Monthly Archives: March 2019

Meet Dionicio Farid: The fake Mexican footballer who invented a Juventus transfer

The teenager seemed to have a great football career ahead of him, but it was all a scam that fooled thousands of social media users

The name Dionicio Farid may not be too familiar, but more than a few people had him marked out for future football stardom. 

There was only one problem: the Mexican player’s budding career was all an elaborate ruse, which fooled more than a few people along the way. 

Farid was supposedly a 19-year-old native of Oaxaca, whose Instagram profile detailed the twists and turns of his career with Juventus Under-20s. 

Photos of the youngster showed him supposedly celebrating with his Juve team-mates, while Farid also possessed a membership card showing his allegiance to the Juventus DOC fan association.  

A back story even emerged for the talent: he was said to have started his path in football with Lobos and Pumas, before finally being spotted by Juventus during a stay in the United States. 

The entire saga, however, was a complete fabrication. 

Juventus do not have a single Mexican in their playing squad, senior or junior; the photo shown by Farid was in fact altered to replace the head of Portuguese player Joao Serrao. 

Contrary to the Mexican’s assertions, Juve do not even have an Under-20 division: youth players are grouped in the Primavera category, which acts as an U-21 team.

Farid’s Instagram account, which was followed by 16,000 people eager for updates on the ‘star’s’ career, has now been taken down by the website. 

The amazing story brings to mind that of Ali Dia, who in November 1996 convinced Southampton to sign him on the basis that he was George Weah’s cousin. 

Dia made just one disastrous appearance for the Saints before the ruse was uncovered, and was released just two weeks later.

Ajax rule out De Ligt sale in January, but admit he could leave in summer

While offering no assurances over the defender’s future beyond this season, Marc Overmars stressed he is not leaving this winter

Ajax sporting director Marc Overmars insists Matthijs de Ligt will not leave in January, yet he offered no assurances over the teenage defender’s future beyond this season.

Netherlands international De Ligt, 19, has been linked with Barcelona, Roma and Manchester City ahead of transfer windows across the continent reopening again in the new year.

On Friday, Goal reported that Man City and Barcelona were set to battle for De Ligt and his team-mate Frenkie De Jong.

Despite the interest in the defender, Overmars has confirmed he will not be leaving in January.

“The percentage that De Ligt leaves Ajax in January is zero per cent,” Overmars told LaRoma24.it.

However, Overmars was less certain on De Ligt’s future past this season.

Asked whether the defender could be sold in June, Overmars replied: “Yes, I confirm it is a possibility.”

De Ligt signed a four-year contract extension last year, with the deal lasting through 2021. 

Notting Hill at carnival time

The British capital’s top summer knees-up, a celebration of the local Caribbean community, has enlivened this part of town since the 1950s. During the end-of-August bank holiday, the neighbourhood featured in the Hugh Grant film Notting Hill explodes with reggae sound systems and Rastafarians smoking what one of Grant’s characters might call ‘wacky baccy’.

Also featuring calypso and soca, samba dancing, sassy costumes and animistic sculptures, the display of vibrant Caribbean culture attracts two million party animals to West London, making it one of the world’s largest street festivals. A steel-band competition and Children’s Day are among the events reflecting the city’s multiculturalism and love of a good boogie.

It all climaxes on Monday with a 3-mile parade of floats and revelers in feathered headdresses, Lycra suits and other costumes not normally spotted on London’s streets. Ravers can fuel themselves at stalls selling Jamaican patties, jerk chicken and curries.

Make sure you have deep pockets for your money – street crime is a feature of the weekend.

Notting Hill itself has become a prosperous suburb, but also slightly blander as bankers and lawyers have displaced the old guard from their increasingly valuable houses. Nevertheless, it’s a cracking place to shop and eat and there’s an appealingly nonconformist feel to the area, particularly during the Saturday market on Portobello Rd.

The market runs from Monday to Saturday, and sprawls most of the way from Notting Hill Gate to Westbourne Grove. It’s the city’s best for rummaging through antiques and curios, and for getting kitted out like a trendy Londoner.

