MANUEL AKANJI has revealed the one major issue he found with Manchester City’s new fourth kit.
Pep Guardiola‘s side donned the new strip during their Champions League clash with Inter Milan on Wednesday – despite playing at home.
The new blue, yellow and white shirt has been co-designed by lifelong City fan and Oasis singer Noel Gallagher.
But some supporters have branded it one of the worst they have ever seen.
Man City defender Akanji wasn’t as harsh when giving his opinion after the match.
However, he did highlight one major issue.
The Swiss star explained: “I like it a lot. I’d seen it already before I was at the shooting when we did it for Puma.
“One action I got confused with the referee on the sideline, I thought it was Bernardo (Silva) so I passed the ball to him.
“But otherwise I like the kit a lot and I’m looking forward to playing more in it.”
Officials wore bright yellow shirts and socks with black shorts during the Champions League clash.
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And in the second half, Akanji appeared to get the two yellows mixed up and accidentally passed the ball to a linesman.
The match between City and Inter ended 0-0 at the Etihad Stadium.
Despite the result, Guardiola was pleased with his team’s performance.
He said: “It was a difficult match, but we knew it beforehand.
“Inter are a wonderful team. They defended well and were dangerous on the counterattack. But we played well in the second half and had at least 4-5 chances.
“But we are also a fantastic team. I am very happy to coach this group and be able to attack against a team that defends so well. And let’s not forget they’re the Italian champions.”
FORMER referee Carlos Chandia has admitted to purposefully avoiding booking Lionel Messi in return for the superstar’s match-worn shirt.
Chilean referee Chandia was in charge of the 2007 Copa America semi-final between Argentina and Mexico when he took his opportunity to get a piece of history.
Argentina led their semi-final 3-0 with just a few minutes to play thanks to goals from Gabriel Heinze, Juan Roman Riquelme and Messi himself.
But despite being moments away from booking their spot in the final, they were close to being handed a huge disadvantage by losing Messi for the final.
The Barcelona legend was one booking away from suspension and handled the ball in the middle of the park, giving Chandia no choice but to dish out a yellow and subsequently suspend him for the final – at least that’s what you would assume.
Instead Chandia decided to bargain with Messi and offered him a spot in the final in return for his match-worn shirt.
Speaking to ESPN on the FShow, Chandia explained: “Out of nowhere, Messi lifts a ball and touches it with his hand, but in the middle of the pitch.
“There was no goal-scoring chance for the Mexican team or anything like that. So, I told him: ‘This is a yellow card, but it will cost you your jersey,’ and I didn’t show him the yellow card.
“There were two-and-a-half minutes left, and the score was 3-0. Showing him a yellow card would have taken away his chance of playing in the Copa America final.”
The incredible offer was accepted too, according to Chandia, who explained that Messi offered up his shirt at the end of the game.
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He said: “He gave me the shirt in the dressing room afterwards. In fact, he wanted to take it off on the pitch and I told him: ‘No, no, no, no; take it to the dressing room’.
“And he came to the dressing room with the jersey and left it there for me.”
Chandia has since admitted in a separate interview that he has now given the shirt to his son.
While also suggesting that he wasn’t chosen as the referee for the final as a result of his sneaky on-field offer.
Speaking to TNT Chile, he explained: “My son has it now, he keeps it.
“The truth is that I think that because I didn’t give him the yellow card, Brazilians ended up saying something and that’s why I wasn’t the main referee of the Copa America final.”
Fortunately for Chandia, his decision didn’t directly impact the outcome of the Copa America final with Messi and Argentina unable to life the trophy in Venezuela.
Brazil ended up battering their South American opponents 3-0 thanks to goals from Julio Baptista, Roberto Ayala and Dani Alves.
A FEMALE Champions League official has revealed she is sick of being called “sexy ref”.
She was also forced to delete her Instagram after receiving sexist messages on the platform.
Emanuela Rusta is one of Albania’s top referees and has already made history in her officiating career.
The 30-year-old is the first woman to referee in her country’s male top flight and the first Albanian international referee.
She is now set to take charge of Thursday’s Women’s Champions League qualifying tie between Sporting Lisbon and Real Madrid.
However, ahead of the match, she has hit out at headlines calling her “sexy ref” instead of focussing on her ability as a referee.
Rusta told AFP, via Marca: “They should focus more on my professionalism than on other things.
“You have to fight hard to be accepted. You have to blow the glass ceiling to pieces.
“Refereeing is not a question of gender, but of competence. To make good decisions you need to know the rules of the game perfectly, but also to be physically fit and have a great ability to concentrate.”
Headlines written about Rusta include one calling her “the sexy referee who raises the temperature”.
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Meanwhile, another from a Champions League match in 2022 claimed she “stole the show” despite only being the fourth official.
She added: “The (Albanian) Referees Association has always focused on promoting women, so my case is not a coincidence or the end of the process.
“I hope that the day is not far off when there are four women refereeing a match in the top men’s category.
“Although it is apparently a predominantly male environment, I feel respected and appreciated for the work I do on the field.
“As long as you consider it a professional relationship, you are correct, objective and dedicated, there is no lack of help from colleagues or the Association.”
Prior to becoming a referee, Rusta played basketball back in Albania before switching to football whilst studying physical education.
She now balances her officiating career with working as a secondary school PE teacher.
Thursday’s European clash will mark her first Women’s Champions League match as referee.
However, Rusta has already taken charge of 15 Albanian men’s SuperLiga matches, including two this season.
