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#Haller To Play In #AFCON Final Against The Super #Eagles

Sebastien #Haller To Play In #AFCON Final Against The Super #Eagles After Defeating #Cancer

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Sebastien #Haller To Play In #AFCON Final Against The Super #Eagles After Defeating #Cancer—-Sebastien Haller’s scores the only in the 65th-minute against DR Congo to set up Ivory Coast against Nigeria in the AFCON final at Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara on Sunday night.

The hosts have the chance to win the tournament on home soil – and become the first team to do so since Egypt in 2006 – just over two weeks after they sacked manager Jean-Louis Grasset after an unimpressive group stage.

Les Elephants had assumed that after finishing third in their group, and falling to lacklustre defeats against Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, they were destined to crash out of the competition.

Instead, the team were spared and sent through as the strongest third-placed side.

Since managed by interim head coach Emerse Fae, the side have claimed victory against Senegal on penalties in the round of 16, and a 2-1 win against Mali in the quarter-finals.

Haller was making his first start in the tournament after recovering from an ankle injury, and had previously missed a header at close range in the goalless first-half.

But fortune was on his side when Max Gradel lofted a cross from the dead-ball line to the right of goal into the centre of the box – only for Haller to catch the ball with a freakish touch almost off his right ankle.

The shot looped well out of Lionel M’Pasi’s grasp, landing behind the Congolese goalkeeper in the back of the net.

On the touchline, Fae celebrated as if he knew the goal was the winner – and such was Ivorian dominance that Sebastien Desabre’s side could offer no response.

‘We are happy, we’re really moved. It’s like a dream, when you go back two weeks to the defeat here against Equatorial Guinea,’ said Fae after the final whistle.

‘It was hard then to imagine that we might qualify for the final of our own AFCON.’

Haller’s match-winning strike comes just 599 days after he first received his diagnosis of testicular cancer weeks after joining Borussia Dortumund from Ajax in the summer of 2022.

The 29-year-old underwent chemotheraphy and two operations at the end of that year, before returning to action at the Bundesliga club in January 2023.

A month later, Haller scored his first goal back on World Cancer Day as Dortmund beat Freiburg 5-1.

The player previously described chemotherapy as being ‘like a game’ due to the importance of keeping a positive mindset.

‘I am someone who’s trying to be positive all the time,’ Haller said in 2023. ‘I have this mindset that I want to be able to get through things. I was putting the bad thoughts away. “Hospital? Yeah, let’s go.”

‘You have the chemo and every day you have this liquid in your body and you’re just focused – like a game.

‘You have five days that are s***. But, OK, you are not alone. Seventy-two hours (of feeling unwell), and then it will be OK for two weeks.

‘You are thinking about your family and seeing your family, resting and enjoying it. I kept those ideas in my mind.’

Haller’s strike comes in his second-ever AFCON tournament after switching his allegiance to Ivory Coast from France in 2020.

Midfielder Franck Kessie – who was named man of the match – stressed that belief was critical to Ivory Coast’s surprise success on home soil.

‘As long as you still have a five or 10 percent chance you need to keep believing, because that is what makes football beautiful,’ Kessie told reporters. ‘After the Morocco result we knew we had qualified and that changed everything.

‘It gave us the strength we needed, it boosted us. We knew we couldn’t do worse than in the first round.

‘We need to keep going like this because you can’t go all the way to the final only to then give up.’

 

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Manchester City Found Guilty of 114 Financial Charges as Sanctions Remain Undecided

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Manchester City Found Guilty of 114 Financial Charges as Sanctions Remain Undecided—-An independent commission has reportedly ruled against Manchester City on all but one of the Premier League’s financial charges, but sanctions are yet to be decided as the club prepares to appeal.

Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty on 114 of the 115 financial charges brought against them by the Premier League, according to reports from The Athletic and The Times, in a major development that could have significant consequences for English football.

The verdict comes more than three years after the Premier League formally charged Manchester City following a lengthy investigation into the club’s finances.

An independent commission is understood to have reached its decisions on the allegations, which cover several seasons dating back to the 2009-10 campaign. City have consistently denied wrongdoing throughout the case.

However, no sanction has yet been decided.

Reports indicate that Manchester City are expected to appeal the findings, meaning the long-running case is now moving into another stage. Sky Sports reports that the process is moving towards an appeal, while the Premier League has declined to comment because the proceedings remain private and confidential.

What Were Manchester City Accused Of?

The Premier League’s original case against City included allegations that the club failed to provide accurate financial information over a nine-year period.

