Football Gist

Best analysis on Messi and Maradona debate

🐐 MARADONA 🆚 MESSI @garylineker has his say on Argentina’s two favourite sons. And he picks out one superpower that gives the edge to… 😉 🗣️ ‘He sees things that you can only see from above. It ‘simply outrageous.’ Who gets your vote? 📺🎧 Watch or listen to our brand new episode with Gary Lineker now. Available on all major platforms. @mikel_john_obi @chrismchardy19 @betwinnerng @number_ten_create #obionepodcast #mikel #chelsea #cfc #maradona #messi

🛑 The moment Iker Casillas (Real Madrid legend) asked Marcello (Real Madrid legend) about the most difficult match of his career.

Iker Casillas 🗣️: "What's the most difficult match you've ever experienced in your life?"

Marcelo 🗣️: "The 5-0 defeat against Barça at Camp Nou in 2010. Damn, we couldn't even see the ball, we were blindfolded that day."

I thought to myself: 'But what really happened?' Oh my God, there was Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Pedro, everyone!"

Casillas 🗣️: "We played against the best Barça in history."

Marcelo 🗣️ "Pedro. Many people don't remember him. But he was very strong."

Casillas 🗣️: "Honestly, it was an extraordinary team.

👕🎁 Paolo Maldini has sent his own match worn shirt from back in the days to Barcelona defender Gerard Martin.

Nice gesture following Martin’s comments on Maldini as idol + teammates calling him ‘Gerard Maldini’.

Alexandre Pato really had some tough choices to make when he joined AC Milan 🤣

Neymar Jr. replicated Vinícius Júnior’s celebration against SL Benfica after scoring against Vasco da Gama ❤️

(via neymarjr/IG)

Wolves have beaten West Midlands rivals Aston Villa and it means Derby County's unwanted record of the lowest-ever Premier League points tally remains for another season 😬

Alex Song: “When I arrived at Arsenal at 17, I signed my first professional contract and I received €15,000, I was so euphoric. You can imagine, a young teenager who goes from €4,000 to €15,000 and so I wanted to be like the great players at Arsenal.

One day I arrived at training and I saw King Thierry Henry arrive with a magnificent car, but damn the car was a jewel, a Lincoln Navigator and so I thought I had to get the same car no matter what.

And you know, when you're a footballer, you just have to sign some papers and they will give you the car and then we take deductions from your salary... But I swear to you that after two months, I returned the car because it was an American car that used a lot of petrol, I had nothing left in my fridge, all my money was going to the fuel and I said to them 'give me a Toyota, your thing is too expensive In my opinion'.

When I arrived at training, Henry then asked me: 'But son, where is your car?'. I said to him: 'This car is not at my level."

🚨🇲🇦𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗔𝗙 𝗛𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗠𝗜 to stand 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗥.𝗔.𝗣.𝗘. in France!

After 3 years of investigation, an investigating judge in France has ordered trial against the Moroccan player accused of r.a.p.e since February 25th 2023.

HOW HAKIMI MET THE LADY IN QUESTION:

It was on Instagram that the player made contact with Manon, whose name has been changed, through a simple reaction to a story, which led to a month of exchanges. The investigation established that the footballer repeatedly suggested to the young woman that they meet, along with other friends, in a public place to get to know each other. She initially declined, explaining that she was shy and didn't want to be photographed, before finally agreeing to a date. However, this meeting would be at the footballer's home, away from prying eyes.

The day before the alleged events, on February 23, they agreed to meet to “relax,” according to the investigation. The complainant explained to the police that she was going through a breakup at the time, that she didn't feel ready for a relationship, and that she was going to the Parisian defender's home to get to know him.

HOW SHE GOT TO HIS HOUSE

And so Manon got into an Uber, paid for by the footballer, to go to his house. On the way, she exchanged messages with a friend, to whom she continued to write throughout the evening. This friend advised her to listen to “A l'abri” by the rapper Fresh la Peufra, a song that evokes ways, even questionable ones, of making money—a detail highlighted by investigators and which the footballer's defense considers significant. A series of messages followed, containing advice on how to be seductive, then this new text message Manon received from her friend: “Try to get the codes and everything… We're going to rob him… We're tough girls.” The plaintiff replied with skull emojis just as she arrived at Hakimi's house. The player's lawyers see this as proof that Manon's intention, upon arriving at the footballer's house, was nothing less than to rob him. Manon has always denied these accusations.

