just get on with it.”
Livingston will have to pull out all the stops to deal with Motherwell goal machine Kevin van Veen on Wednesday night, according to assistant boss Neil Hastings.
The 31-year-old Dutchman scored in a ninth consecutive game when he netted a penalty in the ninth minute of stoppage time against Ross County on Saturday to seal three points.
Van Veen took his tally for the season to 27, form which earned him a nomination for the PFA cinch Premiership and Scottish Football Writers Association player of the year award.
Livingston are one point behind Well in eighth place and Hastings knows if they are to leapfrog the visiting Steelmen then they have to get everything right in dealing with Motherwell’s talisman.
He said: “Van Veen is a fantastic player and he has had a great season with the tail end of that being better than the start.
“Individually we will have to be as good as we can be, collectively as a group, will need to be on the money.
“Our goalkeeper will need to have a brilliant game. The whole team will have to be at the top of their game.
“We need to stop the source of balls into him, we have to deal with him individually, we need that little bit of luck.
“Hopefully he doesn’t have his shooting boots on and fingers crossed we can keep him quiet on the night.
“The remarkable thing is, for a team struggling for points over the season, for someone to get the return he has got is testament to him and also testament to the group of players he is playing with because they have to provide him.
“We will try to deal with him as best as we can on Wednesday night.
“Motherwell have been brilliant. A fantastic end to the season since Stuart Kettlewell took charge.
“First and foremost we will go through what we can do better from Saturday and look at areas where we did well but will treat the game completely different. It is a massive challenge.”
Hastings was referring to Livingston’s 2-1 win over bottom side Dundee United 2-1 on Saturday, their first win in four games.
He said: “We had a difficult couple of weeks not getting the results we were after but we have a very honest group and we had a lot of conversations and delighted to get back to winning ways on Saturday in front of the home fans.
“We will always look back with a bit of frustration and disappointment (at not making top-six) but we are always looking to survive and delighted to stay in the league for another year.”
Michael Beale admitted Scott Arfield’s departure “pulls at the heartstrings” as he paid tribute to a quintet of Rangers players leaving Ibrox this summer.
Colombia striker Alfredo Morelos, winger Ryan Kent, veteran goalkeeper Allan McGregor and long-term injured defender Filip Helander will also depart at the ends of their contracts.
The Govan club also announced that veteran midfielder Steven Davis – another player soon to be out of contract – “remains in discussions to continue working with the club’s medical team to support his return to full fitness following a long-term ACL injury suffered in December 2022”.
Midfielder Arfield, 34, has become a fans’ favourite since signing from Burnley in 2018, although he has found regular starts hard to come by recently.
Ahead of the final home cinch Premiership game of the season against Hearts on Wednesday night, where the players leaving will be given the chance to say their goodbyes, Beale spoke about Arfield in the most glowing terms.
“Scotty Arfield – it pulls on the heartstrings, big time,” he said. “As a man and as a person, he has been absolutely fantastic around the place.
“He is adored by the fans as well, not only (by) his team-mates and staff.
“That was a real amicable conversation between the two of us over the last couple of months around playing time, how the squad will look and what Scott needs moving forward as well.
“You have to live the reality. He is a key player and gives a lot of energy to the building and his team-mates, but he needs to feel he will be involved and play from the start or have a significant involvement, and I can’t promise him that.
“A difficult decision to come to, but I think it is right for all parties.”
Beale, who took over from Giovanni van Bronckhorst in November, promised a revamp of the Rangers squad for next season, having once again missed out on the Premiership title to Celtic, and admitted that, “as a group, we are losing a lot of experience and a lot of quality”.
McGregor, 41, is in his second spell at the club while 30-year-old Sweden defender Helander has not played since April 2022 due to a foot problem.
Morelos, 26, was signed from HJK Helsinki in 2017 for a reported fee of £1million while Kent, 26, joined from Liverpool permanently in September 2019 after an initial loan spell, with the fee reportedly around £6.5m.
Beale, former assistant coach at Ibrox under Steven Gerrard, said: “McGregor, Hall of Fame member, has been a fantastic servant for the club in two periods and has had many fantastic moments for this club where he has shown his class.
