Manchester City Seek Rescue From the 114-Breach Verdict, and Ronaldo Is 20 Goals From a Thousand

Manchester City: guilty on 114 counts, talking about "sporting justice"

The Premier League's independent commission found Manchester City guilty on all charges but one - 114 breaches of financial rules. According to the verdict, between 2009 and 2018 the club benefited from more than 920 million pounds, about 830 million of it tied to sponsorship deals the commission calls "fake", inflated with money from the owner's group. City immediately appealed, claiming the decision is full of "errors of law, principle and fact" and that it has "irrefutable evidence" of its innocence. A new three-member panel has 12 weeks, until January 21. Meanwhile, United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham learned the verdict before the other 15 clubs, under a confidentiality agreement - and as far back as 2024 had reserved the right to compensation through their lawyers. When Everton broke the rules, Burnley got 35 million pounds. What will ten years of thick accounting fog cost?

Ronaldo 20 goals from a thousand, and at daggers drawn with Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo, at 41, scored the 980th goal of his career in Al Nassr's 3:0 win over Al Diriyah. He scored in the 23rd minute from a rebound after a shot by Kingsley Coman, and Samu Costa and Coman added the other two. Al Nassr are now level on points and goal difference with Al Qadsiah at the top of the Saudi league. The number is impressive, but in recent weeks his temper has said more than his boots: he left Portugal's Nations League camp after a row with coach Jorge Jesus, then apologized, then accused the coach of not keeping his word. He needs 20 more goals to reach a thousand - the question is whether he gets there with the national team or alongside it.

Barcelona without Raphinha: the star is in form, the thigh isn't

Hansi Flick left Raphinha out of the game against Getafe and the Champions League trip to Galatasaray on Tuesday. The Brazilian picked up the thigh injury on September 29, in the game against Australia, when he was substituted at halftime. Flick says "the scan showed something, but it's not a big injury" - although the same player had three problems in the same spot last season, and missed six games in the spring. The damage is in the numbers: 14 goals and 3 assists in just 8 appearances, including two straight hat-tricks, against Racing Santander and Sevilla. Barça have won all seven league games and lead by five points, and the first "El Clásico" is on October 25. Flick has time - the question is whether Raphinha has the thigh for another autumn at this pace.

Gostivar: a draw nobody will remember for the score

Arsimi and Sileks drew 1:1, but the story from Gostivar isn't on the scoreboard. Just before the end of the first half, Arsimi's Colombian striker Diego Contreras broke his leg and was taken to hospital by ambulance. The same evening the club announced the surgery had gone well, but there is still no word on how long he will be out. On the pitch, Sileks went ahead early in the second half through a Džemaili own goal, and substitute Ebrima Gaye quickly equalized. For the Kratovo side it is a sixth straight game without a win, going back to August - a run that the club can no longer call bad luck.

Tikveš settle the game with Bregalnica in 16 minutes

Tikveš beat Bregalnica 3:0 and announced the win before the break. Laval scored with a header in the third minute from a Nikolovski corner, and in the 16th minute Riste Temelkov unluckily put the ball into his own net. In the second half Nikolovski provided another assist, this time for Luizinho, for the final 3:0. The hosts played solidly and efficiently, while the Štip side went home empty-handed, with the question of who was supposed to mark Laval in the six-yard box.