Sports
Depay joins Atletico Madrid from Barcelona
Atletico Madrid have signed Netherlands forward Memphis Depay from La Liga rivals Barcelona for three million euros ($3.25 million), the two clubs announced on Friday.The 28-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half year deal with Atletico after an injury-hit spell at the Camp Nou.
The transfer could cost Atletico up to an extra one million euros in add-ons.
Barcelona said the deal included an option for them to buy versatile Belgian international Yannick Carrasco from Atletico.
Depay scored 14 goals in 42 matches for Barca after signing for the Catalan giants from Lyon in 2021.
But injury problems and the arrival of Poland striker Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich led to Depay only making four appearances for Xavi Hernandez’s men this season.
Depay is the Netherlands’ second highest scorer of all time with 43 goals and netted once at the 2022 World Cup.
He enjoyed a fruitful five-year spell at Lyon after a disappointing stint with Manchester United.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico have struggled this term and are fourth in La Liga, 13 points behind leaders Barca, having also been knocked out of the Champions League.
Depay will be expected to replace Joao Felix who left Madrid earlier this month to join Chelsea on loan.
AFP
Liverpool winger, Mohamed Salah, on Saturday, surpassed Chelsea legend, Frank Lampard’s goal record in the Premier League.
The Egyptian international achieved the feat after scoring a brace in Liverpool’s away Premier League 2-0 win against Bournemouth.
The match was played at the Vitality Stadium as Salah netted a penalty in the first half and another goal in the second half.
Salah’s two goals means, the former Chelsea and AS Roma star has now surpassed Lampard as 6th all time goal scorer in Premier League history.
The 32-year-old now has 178 Premier League goals with a goal ahead of Lampard, who now sit in 7th position on the all-time Premier League goal scorers chat.
He is, however, behind the likes of Alan Shearer, Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney, Andrew Cole and Sergio Aguero in the goal chat.
Salah has scored 21 goals for the Reds so far this season.
He could leave Liverpool in the summer as he is yet to sign a new deal.
His contract with Arne Slot’s side will expire at the end of the season.
The Confederation of African Football, CAF, on Friday announced the full match schedule for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nine venues will be used across six cities for the continent’s flagship soccer event.
Hosts Morocco will will take on Comoros in the competition’s opening game at the newly-built 69,500-seater Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat on Sunday, December 21.
The country’s capital, Rabat, will have four match venues.
Other host cities are Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech, Fes and Tangier, which will have one match each.
The four quarter-final fixtures will be played at the Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, as well as in Tangier, Marrakech and Agadir.
The semi-finals will be in Rabat and Tangier, with the third-place play-off set for the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca.
52 matches will be played during the biennial competition.
The Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire are the defending champions of the competition.
The draw for this season’s UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off draw has been conducted on Friday.
Eight teams have progressed straight to the round of 16 following the completion of the league phase.
They are Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Aston Villa.
They will all return to the competition in March, but others have more football to play before then.
The teams that finished between 9th and 24th, have a two-legged play-off to navigate in February.
FULL KNOCKOUT PHASE PLAY-OFF DRAW
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Feyenoord vs AC Milan
Juventus vs PSV
Monaco vs Benfica
Man City vs Real Madrid
Celtic vs Bayern Munich
Sporting vs Borussia Dortmund
Club Brugge vs Atalanta
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