The market changes character several times as it winds through Notting Hill. The south end is given over to antique stalls and shops, but north of Westbourne Grove, the emphasis shifts to food, homewares, ornaments, and designer and vintage clothing. There’s some good stuff on sale, but don’t expect to find many bargains.

Although Shoreditch is the undisputed capital of retro fashion, there’s a growing scene around Notting Hill. The big advantage of shopping at this end of town is that the clothes that end up in retro stores bear the names of people like Vivienne Westwood, Mary Quant and Zandra Rhodes. Try the following emporiums: Rellik has neatly displayed racks of 1960’s, ’70’s and ’80’s glad rags. And Retro Clothing is an Aladdin’s cave of retro, spread over five stores – this is how second-hand clothes were meant to be sold!

It’s also been whispered that the coolest bars are found west of the city centre. Trailer Happiness, for example, embraces 1960s California kitsch, shagpile carpets and trashy trailer-park glamour. Try the Tiki cocktails and share a flaming volcano bowl of Zombie with a friend to ensure your evening goes off with a bang. The Windsor Castle is a memorable pub with oak partitions separating the original bars. The panels have tiny doors, so big drinkers will have trouble getting past the front bar. It also has one of the loveliest walled gardens of any pub in London. Thomas Paine (The Rights of Man writer) is rumoured to be buried in the cellar.

Meals are best served by one of a string of funky gastropubs along Westbourne Park Rd. Bumpkin styles itself as a ‘country brasserie’, which translates to rotisserie chicken, grilled salmon, out-sized sirloin steaks and roasts. Also, Cow has been created by Tom Conran, son of design pioneer Sir Terence, and is designated as one of London’s finest eateries within this laid-back gastropub. The bar menu runs to winkles, whelks and rock oysters, while the smarter upstairs restaurant serves meaty English fare, done with panache.

Just east of Notting Hill in Bayswater there’s a string of good Asian restaurants along its main thoroughfare, Queensway.

The
British capital’s top summer knees-up, a celebration of the local Caribbean community, has enlivened this part of town since the 1950s.

Vinicius 'calm' as he waits for Real Madrid chance

The Brazilian has not been able to break into the team even as Real Madrid struggle in La Liga, but the teenager is staying patient

Vinicius Junior is not overly concerned by his lack of playing time at Real Madrid, understanding there is plenty of time to establish himself.

The Brazilian, 18, joined Madrid from Flamengo in a €45 million (£40.5m/$54m) deal in July, but he has featured only twice in La Liga – from the bench on each occasion – for the European champions.

However, Vinicius, who spent the international break with Brazil Under-20s, is pleased with how his move is panning out.

“I have a calm head because I have only just arrived,” he said, as quoted by Marca. “I am happy with the group, which is really good, and I hope to train to be able to help the team.

“There was nothing better than being able to make my debut at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“It’s always good to play with the best in the world. Playing for Real Madrid is priceless. It’s a childhood dream that I always wanted to fulfil.”

He is also likely to miss at least two weeks of Real’s season due to international commitments, with Brazil travelling to Chile to take part in the 2019 South American U-20 Championship. Vinicius could therefore be away from his club from before the tournament kicks off on January 20 to after the final on February 13 if Brazil can go all the way.

“For now, my focus is on the Under-20s South American championship preparation,” he continued.

“It has been really good to join with people from Brazil because we talk about football and live through experiences that every player needs.”

Since moving to Madrid, he has also lined out for their reserve side Real Madrid Castilla, scoring three goals in three games in the Segunda Division B. He made his full Real debut on September 29 playing three minutes against Atletico Madrid, becoming the first player born after the turn of the millennium to line out for Real Madrid.

Under-fire Neuer given vote of confidence by Germany boss Low

The Bayern Munich goalkeeper will not be removed from the starting XI for a meeting with France despite coming under criticism for his recent form

Manuel Neuer has received a vote of confidence from Germany coach Joachim Low, with the goalkeeper assured of a starting place against France despite attracting criticism of late.