The charges included alleged failures to accurately report revenue, operating costs and sponsorship income, as well as allegations concerning payments made to players and managers.

The Premier League also accused City of breaches relating to UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations and its own Profitability and Sustainability Rules.

A separate set of allegations concerned the club’s alleged failure to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation.

The case was formally referred to an independent commission in February 2023 after a Premier League investigation that lasted several years.

City Maintain Their Position

Manchester City have repeatedly rejected the allegations and continue to maintain their position that the process has not yet been completed.

Following reports of the verdict, a City spokesperson said the Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements still to be completed and subject to strict confidentiality. The club also reiterated its previous position from February 2023.

The Premier League has also refused to publicly confirm the reported findings.

A league spokesperson told Reuters: “It’s a confidential process, we’re not commenting at all.”

Sanctions Yet to Be Decided

Despite the reported guilty findings, Manchester City have not been punished at this stage.

The exact sanctions, if any, will depend on the next stage of the proceedings. Possible punishments discussed during the case have included financial penalties and sporting sanctions, but no specific punishment has been confirmed.

That means there is currently no confirmed points deduction, relegation, expulsion or stripping of previous titles.

Any such outcome would have to come through the formal disciplinary process and could also be affected by City’s expected appeal.

Appeal Could Extend the Case

The reported verdict is therefore not necessarily the final word on the matter.

Manchester City are expected to challenge the findings, with Sky Sports reporting that the inquiry is moving towards the appeal stage.

The original hearing lasted 12 weeks, concluding in December 2024, after which the independent commission spent considerable time considering the extensive evidence.

The case has become one of the most significant financial disputes in Premier League history, with the outcome potentially affecting the club’s sporting and financial standing.

For now, the key development is the reported 114 guilty findings from 115 charges.

But with sanctions still undecided, the verdict not publicly released by the Premier League and an appeal expected, Manchester City’s lengthy financial case is far from over.

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JUST IN: Manchester City Found Guilty of 114 Premier League Financial Charges

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JUST IN: Manchester City Found Guilty of 114 Premier League Financial Charges—-Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty of all but one of the 115 alleged Premier League financial breaches, with sanctions yet to be determined and the club expected to appeal.

Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty of 114 of the 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations, bringing a major development to one of the longest-running financial cases in English football.

The reported verdict was delivered by an independent commission following a lengthy hearing into allegations dating back to the 2009-10 season. The Premier League originally charged City in February 2023 following a four-year investigation into the club’s financial affairs.

According to reports from The Athletic and The Times, the independent commission ruled against Manchester City on all but one of the 115 charges.

The allegations covered several areas, including claims that City failed to provide accurate financial information, failed to properly disclose payments to players and coaches, breached UEFA financial regulations and the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules, and failed to cooperate with the league’s investigation.

Verdict Yet to Be Publicly Released

Despite the reported outcome, the Premier League has not formally published the commission’s verdict.

A Premier League spokesperson told Reuters that the matter remains confidential and the league would not comment on the reported findings. Manchester City also indicated that the process is not yet complete.

City have consistently denied wrongdoing since the charges were brought and are expected to appeal the reported findings.

The club said the Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements still to be completed and subject to strict confidentiality.

What Were Manchester City Charged With?

The 115 charges relate primarily to alleged breaches between 2009 and 2018, while separate allegations concerned the club’s alleged failure to cooperate with the Premier League investigation.

Reports indicate that 54 of the charges relate to alleged failures to provide accurate financial information, while another 35 concern alleged failures to cooperate with the investigation.

Further allegations involved the reporting of player and manager compensation as well as alleged breaches of UEFA financial regulations and the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules.

The hearing before the three-person independent commission lasted around 12 weeks and concluded in December 2024. The verdict was then delayed for a prolonged period because of the complexity of the case.

Punishment Has Not Been Decided

Manchester City have not yet been handed a punishment.

The sanctions that could potentially be considered under Premier League rules include financial penalties and sporting sanctions, although the eventual punishment will depend on the commission’s findings and the next stages of the process.

The club’s expected appeal could further prolong the case.

For now, the reported verdict represents a dramatic development in a case that has followed Manchester City for more than three years and covers a period in which the club established itself as one of the dominant forces in English football.

Manchester City maintain their position that they have acted properly and have consistently defended themselves against the allegations.

With the verdict reportedly going against the club on 114 of the 115 charges, attention will now turn to the official publication of the commission’s decision, the sanctions, and Manchester City’s expected appeal.

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