Ballon d’Or more indecisive than ever
You all know, tonight is the big night. The 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony in history takes place this Monday in London and the suspense remains total. This is also the opinion of most European media. “The most undecided Ballon d’Or in history”explain Le Figarowhich attempts to find a favorite by highlighting the three criteria. Same atmosphere at Parisian : “tight as ever”. The Ile-de-France newspaper would obviously like to see a PSG player triumph for the second time in a row, after Ousmane DembĂ©lĂ©. And there is no shortage of choice among the nominees. But let’s be serious, apart from DembĂ©lĂ©, Kvaratskhelia and, perhaps, Fabián Ruiz, none of them have the slightest chance. The big favorites are Kylian MbappĂ©, Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal. In their own way, they have marked this football season, with their goals for the first two and with his magic for the last, but also with his record and his World Cup. Even if he did not have the expected performance at the World Cup, Lamine Yamal is indeed world champion and this trophy will inevitably weigh in the balance. In the meantime, the “Mystery of London” remains whole, as written The Team. Unlike previous editions, the winner is not yet aware: he will find out at the same time as everyone else, at the time of the announcement.
Marc Cucurella tamed Lamine Yamal
Real Madrid won the first Clasico of the season on Barça’s pitch, and Lamine Yamal missed out on his match. He was highly anticipated after his average performance at the Parc des Princes, but he disappointed again. The newspaper A.S. illustrates this situation with Marc Cucurella, who put his compatriot through a little ordeal. “Cucurella soured Lamine’s life in a way few footballers are capable of at the moment. They spent many hours together and the left-back seemed to have even studied the Barça striker’s heartbeat.we can read in the Spanish newspaper. Apart from a big missed opportunity in the first half, Lamine Yamal had nothing to chew on, due to the impeccable, and often borderline, marking of Cucurella. “A Clasico to forget for Lamine Yamal”adds A.S.. Marc Cucurella knew it well: to stop such a player, you sometimes have to cross the limits and hope that it passes the referee’s eyes. And that’s what happened yesterday. Always on his side, often on the limit and sometimes a little excessive, he has never been sanctioned. Marc Cucurella showed why Real Madrid trusted him.
Pierre Sage ever closer to dismissal…
Crystal Palace still can’t do it. Pierre Sage and Michael Carrick could chat over a drink, as they have so much in common given their respective difficulties… Crystal Palace lost again, this time at home, with a score of 2-0 against Newcastle. “Pierre Sage looks at the barrel”writes the English press. The Eagles occupy 17th place in the championship and the future of the former Lensois coach is more in danger than ever. Just a few months after his arrival, Pierre Sage has never seemed so close to the exit.
