London (AFP) – It was reported on Tuesday that Belgian international striker Romelu Lukaku will return to his former club Inter Milan on loan for a year after a disappointment with Chelsea.
Inter are reportedly in talks to pay Lukaku 8 8 million ($ 8.4 million) for agreeing to a pay cut to leave Stamford Bridge.
The Belgian returned to Chelsea on a record deal worth 97 97.5 million (5 115 million) for the London club last summer, insisting that the deal was an emotional return to his home after playing for the London club between 2011 and 2014.
But after scoring four goals in his first four matches, the 29-year-old was on a long fast to score.
Lukaku finished the season as Chelsea’s top scorer with 15 goals in various competitions, but the former Manchester United and Everton player have scored just eight goals in the league.
He has scored only three times in his last 15 league games. He appeared in a controversial interview with Italian television last December, where Chelsea coach Thomas Duchess admitted he was not happy with the way he was used, and said he was already considering leaving and regretted leaving Inter.
Duchess punished top scorer Luca, who was one of Inter’s most important weapons in the 2021 season and contributed to the crowning of the Italian league title, and suspended him from the starting line-up for a short time until he apologized for his statements. The club and its fans in January.
Chelsea finished third in their league season and won the Club World Cup, but lost to Liverpool in the Federation Cup and the final of the local league, and lost to defending champions Real Madrid in the European Champions League. Cup with long ears.
He returns to “hell” tomorrow, 30 years after leaving the Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Istanbul, carrying behind him the disappointment of one of the worst nights in Manchester United’s history of being knocked out of the Champions League. Turkey’s Galatasaray is an exceptional fixture, and another he is trying to avoid going out on.
United enter the competition sitting bottom of Group One, so their campaign could end prematurely if they lose again to the Turkish side, who shocked them by beating them 2-3 at home in the second round.
On November 3, 1993, the “Red Devils” were eliminated from the continental competition (3-3 in the first leg), after being satisfied, they would meet in the fifth and final round. A goalless draw at the club’s Turkish stronghold.
United, coming off a campaign that led to the Premier League title at the time, were hoping to make their first run in the competition longer since 1969, even after settling for a draw at home.
Galatasaray fans usually turn their castle into hell for the visiting team (Getty)
But he did not expect to live in “hell” in Istanbul before his players set foot on the field, with thousands of Galatasaray fans greeting him at the airport with hostile chants and a highly visible banner reading “Welcome to hell”.
United’s manager at the time, Scottish legend Alex Ferguson, described the intimidation he and his players suffered as “the worst hostility and harassment I have ever experienced in my life”.
But United, clearly affected by the volcanic atmosphere at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium, failed to achieve the desired result and Galatasaray equalized as it was only the beginning of the dream. Difference.
As was the case before and during the match, the result was chaotic, with French star Eric Cantona hit with a baton by a Turkish policeman after he was sent off after the final whistle.
“Tea Party”
United midfielder Bryan Robson tried to save Cantona when he fell on the concrete stairs leading to the dressing room, injuring his arm and requiring 6 stitches.
United midfielder Paul Ince spoke of what he and his teammates experienced that evening, saying, “There was incredible hatred. Even the police started fighting us. I remember one of the police officers hitting Eric on the head.”
For another United player, Gary Pallister, the atmosphere of United’s matches at Anfield, the home of their local rivals Liverpool, seemed like a “tea party” compared to what they experienced at home to Galatasaray.
Stones were thrown at the United bus as it left the stadium, leaving a shocked Ferguson shouting “I don’t want to go there again”.
But he had to return there a year later to meet the Turkish side in the group stage, and he failed to find the net again, settling for a goalless draw, which later contributed to the start of his career by finishing third in the group. Behind Gothenburg, Sweden and Barcelona, Spain.
Galatasaray is a “house of terror” for United, who have failed to win on three visits to the Turkish side’s home ground, the last of which was a clean sheet in the group stage in November 2012.
Despite the closure of the Ali Sami Yen Stadium in 2010, visiting the banks of the Bosphorus remains one of the most difficult tasks in European football.
There is no doubt that Galatasaray’s fans will be no less excited than they were 30 years ago, especially since the team will play Bayern Munich until the quarter-finals of the continental championship, a difficult task on Wednesday in front of more than 52 thousand spectators who will face United very much. .
The group resolves crescent moon In the 2024 AFC Champions League, Saudi Arabia host Uzbek side Navpakor Namangan this evening, Tuesday evening.
As part of the fifth round of the group stage of the AFC Champions League in the current season 2023, the match between Al Hilal Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan will be played at the Central Stadium today at 6 pm Cairo time. 2024.