“We have not had Helander available for a long time through injury but his partnership with Connor Goldson was probably the foundation for the league-winning season in 2021 when we were invincible.
“Ryan Kent’s contribution has been fantastic, certainly in big matches, Europe and domestically.
“This season has not gone the way Ryan would like to go but an excellent player for Rangers.
“And Alfredo, for the outlay to what we got back, he has made an outstanding contribution to the club. Top goalscorer in Europe for Rangers and was player of the year last year.
“Their contributions to Rangers were huge.
“It is a sad day in many ways and I am sure the fans will show their appreciation (on Wednesday) night in the last home game.
“They have all made big contributions to the club but it is a sign that there will be change to the club this summer. You will start to see some announcements.”
After Sunday’s 3-1 win over Hibernian at Easter Road, Beale has Morelos, Borna Barisic, Glen Kamara, Scott Wright, Rabbi Matondo and Antonio Colak all back in training and will rotate his squad for the visit of Hearts.
He said: “We are unbeaten at home in the league this season. There is one game to go and we want to make sure we keep it like that.”
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expects an inevitable drop off in intensity from his players now the Premier League has been retained but warned them that major challenges still lie in wait.
A fifth title in six years was attained following Arsenal’s defeat at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, which essentially gave City three ‘free’ games until the end of the domestic campaign.
They have already dispensed with Chelsea and Brighton follow on Wednesday before Brentford on the final day, but the bigger picture is the FA Cup final against Manchester United and the Champions League final against Inter Milan.
“They have the party after the (Chelsea) game. I don’t know how they feel,” said Guardiola.
“They have to be ready to run a lot. The best way to prepare for the final is be ready. The players set the standards, they have to maintain it.
“It’s normal the energy would drop. Arsenal play for just the Premier League, we have FA Cup, Champions League, the energy we spend is massive.
“It’s normal you drop, you have to avoid it or don’t drop much otherwise the two teams (Brighton and Brentford) can hurt us.
“Play our game, adapt the way we play, arrive to United and Inter in the best condition possible.”
Guardiola has plenty of options at his disposal in terms of being able to keep his players fresh, so there should be no excuse for a huge drop off in performance.
Against Chelsea he made nine changes, allowing him to be able to bring on the likes of 52-goal striker Erling Haaland, playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri and John Stones while not even using Jack Grealish or the in-form Ilkay Gundogan.
That meant a first Premier League start for Kalvin Phillips, who has had a difficult debut season since arriving from Leeds for £42million.
Guardiola insists all his squad still have a part to play.
“Everyone can have influence, sometimes five minutes is as important as the rest,” he added.
“Everyone has been important, everyone has been involved in the fact we are where we are.”
The City boss, however, remains wary of Brighton, who are riding the crest of a wave having qualified for Europe for the first time in their history.
Guardiola is a huge fan of the work done by Roberto De Zerbi since taking over from Graham Potter.
“Congratulations for Brighton for this incredible achievement for the Europa League,” he said.
“Pay attention to what I’m going to say. I’m pretty convinced I’m right in what I’m saying: I think Roberto is one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years.
“There is no team playing the way they play, it’s unique. I have the feeling when he arrived the impact he would have in the Premier League would be great – I didn’t expect them to do it in this short space of time.
“If you don’t play at a high level he can do whatever he wants against you. They deserve completely the compliments and the success they have, one of the teams I try to learn a lot from.
“Brighton is the master of passing the ball to the man free, but also when to pass to the free man.
“They move at the right time, this is the best at the world, for the right tempo and the free man.”
Kevin Nisbet admits Wednesday’s cinch Premiership match at home to Celtic could be his last at Easter Road as a Hibernian player.
The prolific 26-year-old has regularly been linked with transfers away from the Hibees since joining from Dunfermline in 2020 and a proposed £2.3million move to Millwall fell through in January when the striker – who had just returned from long-term injury – decided he would prefer to remain in Edinburgh “for the time being”.