OPPOSING VERSIONS FROM BOTH CAMPS

The investigation shows that the complainant arrived at Hakimi's house at 1:17 a.m. and left a little over an hour later, at 2:21 a.m. During this time, they both explained that they were sitting on the footballer's sofa getting to know each other. They quickly began kissing, several times. Manon told investigators that she didn't want to kiss him, but that she didn't object. At the same time, she texted her friend, as she would continue to do throughout the evening: "He grabbed my mouth, I'm going to leave." Several text messages followed, in which Manon described the footballer as "a creep," telling her friend, "This is serious."

According to her account, Hakimi's hands became increasingly insistent; she pushed them away, but he persisted. The player allegedly forced her to straddle his lap. Meanwhile, according to the investigation, Manon continued to text her friend: “This is very serious.”

Hakimi explains that he “caressed her lower back with her consent,” but the complainant describes to investigators his fingers slipping inside her underwear to forcibly pe*****te her digitally. According to Manon, the digital pe*******on lasted less than a minute; she explains that she managed to free herself from the footballer's hands, then sent new text messages to her friend at 2:18 a.m.: “Please hurry, this is very serious, he's ra**ng me.”

THE VIEW OF THE INVESTIGATORS AND MAGISTRATE:

To investigators, she described several attempts by the footballer to have sexual relations with her. The investigating judge noted that the complainant explained, a month and a half after the events, that her memories were hazy and that she mixed up the different stages, but the magistrate judged Manon's account to be "consistent and detailed" when she described the digital pe*******on. The magistrate accepted this element as incriminating evidence against the footballer, and also emphasized that the account was corroborated by the exchange of messages between Manon and her friend during the evening.

The indictment also highlights that the complainant quickly confided in certain members of her circle. They all recount the minutes spent on the phone listening to Manon in tears, describing the assaults.

HAKIMI'S DEFENSE:

Achraf Hakimi's defense team denounces a manipulation aimed at extorting money from the footballer and bases its case on several elements, also noted by the investigating judge. Among them are messages, which RMC was able to consult, in which Manon's friend writes to the complainant's relatives to find out what the police knew about their correspondence. "I want to know which messages she showed the cops so I can delete some that could be used against us," she writes.

For Hakimi's defense, this is proof. Manon, for her part, explains that she was unaware of these text messages and that those sent by her friend on the evening of the events were nothing more than jokes to relax.

Hakimi's defense team is requesting that investigators be allowed to more broadly review conversations between Manon and her family. The investigating magistrate's findings indicate that the complainant never handed over her phone to the police, nor several other items and pieces of information requested by investigators. It is also noted that she refused gynecological examinations and appointments at the forensic medical unit.

Finally, the footballer's defense intends to rely on the two psychological evaluations of the plaintiff. The expert noted that "no real tendency towards fabrication or mythomania was observed," but the psychologist also highlighted statements and expressions used by Manon that "are not the vocabulary of a victim of sexual assault." According to the first psychologist, Manon could have been influenced by her friend. In response to this evaluation, the plaintiff's lawyers requested a counter-evaluation, which, in turn, emphasizes "a post-traumatic reaction of an anxious nature."

Tijjani Reijnders was named after former Super Eagles and Ajax forward Tijani Babangida.

He has no ties to the nation of Nigeria, his parents were just huge Ajax fans and loved the name 😂🇳🇬

🚨 Bodø/Glimt have QUALIFIED for the Last 16 of the Champions League, beating Inter Milan 5-2 on aggregate in the play-offs. 😍🇳🇴

✅ They beat Manchester City at home
✅ They beat Atlético away
✅ They beat Inter home & away
✅ The club is based in a city with a 50,000 population
✅ 8 years ago, they were playing in the Norwegian second division
✅ Their stadium has a capacity of 8,000

Immense respect for this incredible achievement. 🤩❤️

🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Romain Saïss has retired from international football just a few months before the 2026 World Cup: 👋🏽🇲🇦

The Moroccan centre-back announced it on his Instagram:

🗣️ “Dear Morocco supporters...

After careful consideration, I am retiring from international football. Wearing this shirt and being its captain has been the greatest honour of my life. Thank you to my teammates, the staff, my family, and above all to you for your support.

I am leaving the national team, but I will forever remain a Lion.
Allah Al Watan Al Malik.
Dima Maghreb." ❤️

It's seven years since Kepa refused to be substituted ahead of the Carabao Cup final penalty shootout between Chelsea and Manchester City.

He conceded four of the penalties as Chelsea lost 🙃