The 32-year-old missed the majority of last season with a broken foot and has struggled to rediscover his best form since returning to action at the World Cup in Russia.

Before his injury problems, most would have regarded the Bayern Munich man as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but recent performances have suggested his spell on the sidelines has had an impact.

His Bayern displays against Augsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach caused concern, while he was unconvincing in Germany’s 3-0 defeat to Netherlands – including an error that resulted in Virgil van Dijk’s opener.

Both pundits and fans have suggested it is time for Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen to take over, though Neuer is set to be picked on Tuesday when Germany look to get their first Nations League win.

“We have to make tactical changes because we suffered a lot of counter-attacks against Netherlands, and that is very important because France are even stronger for that,” Low told reporters.

“We want to play a courageous game against the world champions. It’s obvious that we need changes at the personnel level after suffering a 3-0 defeat. The only thing I can say is that Manuel Neuer will start.

“The defeat to Netherlands hurt everybody; me, the players, staff and fans, but it was not really surprising for me.

“We have started a new process after the World Cup and there will be steps. The first 30 minutes against Netherlands, we did a good game, but we have a lack of confidence and we showed it.

“We lack the structure in attacks that we had in the past. We have to change things tactically against the world champions.”

Former Bayern and Germany star Lothar Matthaus has been among those calling for Neuer to be dropped, but the goalkeeper is generally content with his own performances.

“Basically, I didn’t look very good for the first goal [against Netherlands], but if we won the aerial duel then it looks different,” he said.

“I’m quite happy with my game, except for this incident. I am also in top shape. I’ve been missing luck every now and then.”

Slovenia sack Kavcic as head coach

The team has picked up just one win since his appointment in December 2017, and now a change will be made

Slovenia have sacked head coach Tomaz Kavcic after winning just one of their seven games in 2018.

Kavcic was only appointed in December last year but has overseen a torrid run of results, with Slovenia languishing at the foot of League C Group 3 in the Nations League standings.

Slovenia opened Nations League play with a 2-1 loss to Bulgaria before falling 2-1 to Cyprus in the team’s second match of the competition.

A 1-0 loss to Norway was likely the final straw for the manager, even though he was able to steady the ship with a 1-1 draw at home against Cyprus on Tuesday.

However, it was not enough to save his job as the federation decided to move on to a new manager.

There have been suggestions that Kavcic’s difficult relationship with goalkeeper Jan Oblak – who missed the recent games with Norway and Cyprus – was to blame for his departure, but the Football Association of Slovenia’s president Radenko Mijatovic denied that was the case.

He told a media conference: “It will never be because of a player that we change coach.”

Slovenia will hope to have Kavcic’s replacement in place when their Nations League campaign resumes in November with fixtures against Norway and Bulgaria.

The team currently sits three ponts behind third-place Cyprus, while Bulgaria and Norway sit joint top with nine points through four matches. 

Klopp warns Liverpool 'second is nothing' in Premier League title fight

The Reds are determined to end their long wait for major silverware this season, with their manager chasing down domestic and European honours

Jurgen Klopp is aware that “second is nothing” in football, with it up to him to ensure that the potential within Liverpool’s class of 2018-19 is turned into tangible reward.

The Reds last lifted a major trophy back in 2012, when Kenny Dalglish guided them to League Cup glory.

There have been several near misses since then, with Klopp having tasted three final defeats since taking the reins – in Europa League, League Cup and Champions League competition.

He is determined to right those wrongs this season, with Liverpool back in the hunt for European glory and perched among the Premier League title chasers following an unbeaten start to their top-flight campaign.

Klopp told reporters on the need for silverware to be secured: “Nobody wants to look back in 10 or 20 years and say the best time we had without winning anything was when Klopp was in, it was so funny, all that stuff.

“That’s not really something you want to achieve. But times have changed. It’s much more difficult than it was in the past.

“We are maybe in the best moment for ages, but a few other clubs have made the same steps. That makes it difficult.

“In most sports, coming second in the Olympics you come home with a silver medal.

“In football, it’s nothing. And it’s nothing for me as well. I want to win it, and I know that’s a responsibility.