With just one year left on his contract and little prospect of Hibs being able to tie their prized asset to a new deal, it is widely expected that a fully-fit Nisbet will be sold this summer.
Asked on Tuesday if it was in his mind that the Celtic match could be his last at Easter Road, he said: “It could, yeah. But for me it’s just about focusing on the game and then focusing on the Hearts game (at Tynecastle on Saturday).
“All the other stuff is put to the side until after the season and then we’ll take it from there. For me, it’s just about putting a good performance on against Celtic and trying to get three points.”
Nisbet remained coy when pressed further on how he expects this summer to pan out.
“I’m not really too sure,” he said. “I’ve not really thought into it. My agent and the club are in good dialogue with each other and I’ve said I kind of want to stay out of it. I just want to focus on finishing the season well.”
Nisbet would like to see Hibs get a good fee in return for his services.
“Of course I do,” he said. “This is my third season here and I’ve got a good connection with the club. They’ve been great to me so if I can return the investment, that would be great for all parties.”
Nisbet – whose openness about the possibility of leaving has not always endeared him to supporters – is pleased that he will likely leave on good terms with the Hibees after scoring 10 goals since his return from an ACL injury in December, while also snubbing Millwall to stay at Easter Road.
“I’ve loved it,” he said of playing in front of the Hibs fans. “There’s been a wee bit of ups and downs between me and the supporters.
“But after coming back from the injury, I think I’ve created that connection back with the fans which I’ve been delighted about because it did hurt me a lot when I didn’t really have that connection with the fans.
“I love the club. The club has been good to me and I’ve been good to the club so it will be good to see the supporters out in force (against Celtic).”
Asked if he felt he had been vindicated in staying at Hibs instead of signing for Millwall, Nisbet said: “Yeah, of course. I wanted to come back and stay and play well.
“I’ve been there before where January moves have fallen through and I think I didn’t deal with it previously as well as I did this time.
“I wanted to come back and enjoy my football – and I have.”
Having been sidelined by injury from February to December last year, Nisbet feels he is now back in prime condition and ready to be considered for a Scotland recall for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Georgia next month.
“It’s been an enjoyable return to play,” he said. “I don’t think a lot of people expected me to come back the way I did.
“I’ve probably come back a better player as well. I knew in my head I would but there were a lot of doubters so it’s good to silence the doubters a bit as well.
“It was a long and very lonely nine months out but I put in a lot of hard work and I think people can see with my performances how hard I actually worked.
“The last Scotland camp (in March) was maybe a bit too soon because I was only a few months into my return to play but I’ve had a good five, six months now and I feel better physically.
“I’m sharper and fitter than ever, so hopefully I get selected.”
Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka has signed a new long-term contract.
The 21-year-old England international has scored 14 goals in all competitions this season as well as providing 11 assists.
Saka told the club website: “I’m just really happy. There’s been a lot of talking and it’s been a while, but I’m here now. I think this is the right club, the right place to make the next step. It’s a beautiful club – look where we are.
“For me, it’s about achieving my personal ambitions – how much I push myself and demand from myself each game, week in, week out. Then I have all the right people around me in terms of family, and when I come to the training ground, my team-mates, the coaching staff.
“I think I have everything I need to become the best player I can be, and that’s why I’m happy to stay here and be here for the future, because I really believe that we can achieve big things.”
Saka made his Gunners debut in November 2018 and has made 178 appearances in red and white.
He added: “I have seen a lot of change. I’ve seen this team and the club grow, and one thing that everyone around us can be excited about is that we are going in the right direction.
“Time is on our side. You can look at our team and a lot of the players are young. We’re hungry, and a lot of us haven’t won trophies at Arsenal so we want to achieve big things. If you watch the way we all speak, we want to win and we want to win here.
“It’s been too long since this club has had Champions League football. I’m really looking forward to Tuesday and Wednesday nights in this stadium, the atmosphere is going to be special.”
Saka joins goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale in signing a new deal in the last few days.
Boss Mikel Arteta said: “It’s great for the club that Bukayo has extended his contract. Retaining our best young talents is key to our continued progress and Bukayo represents such an important part of our squad now and for the future.
