Speaking on BBC Breakfast this morning, the former England striker believes the “big six” - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham - should face tough punishments for their involvement in the breakaway competition.
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“The Super League have chucked a grenade at the Premier League and to everyone else,” he said. “Well, chuck one back. Ban them. Ban them immediately if you can. I am sure they will look at every possible legal angle and what pressure they are under in doing that but if you can, do it. Absolutely.”
2. ‘Gloves are off’ as 14 Premier League clubs meet
Football
The 14 other Premier League clubs are meeting today and one executive has claimed that “the gloves are off”. Throwing the six clubs out of the Premier League “will be discussed and has certainly not been ruled out”, The Telegraph says.
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Everton owner Farhad Moshiri believes the six rebel clubs should have points deducted by the Premier League. Speaking to talkSPORT Moshiri said that “every facet of it is against the very idea of British football” and “football belongs to the fans and to their communities”.
“This just takes much of their romance of football away,” he added. “Who wants to see Real Madrid and Liverpool every year? You want Liverpool and Everton to play. It’s just a money game, it’s not football any more. I think the Premier League should deduct points from these clubs.
“When clubs get deducted points for minor things – poaching a manager, a player, exceeding Financial Fair Play, these six clubs are attacking the very heart of the Premier League and I think they should be disciplined. That’s what I’d do.”
3. Zidane: don’t ask me, ask the president
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Football
Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane was questioned about the Spanish club’s involvement in the Super League and the Frenchman refused to comment. “That’s a matter of one person, of the president,” he said. The one person he refers to is Florentino Perez, president of Real Madrid and chairman of the Super League.
“I’m here to talk about the game, not to talk about other things - the rest is not my job,” Zidane added ahead of Real’s La Liga clash against Cádiz tomorrow night.
4. Mason to coach Spurs until end of the season
Football
Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that Ryan Mason has been named interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
The 29-year-old, who steps up into the role following Jose Mourinho’s sacking yesterday, will take charge of the team for tomorrow’s Premier League clash against Southampton then lead the club out at Wembley for the League Cup final against Manchester City on Sunday.
Former Spurs midfielder Mason was forced to retire from playing in 2018 after suffering a fractured skull. He had previously worked with the club’s academy.
“We have great belief in this squad of talented players,” said chairman Daniel Levy. “We have a cup final and six Premier League games ahead of us and we shall now focus all our energies on achieving a strong finish to the season.”
5. Amateur jockey Lorna Brooke dies following fall
Horse racing
Tributes have been paid to amateur jockey Lorna Brooke, who died in hospital on Sunday. The 37-year-old sustained spinal injuries in a fall at Taunton on 8 April and after complications was placed in an induced coma on Friday.
Brooke, who rode 17 winners in her racing career, is the first jockey killed on a British racecourse as a result of a fall since 2005, The Telegraph reports.
“The sport pulled us together and she was one of our own,” said trainer Evan Williams. “Racing is built on hard-working people with a passion for horses like Lorna and she was an absolute joy to deal with.”
6. Education comes first for St Mirren star Reid
Football
St Mirren midfielder Dylan Reid will miss the next two weeks of action because he needs to focus on school exams. The 16-year-old, who is the youngest player to feature in the Scottish Premiership, will swap the training ground for the classroom and prepare for his end of year assessment.
Jim Goodwin, manager of the Paisley club, said Reid’s absence was “a first for me”, the Daily Record reports. “Dylan Reid has to go back to school, he is not allowed to travel,” Goodwin added. “He is not able to train the next two weeks, he is actually back at school because he has exams coming up. Obviously his education is very important and it is something that we want to encourage, so he has been given time away and he will join back in with the group in a couple of weeks’ time.”
7. ICC confident India can travel to England this summer
Cricket
India’s addition to the UK’s travel “red list” could affect international cricket fixtures in England this summer.
Cricket bosses are facing “another summer of logistical headaches”, says The Guardian, with India’s men’s team playing in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand in June and a five-Test series against England starting in August. The Indian women’s team are also scheduled to play in the UK from June.
Despite fears over the travel ban, the International Cricket Council (ICC) remains confident that India will be able to tour England, The Hindu reports.
“We are currently discussing with the UK Government the impact of countries being on the ‘red list’,” the ICC said. “The England & Wales Cricket Board and other members have demonstrated how we can stage international cricket safely in the middle of a pandemic and we are confident that we can continue to do that and that the World Test Championship Final will go ahead as planned in June in the UK.”
Mike Starling is the former digital features editor at The Week. He started his career in 2001 in Gloucestershire as a sports reporter and sub-editor and has held various roles as a writer and editor at news, travel and B2B publications. He has spoken at a number of sports business conferences and also worked as a consultant creating sports travel content for tourism boards. International experience includes spells living and working in Dubai, UAE; Brisbane, Australia; and Beirut, Lebanon.
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