Tonight’s clash will witness a strong battle between the Saudi side and Uzbekistan’s Nafpakor to clinch the top spot in Group Four after both teams qualified earlier.
Al Hilal finished top of group four with 10 points and qualified for the round of 16, drawing with Nawpakhor and after beating Nezaji and Mumbai in the previous three rounds, Nawpakhor finished second with the same number of points. Two teams qualify for the Round of 16.
On the other hand, Nasaji and Mumbai teams are officially out of the Asian Championships after finishing third and fourth with 3 points and 0 respectively.
Al Hilal will look to continue their winning streak after securing a crucial 2-0 win over India’s Mumbai City FC in the fourth round of the group stage of the AFC Champions League 2023 in a match that pits the two teams against each other. 2024, so Al-Jaeem punched a ticket to qualify for the round of 16 of the tournament.
Al-Jaeem will be heading into tonight’s clash after a recent big win against Al-Hazm with a 9-0 scoreline in the match that brought them together at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in the 14th round of the Saudi Professional. League competition.
Saudi Al-Ittihad qualified for the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League after Abdul Razak Hamdallah scored two goals in four first-half minutes to beat Uzbekistan’s AGMK 2-1.
Coach Marcelo Gallardo’s side reached 12 points in the third group, ensuring a place in the knockout round before the end of the group stage.
Hamdallah opened the scoring for Al-Ittihad after half an hour, leveling the score at 2-0 in the 34th minute.Martin Poggi scored the home team’s lone goal with 12 minutes to go.
Al-Ittihad started the match strongly and Karim Benzema had two tries but his shots were inaccurate before teammate Saleh Al-Amri fired over the crossbar midway through the first half.
From a run towards goal, the Moroccan striker fired a low shot from a tight angle that went between the legs of goalkeeper Walijun Rahimov.
Al-Ittihad scored the second goal after Muhannad Al-Shanqidi sent in a low pass, Hamdallah turning into the net with a touch.
Bakhturian Kasimov had a shot from long range that was blocked by Al-Ittihad goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Mayuf at the end of the first half, before he controlled a shot from Singer Darsunov after the break.
Although Al-Ittihad were in control, Tursunov shot a low ball in front of Al-Muyouf and Pokki turned it into the net to reduce the deficit.
Hassan Khadish squandered Al-Ittihad’s best chance before the referee blew the final whistle.
In Group Five, Al-Nasr Saudi Arabia – who lead the group with 13 points – qualified for the Asian Champions League quarter-finals despite a goalless draw with second-placed Iran Peruzzi on eight.
The match saw a rare incident on the pitch, where hero Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nasr’s top scorer) was awarded a penalty kick by the referee in the second minute of the match, but he rejected it.
During Peruzzi’s struggle to hold the ball inside the penalty area, Ronaldo fell to the ground and, amid protests from the players, the referee reluctantly awarded a penalty kick to Al-Nasr. But surprisingly, the Portugal star went over. The referee told him it wasn’t a penalty kick, so the assistant decided to call it off after the video referee went back to the technology.
Al-Nasr Saudi club’s top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo wins a penalty kick but tells the referee it’s not a penalty kick. Describe the behavior of the Portuguese star in one word.
Ronaldo was substituted due to injury 4 days before facing Al Hilal in the Saudi Professional League.
Ronaldo appeared in pain after a heavy collision with goalkeeper Alireza Branand early in the second half and signaled his coach to replace Mohamed Maran in the 77th minute despite finishing the match normally.
Al-Nasr played with ten men from the 17th minute after team defender Ali Laghami was sent off after a strong tackle in midfield on Milat Sarlak.
Coach Luis Castro was forced to make an early change after the relegation, replacing Sami Al Naji with Mohamed Al Fathil as a defender.
In the 52nd minute, Shehab Zahedi, who received the ball inside the penalty area and fired into the net, disallowed a goal for the visitors due to offside.
Al-Duhail Qatar wins
Also in Group E, Kenyan striker Michael Olunga scored two second-half goals as Al-Tuhail beat hosts Istiqlal of Tajikistan 2-0 as the Qatari side secured their first win in Asia’s group stage. Champions League.
Al-Tuhail of Qatar defeated its guests Esteghlal of Tajikistan (Al-Tuhail Club)
Coach Christophe Galtier’s side lifted their score to 4 points and are third in the group, 8 points behind leaders Al-Nasr.
Al-Tuhail played with 10 men after defender Ruben Semedo was sent off in the third minute of the game for blocking a visitor’s player while running towards goal.
Al-Tuhail will finish the group stage matches away from home against Peruzzi, while Esteghlal will host their opponents Al-Nasr.