“As well as being a fantastic talent, Bukayo is a special person, he’s loved by us all and he is a credit to himself and his family for the hard work and commitment they have all made to get to this level today.
“Together with our supporters, we’re so looking forward to enjoying Bukayo’s continued development with us in the years to come.”
The fight for Premier League survival reaches its climax on Sunday with three clubs still scrapping for their top-flight lives.
Two of Everton, Leicester and Leeds will join already-relegated Southampton in the Sky Bet Championship next season on what is set to be a dramatic final day of the campaign.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at what each club needs to happen if they are to avoid the drop.
Everton
Opposition: Bournemouth (h)
Position: 17th
Points: 33
Goal difference: -24
The equation is simple for the Toffees: win and their fears are over regardless of what happens elsewhere. Anything less could prove fatal.
A draw would open the door for Leicester to leapfrog them on goal difference with a win, while Leeds could also overhaul them on goals scored with victory by three or more.
However, Everton would be safe even in defeat if both the Foxes and Leeds failed to win.
Leicester
Opposition: West Ham (h)
Position: 18th
Points: 31
Goal difference: -18
Victory is the only option for Dean Smith’s men and even then, it might not prove enough.
Leicester also need Everton not to win – defeat for the Toffees would keep them up by a point, while a draw at Goodison would edge City to safety on goal difference.
Leeds
Opposition: Tottenham (h)
Position: 19th
Points: 31
Goal difference: -27
Like the Foxes, Leeds must win and even then, they would have to keep their fingers crossed that both Everton and Leicester did not.
In the event that Everton drew, they would need to make up three clear goals to leapfrog them.
At the same time, Sam Allardyce’s men would have to achieve an improbable goal swing – they head into the weekend nine worse off – to edge past Leicester if they managed to beat West Ham.
Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin is relishing a high-stakes finale to the season as Hearts aim to continue hunting down Aberdeen and secure European group-stage football.
The Jambos pulled off a potentially huge victory over the Dons on Saturday to cut the gap between the teams from five points to two in the battle for third place in the cinch Premiership.
Hearts travel to Rangers on Wednesday and host city rivals Hibernian on Saturday, while the Dons welcome St Mirren before finishing away to Celtic.
Devlin knows it will be a “special” ending to the season if his side can pip the Reds and secure third place – and the financial and European rewards that go with it – for the second year running.
“Being a professional footballer you want to play in the big pressure games,” said the Australia international. “For all of us being fortunate enough to be at a club like Hearts, that pressure is normal.
“It’s about building yourself up for the games and being up for it, and there’s no excuses for not being up for it.
“On Saturday, as individuals and as a team, we showed we are up for it. We’ve got massive games coming up and it could be very special, but we’ve just got to control what we can control and hopefully make that happen.”
Devlin is adamant Hearts never gave up hope of finishing third even though Aberdeen, who won eight games out of nine before the split, seemed to be marching clear in recent months.
“I don’t think we’ve ever taken our mind off third,” he said. “That’s where we know we need to be. Obviously there was a period there where we as players weren’t good enough, but I think you can see now where we want to be.
“We look like we’re turning it around. Saturday was a massive result and it showed how hungry we are to give back to the people who pay to come and watch us home and away, and hopefully we can finish that off in the last two games.”
Hearts had 30 goal attempts against Aberdeen and 38 in their recent 6-1 victory over Ross County.
Devlin has enjoyed the “front-foot” football Steven Naismith has encouraged since being appointed interim manager in April and the midfielder feels that approach is essential for Wednesday’s match with Rangers at Ibrox, a venue at which the Jambos have not won in nine years.
“We’ve found it tough against Rangers, they are a very good team, there’s no shying away from that,” said Devlin.
“But since Naisy’s come in we’ve changed a few things. A few results haven’t been ideal, but I think the football we’ve been playing has been attractive to watch and as a player it’s enjoyable to be playing attacking football on the front foot.
“The defensive side of it is so important (at Ibrox), but we need to go and score more goals than them.