MIKE TYSON has sparked fresh concerns over his health ahead of his showdown with Jake Paul.
The former undisputed heavyweight champion returns to the ring on November 15 for a controversial clash with the YouTube sensation.
The pair were initially slated to throw down on July 20 but the bout was rescheduled after Iron Mike suffered a medical emergency onboard a flight from Miami to Los Angeles.
Tyson has recovered from the stomach ulcer flare-up that forced the postponement of the bout and is hard at work in the gym.
But the boxing legend is feeling every bit of his 58 years, revealing to USA Today: “It’s hard to walk right now.
“But two months from now I’m going to be perfect. The fight is won in the gym.
“Listen, I’ll do anything that will help me.
“I’m going to enjoy my time here tonight with all my childhood friends, and the hell with Jake Paul.”
Fight fans couldn’t help but share their concerns after learning of Tyson’s training admission.
One wrote on X: “Here we go again.”
Another said: “Somebody stop this fight.”
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“And another said: “A 60-year-old vs. a 27-year-old? Enough, just stop.”
One remarked: “I’m sorry but at this point…I’m boycotting this s**t . This is not right.”
Another chimed in: “[I] feel bad for Tyson.”
Tyson and Paul will duke it out in front of a packed crowd at Cowboy Boys Stadium in Dallas and millions of curious watchers on Netflix.
Fan favourite Tyson will be paid handsomely for the Texas tussle but insists the huge purse on offers isn’t the reason why he’s decided to lace up his gloves again.
The New Yorker recently admitted: “I’m a glory junkie. I love people thinking about me all day.
“I’d rather live a short life of glory than a long life of obscurity. It’s just who I am.
“This is all I started fighting for—to get all this f***ing status.
“I’m going to be chasing it for the rest of my life. I know that.
“I’m never going to get what I want, because I’m one of those gluttons for pain. I can never get enough.”
A VET revealed the three canine breeds that have the shortest life spans on average.
The dog expert shared the approximate amount of time each pet lives for.
In his viral video, TikTok user Alex (@alex_thevet) discussed the life expectancy of different breeds.
He cited a scientific report that stated that larger breeds have a 20% increased chance of dying sooner than a smaller dog.
With this in mind, the vet named the breeds with the shortest life spans.
Alex revealed that Caucasian Shepherds only live an average of 5.4 years.
He also shared that the Presa Canario is expected to live approximately 7.7 years.
And finally, the Cane Corso breed usually averages just over eight years.
The vet also explained that flat-faced dogs such as French Bulldogs, have a 40% increased risk of early death compared to other dogs.
This is likely a result of breathing issues, which result in an average of 9.9 years for breeds effected compared to the 13.1 years expected for a border collie.
The canine expert broke down other statistics relating to the life span of dogs.
He explained that female dogs generally live longer than males but “not by much,” with the former averaging 12.7 years and latter 12.4 years.
The study Alex referred to also found that mixed breeds live 1.2 years longer than a pure bred dog of a similar size.
He added that neutered dogs tend to live longer than non-neutered pooches.
Alex also revealed the breeds with the longest average life spans, including miniature dachshunds, 14 years, Tibetan Spaniels, 15.2 years, Lancashire Heelers, 15.4 years.
TikTok users shared their thoughts on the information in the comments section.
“We had a Tibetan Spaniel growing up, he was 19 when he had to be put down,” wrote one viewer.
By Marsha O'Mahony
HUSKY
Beautiful, intelligent, and super-active, like a Border Collie, a Husky is a working dog and likes to keep busy.
If you lead a sedentary life, then this guy is not for you, and you are not for him.
It should be no surprise that Huskies love the cold – look at that coat of fur. So, living in 110 degrees in Texas is pretty grim for these dogs.
DACHSHUND
Adorable, cute, funny, and they can be very expensive.
The basic physiology of these sausage dogs does them no favours. “Because of their long backs, they’re really prone to intervertebral disc disease,” said Dr. Rachel.
You would be wise to keep a pot of money aside just in case because back surgery is likely to be expensive.
GREAT DANE
These lolloping, loving, and gregarious dogs are “goofballs.”
But they have short lifespans, developing health issues early on in life. Prepare yourself for heartbreak.
DOODLE
These are the current “it” dog, they are everywhere. They can be mixed with pretty much any other breed.
Their popularity has soared in recent years, with pet owners attracted to their low maintenance and hypoallergenic qualities.
But this couldn’t be further from the truth, said our vet.
“These dogs are often mixed with shedding dogs so they do shed and they also need grooming very frequently,” she wrote.
Their temperament is unpredictable and she has seen some that are wonderful to work with and others who have serious behavioral problems.
BULLDOGS
These guys are adorable but they have serious respiratory problems. Genetics are not on the side of any brachycephalic dog.
“I just would not own them,” she said. “They’re just not a healthy breed. They struggle to breathe with their smooshed faces.”
Like the Dachshund, they also suffer from intervertebral disc disease.
“No matter how long a dog lives, we who love our dogs all agree that they never live long enough,” said another follower.
“Two of my terrier type dogs lived until 22 and 21, and another one died of cancer at 16,” commented a third person.
“Wish I could like link my lifespan to my dogs,” wrote another TikTok user.
“I have Tibetan Spaniels and you regularly see them still being shown at 15 years old,” said one viewer.
“They are known for living over 20 years. And usually very healthy! They’re an amazing breed.”
John O'Sullivan says 'Liberalism' which "attempts to enforce 'liberal' opinions" is not genuine liberalism.
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