“I put all I have, knowledge, passion, heart, experience, I throw everything into the club 100%. I don’t keep anything back.

“It should work, actually, at one point. But until then, we should have a really good time.”

While Klopp is the man charged with the task of steering Liverpool back onto the top of the podium, the German tactician acknowledges that a loyal fan base has a key role to play when it comes to inspiring confidence in his players.

He said: “In Liverpool, the enthusiasm, involvement and feeling of all people is brilliant.

“We have to keep that, that’s exactly how it should be.

“There are many things more important than football, but when you go to a football game there’s nothing more important.

“I can still feel how special it is and how blessed I am to be really that part of it.

“Being at this moment a Liverpool supporter or employee, it’s fantastic. It just feels great.”

Liverpool have come through their first testing run of the season relatively unscathed and will return to action after the international break looking to surge through meetings with Huddersfield, Red Star Belgrade, Cardiff, Arsenal, Fulham and Paris Saint-Germain.

They are then set to open December with a first derby date of the season against Merseyside rivals Everton at Anfield.

'I slipped up' – Allardyce backtracks on Dier-Busquets comparison

The former England manager insists that he was merely sticking up for the Tottenham star after criticism of his performances in the media

Sam Allardyce has backtracked on comments he made insisting that Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets is “no better than Eric Dier”.

The former England manager made the claim after England defeated La Roja 3-2 in Seville in a UEFA Nations League encounter.

Dier grabbed headlines for a crunching tackle on Sergio Ramos but defended superbly throughout as the Three Lions claimed a famous win.

His performance led Allardyce to say: “The praise about Busquets must be stopped, it was never evident last night, he looked out of sorts.

“He’s no better or worse then Eric Dier, for me.”

But he has now attempted to rescind that comment, claiming that he was merely talking up Dier after widespread criticism of the midfielder’s performances for Tottenham.

“I slipped up a little bit, but on the night he was better than him,” he told Sky Sports.

“In career terms, he’s not. But what I was doing was sticking up for Dier, after the amount of stick he’s been getting.

“People saying he’s not good enough for England, people saying he shouldn’t be playing. There’s been a lot of negative comments in the press.”

Nevertheless, Allardyce believes Dier was one of England’s key men on the night and lauded his challenge on Real Madrid defender Ramos.

 “He plays it simple and sits in the right positions,” he added.

“He made a great tackle [on Ramos]. That set a great standard for England on the night.

“In all fairness, you’re not allowed to take the ball and the man anymore, but it was a good challenge to get everyone in the right frame of mind, like a good pass, a good header or a good shot. It put England on the front foot.”

'I'm not Casemiro!' – Kroos hints at frustration with Lopetegui's Real Madrid selection calls

The Germany international midfielder feels he has been asked to play too deep this season under a new boss at Santiago Bernabeu

Toni Kroos has hinted at frustration with Julen Lopetegui’s tactical decisions at Real Madrid, with the midfield playmaker telling his boss “I’m not Casemiro”.

The Germany international has reached the very top of the game after being given the freedom to express himself in the middle of the park.

A title winner in Germany with Bayern Munich and in Spain with Real, the 28-year-old also has four Champions League crowns and a World Cup winners’ medal to his name.

He has achieved all of that by getting on the ball in dangerous areas and making things tick for club and country.

Kroos has, however, been asked to sit a little deeper at Madrid this season, with Lopetegui looking for him to operate alongside Brazil international Casemiro.

That is not his most natural role, as he feels more comfortable pushing on, and hopes the Blancos’ approach will be tweaked as they seek to snap out of a four-match winless run which has delivered no goals .

Kroos told reporters ahead of a UEFA Nations League outing for Germany against the Netherlands: “It’s a challenge to reverse this situation.

“We’ve shown we can do it. We’ve always had phases like these. It doesn’t worry me.

“I like playing deeper, but I’m not Casemiro.”

Kroos has taken in 10 appearances for Madrid this season , one less than Casemiro has managed.

Lopetegui needs to decide if he is using them in the best possible manner, as the Blancos have become stuck in a rut.