“Naisy won’t want to set us up defensively because that’s not the coach he is and (assistants) Frankie (McAvoy) and Gordy (Gordon Forrest) aren’t like that.
“As players you never want to sit back on your box inviting pressure, that’s not enjoyable for any player, so we certainly won’t be doing that.
“Naisy wants us to play attacking football and take any opportunity to go forward and put pressure on the opponent. He’s instilling that into the players and I think it’s showing.”
Leicester boss Dean Smith believes his side have piled the pressure onto Everton after seeing his team set up a dramatic final day of the Premier League season with a battling draw at high-flying Newcastle.
The 2016 champions will head into Sunday’s home clash with West Ham knowing even victory might not prove enough to keep them in the top-flight, but having piled the pressure on rivals Everton and Leeds.
If the Toffees win at home to Bournemouth, both City and Sam Allardyce’s side, who host Tottenham, will be relegated regardless of their results.
But a draw at Goodison Park coupled with a Leicester win would see the Foxes survive by virtue of goal difference and Smith believes they have put the heat on Everton.
“I think we have because if they draw and we win, we stay up. I did say it might be down to goal difference,” Smith said.
“But we’ve got a tough game against West Ham, who have just qualified for a European final and have got a very good manager who’s a friend of mine, David Moyes, who I have got a lot of respect for.
“He’ll make it, certainly, a really tough game for us. We hope now that we can get to the King Power and if fortunes go our way…
“We have taken it to the last game, we’ve made Everton have to win if we win ourselves.”
The need to win – something City have done on only eight occasions to date in the league this season – means there is no margin for error on Sunday with two points currently separating them from the final safe spot in the table.
However, Smith will not adopt a gung-ho approach to the task.
“No, because if you chuck everything, they have got good enough players – they’ve just qualified for a European final – that they could open some doors against us, and we can’t allow that,” Smith added.
“We have to make sure that we play a balanced performance to make sure we don’t give big chances away, but go and create some.”
It was a very different balance on Tyneside, where Smith admitted he had set up simply to avoid defeat by a team chasing and ultimately securing Champions League qualification, although the visitors might have emerged with three priceless points had Nick Pope not made his only save of the game to keep out Timothy Castagne’s stoppage-time volley.
“Have I gambled with Leicester’s future? No. I am a bit of a risk-taker, but that wasn’t a gamble,” Smith said when asked about his approach.
“If I came here and went at Newcastle, we could have been beaten four or five. It wasn’t a gamble.
“We kept a clean sheet, which was what we needed to do. We need to score, which we know we’ve got our problems with.”
Alfredo Morelos leads the list of five out-of-contract players confirmed as leaving Rangers this summer.
The Colombia striker, winger Ryan Kent, veteran goalkeeper Allan McGregor, midfielder Scott Arfield and defender Filip Helander will depart the cinch Premiership outfit.
The Ibrox club also announced that veteran midfielder Steven Davis, whose contract is also expiring, “remains in discussions to continue working with the club’s medical team to support his return to full fitness following a long-term ACL injury suffered in December 2022”.
The Light Blues finished runners-up to Premiership champions Celtic this season and will end the season without a trophy.
Boss Michael Beale, who took over from Giovanni van Bronckhorst in November, promised a revamp of the Rangers squad for next season.
A statement on the club’s official website read: “Each of the departing players has given the club excellent service and will move on to the next stage in their careers with the warmest wishes and thanks of everyone at Ibrox and the Rangers Training Centre.
“The individuals have contributed enormously to the club’s capture of a record 55th Scottish league title, last season’s Scottish Cup, the run to the UEFA Europa League final and qualification for the UEFA Champions League this season.
“Allan McGregor, of course, also gained significant honours with the club in his first spell and broke the 500 appearance mark for Gers back in April.
“Tributes to the departing players will be paid at tomorrow’s match with Hearts.
“Additional acknowledgements to those leaving will continue on the club’s digital platforms in the coming weeks, with Allan McGregor to be further recognised in his testimonial match with Newcastle on July 18.”
Callum Wilson is in line for an England recall as boss Gareth Southgate waits on Jude Bellingham’s fitness.
Newcastle striker Wilson has scored 11 goals since he was overlooked for the European Championship qualifying wins against Italy and Ukraine in March.
On Wednesday Southgate names his squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers in Malta on June 16 and at home to North Macedonia in Manchester on June 19, with England top of Group C.
Wilson has helped spearhead the Magpies’ top-four charge and they confirmed their return to the Champions League after 20 years with Monday’s 0-0 draw against Leicester.
The 31-year-old went to the World Cup in Qatar but scored just once in 13 games after the season resumed, prompting Southgate to leave him out.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has previously backed his striker for a recall.
He said: “It’s one for Gareth, but he is certainly doing the right things, scoring goals. That is always going to get you the headlines. He is certainly in great form. I don’t know if it is his best.
“But I think he is very focused at the moment and he knows he has to be. I think the biggest compliment I can pay him is that, whatever situation he’s been in, he’s still been himself, laughing, smiling, joking.
“He is a really positive character. He’s somebody that the squad needs to be positive because he’s such a big personality within it.”
There is a spot available after Ivan Toney’s eight-month ban for betting offences was confirmed this month.
The Brentford striker made his debut as a late substitute in the 2-0 win over Ukraine but will be unable to play competitively again until January.
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins missed out on a call-up last time and will come into Southgate’s thoughts again.
Watkins has 15 goals this season, although he has not scored in his last six outings and missed a penalty in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Liverpool.
Borussia Dortmund’s Bellingham missed Sunday’s 3-0 win at Augsburg with a knee problem he suffered in the 5-2 win over Borussia Monchengladbach and is a doubt for Saturday’s final game against Mainz.
Dortmund are two points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga, hunting their first title since 2012.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is almost certain of a return after his improved form for Liverpool and with Reece James’ season having been ended by a hamstring injury in April.
Marcus Rashford is expected to be fit after injury and illness this month and Raheem Sterling could be recalled after being injured in March, while Morgan Gibbs-White’s form, which has helped Nottingham Forest stay in the Premier League, makes him an option for Southgate.
Ben Chilwell has a hamstring injury, which could open the door for Arsenal’s Ben White to return, while Chelsea team-mate Mason Mount had surgery on a pelvic injury last month and is unlikely to be risked.
LaLiga will request greater jurisdiction to punish clubs whose fans are guilty of racist abuse after feeling “powerless” at the lack of current sanctions in the wake of the latest Vinicius Junior incident.
The Spanish league is engulfed in a racism scandal after Real Madrid forward Vinicius was allegedly subjected to racist chants during Sunday’s game at Valencia and later claimed it was an example of “continuous episodes spread across several cities in Spain”.
LaLiga, according to the country’s law, can currently only identify and report incidents, and punishment is rarely handed out.
Now it wants legislation changing so that it has the power to impose punishment such as forcing games to be played behind closed doors or financial penalties.
It said in a statement: “LaLiga will request more sanctioning powers, with the aim of being more agile and effective in the fight against violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance in sport, where LaLiga has been leading the identification and reporting of such behaviour in football stadiums for years, but feels powerless when observing how its reporting ends.
“Despite its intense and continuous fight against violence and racism to the full extent of its powers (currently, according to Spanish legislation, limited to identifying and reporting the facts that occur), LaLiga feels tremendous frustration at the lack of sanctions and convictions by the sports disciplinary bodies, public administrations and jurisdictional bodies to which it reports.
“Faced with this serious situation, in the coming days LaLiga will formally request the amendment of Law 19/2007 of July 11, against violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance in sport and Law 39/2022 of December 30, on sport.
“The purpose of the proposal is to request that LaLiga may exercise disciplinary authority over incidents of this type which occur in matches of the professional competition, so that the disciplinary bodies of LaLiga may proceed to sanction them, among other things, with the total or partial closure of the sports venue, the prohibition of access to it in the case of members/fans and the imposition of financial penalties, without prejudice to the adoption of provisional or precautionary measures that may be appropriate, depending on the nature and seriousness of the incidents.