Questions are now being asked of a manager who only inherited the reins at the Santiago Bernabeu from Zinedine Zidane over the summer.

Real return to action after the international break with a home date against Levante, with a Champions League meeting with Plzen then set to be followed by a first Clasico clash with arch-rivals Barcelona.

Thailand's Andaman coast: where sleeping giants lie

The Andaman Coast is the land of superlatives: the tallest karst formations, the longest beaches, the softest sands, the bluest water… Along the coast, scuba buffs go deep down into the greatest dive sights around.

Further south, Phuket, the biggest island, is the region’s hedonistic launching pad, offering a glimmer of what’s to come. The Andaman’s signature pinnacles of jagged jungle-clad limestone come to a stunning climax in Krabi. Ko Phi-Phi Don’s beauty exceeds even the highest expectations. At Railay, climbers take in the scenery as they dangle like ornaments on a giant Christmas tree.

Although technically part of Surat Thani Province, Khao Sok National Park is much closer to the Andaman Sea, and possesses the classic Andaman topography: signature ferny cliffs that shoot straight up into the air. Khao Sok is a dripping, juicy jungle and part of the oldest rainforest in the world, where snakes, monkeys and tigers mingle in a tangle of lazy vines.

A short trip across the water is Khao Lak, where the big drawcard is live-aboard diving trips, which explore the stunning Similan and Surin Archipelagos. Of Thailand’s beach destinations damaged by the 2004 tsunami wave, the area around Khao Lak suffered the most.

North of Khao Lak, the five gorgeous islands that make up the Surin Islands National Park sit about 60km offshore, a measly 5km from the Thai– Myanmar (Burma) marine border. Healthy rainforest, pockets of white-sand beach in sheltered bays and rocky headlands that jut into the ocean characterise these granite-outcrop islands. Clear water makes for great marine life, with underwater visibility often up to 35m. The islands’ sheltered waters also attract chow lair (sea gypsies) who live in a village onshore during the monsoon season from May to November.

Dubbed the ‘pearl of the Andaman’ by savvy marketing execs, Phuket is Thailand’s original tailor-made fun in the sun. There’s deep-sea diving, high-end dining and beaches that beckon your book and blanket. On its eastern flank lies Ao Phang-Nga, where more than 40 humpbacked limestone mountains create a dramatic interplay of land and sea. It also made a cameo appearance as the villain’s tropical lair in the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun. Protected as a national park, the bay can be explored on day trips from Phuket.

Meanwhile across on the mainland, the Andaman’s fairytale limestone crags come to a dramatic climax near Railay (also spelled Rai Leh), and it’s the ultimate jungle gym for rockclimbing fanatics.

However, the most fantastic example of the area’s dramatic scenery lies in and around the islands of Phi Phi Don and Leh. One glimpse of the island’s otherworldly crests and cliffs will turn brutes into poets, and sceptics into believers. Ko Phi-Phi Don (usually just referred to as Ko Phi-Phi) is part of the Ko Phi-Phi Marine National Park, which also includes uninhabited Ko Phi-Phi Leh next door.

Leh is the smaller and scruffier of the Phi-Phi sisters, featuring rounded, soaring cliffs that cut through crystalline waters and gorgeous blooms of coral. Two lagoons hide in the island’s interior, and Viking Cave is a major collection point for swiftlet nests.

Long and thin, and covered in bleachblond tresses, Ko Lanta is Krabi’s southern, sexy beach babe. Ko Lanta is relatively flat compared to the karst formations of its neighbours, so the island can be easily explored by motorbike. Ko Lanta is technically called Ko Lanta Yai, the largest of 52 islands in an archipelago protected by the Ko Lanta Marine National Park.

The last of the sleeping giants lie around Trang, close to the Malaysian border. Here, skyscraping swells of iconic limestone start to sink back into the deep, but not before punctuating the coastline with a handful of anthropomorphic islets. Trang is the mystical stomping ground of the local sea gypsies, who cast their lines among the finest blooms of snorkel-worthy coral. This quiet getaway is the Andaman’s best-kept secret (until now).