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“As we have been repeating in recent days, LaLiga has been leading the fight against violence, racism and intolerance on football pitches, both inside and outside the stadium, identifying such behaviour through its match directors, security officers and television cameras, and subsequently reporting it to the relevant bodies.”
It comes on the day four people have been arrested in Spain under suspicion of hanging an effigy of Vinicius off a bridge in January.
An inflatable doll dressed in a Vinicius shirt was hung from the railings with a banner that read ‘Madrid hates Real Madrid’ ahead of Real’s Copa del Rey game with city rivals Atletico at the start of the year.
And Spanish police confirmed on Tuesday that four suspects had been apprehended.
They tweeted: “Arrested in #Madrid 4 people who allegedly hung a mannequin with the #Vinicius shirt on a bridge near the Ciudad Deportiva del @realmadrid.”
The arrests follow the latest racism scandal that has engulfed Spanish football, with Vinicius targeted by racist chants during Sunday’s LaLiga game with Valencia.
The Brazil international threatened to leave the pitch in the second half after being subjected to alleged monkey chants at the Mestalla.
Real Madrid said the abuse constituted a “hate crime” and filed a complaint with the Spanish State Attorney General’s Office.
Valencia confirmed police had identified a fan who made racist gestures at Vinicius and that individual faces a lifetime stadium ban.
Vinicius tweeted on Monday night: “Every round away from home is an unpleasant surprise. And there were many this season. Death wishes, hanged doll, many criminal screams… All registered.
“But the speech always falls on ‘isolated cases’, ‘a fan’. No, these are not isolated cases. They are continuous episodes spread across several cities in Spain (and even in a television programme).
“The evidence is there in the video. Now I ask: how many of these racists had names and photos exposed on websites? I answer to make it easier: zero. None to tell a sad story or make those fake public apologies.
“What is missing to criminalise these people? And punish clubs sportingly? Why don’t sponsors charge LaLiga? Don’t televisions bother to broadcast this barbarity every weekend?
“The problem is very serious and communications no longer work. Not blaming me to justify criminal acts either. You are not football, you are inhuman.”
Television coverage of the Women’s Champions League will move largely behind a paywall from next season, the rights holder DAZN has announced.
The group, which has broadcast the competition exclusively on its YouTube channel since 2021, said in a press release that it plans to include 42 of the competition’s 61 matches as part of a subscription package, with the other 19, including the final, remaining free to view.
Twelve group-stage matches as well as four from the (two-legged) quarter-finals and two from the semi-finals will also be available free on DAZN’s online platform, with the rest requiring viewers to pay £9.99 a month to watch.
The news comes as DAZN announced the findings of an investigation analysing the reach of its women’s football coverage.
The group reported that the Women’s Champions League is watched in more than 230 countries, with 362,000 subscribers to its platform.
The final of last season’s competition between Barcelona and Lyon was watched by 3.6million viewers across the broadcaster’s online and TV platforms.
DAZN’s global markets CEO Veronica Diquattro said: “We want to help the women’s game realise its potential, by reaching audiences and by developing its obvious commercial appeal to create a virtuous circle of investment, growth, raising standards and overall interest.”
Jamaica's U-20 Reggae Girlz Head Coach, Hugh Bradford, is gearing up for what he believes will be one of the most challenging and demanding Concacaf Women's Under-20 Championships in the country's history. However, Bradford remains confident in the depth of his 20-player squad, which he expects to showcase their competitiveness and secure a historic spot at the FIFA Women's Under-20 World Cup next year.
In the first phase of qualifiers, the young Reggae Girlz displayed their prowess by defeating Anguilla 6-0, Bermuda 2-0, and Honduras by a similar scoreline, securing the top spot in their group. However, their upcoming matches in Group A will prove to be tougher, as they face the defending seven-time champions, the United States, along with another powerhouse, Canada, and Panama.
Their campaign kicks off against Canada on Wednesday at 3:00 pm, followed by a clash with the United States two days later at 5:00 pm, and concluding with a match against Panama on Sunday at 2:00 pm. Meanwhile, Group B will witness Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and the host nation Dominican Republic battling it out.
To strengthen the team's chances, Bradford made eight changes to the squad that excelled in the first phase of qualifying. These alterations indicate his determination to secure one of the three World Cup spots up for grabs.
"Our expectation is to qualify, but we are aware of the challenges that lie ahead due to the tough draw. Therefore, we are taking it one game at a time and aiming to perform at our best in each match," stated Bradford. He emphasized the importance of depth at this stage, noting that the young ladies, especially those who were part of the previous tournament in Nicaragua, have demonstrated their determination to fight for World Cup qualification.
Among the new additions to the squad are defender Amelia Van Zanten, sister of senior Reggae Girlz winger Kalyssa "Kiki" Van Zanten, and West Bromwich Albion's Una Moy Lue. Additionally, players such as Canada-born Taijah Fraser, as well as American-born athletes Kaitlyn Ennis, Anaiyah Robinson, Njeri Butts, and Njeri Lewis, have caught Bradford's attention.
Despite facing challenges in achieving team cohesion due to unavailability for a planned camp before departure, Bradford remains optimistic about his team's ability to overcome the stiff competition. He explained that while it's beneficial for players to get touches on the ball, the local league doesn't fully prepare them for the tournament's intensity. Consequently, Bradford incorporated new players into the squad to bring a fresh dynamic to their gameplay. He believes that with the right application, the team will compete strongly in the tournament, which promises to be both demanding and exciting.
Following the round-robin stage, the two best teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage. The finalists and the third-placed team will secure qualification for next year's World Cup.
Jamaica's highest placement in the Concacaf Women's Championship, during its 12 appearances, was a fourth-place finish in 2006. Jody Brown, a diminutive forward, holds the record for the country's all-time leading scorer in the tournament, with nine goals.
Squad: Andrene Smith, Shaneil Buckley, Una Moy Lue, Davia Richards, Liha Williams, Taijah Fraser, Tiny Seaton, Kaitlyn Ennis, Natoya Atkinson, Destiny Powell, Akeila Johnson, Janiel Mignott, Amelia Zanten, Liya Brooks, Avery Johnson, Maya Raghunandanan,
Jimmy Jeggo believes Hibernian can recover from Sunday’s setback against Rangers to keep themselves in contention for a European place.
The Hibees had not lost in four games before the 3-1 cinch Premiership defeat to the Light Blues where goals from Gers skipper James Tavernier, Ianis Hagi and Todd Cantwell rendered Paul Hanlon’s added-time header as a consolation.
Lee Johnson’s side are in fifth place – two points ahead of St Mirren, four points behind Hearts and six behind Aberdeen – with European places potentially available up to fifth place in the league as long as champions Celtic beat Inverness in the Scottish Cup final.
Hibs finish the campaign with two tough matches, at home to Celtic and away to Edinburgh rivals Hearts and Jeggo remains positive.
The 31-year-old midfielder, who signed from Belgian club Eupen in January, said: “There were positives but there are still a lot of things we need to improve when it comes to these types of games to get a little bit closer.
“But we are at that stage in the season where we need results.
“We are still in with a chance of European football, which is our aim. It is about taking the positives from Sunday, looking at the things we need to improve on and then taking them into the game on Wednesday night, which will be a similar game.
“We know where we are as a team and we want to keep building.
“We feel that over the last couple of weeks we have taken a step forward and it is about continuing that.
“It is that time of the season where there is no point getting too down about things.
“We know we have to go out there in the next couple of games and do a job. We know it is going to be difficult, but we are ready for that.
“There is still an overriding sense of confidence in the team that we can do what we need to do to get a European place.
“A club like Hibs has to be in Europe. We are all well aware of the expectation.
“As players, that’s where we want to be. We know there are two really big games coming up and it is going to be difficult.
“But the gaffer is clear. We are building and there is another window coming up and all that kind of stuff.
“It is a big advantage to the club having European football and also for us as a team. It provides us with more challenges to grow and more challenges to get better.”
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