Europe

FIFA is against the International Football Association Board's proposal for so-called 'blue cards', President Gianni Infantino said, adding that he was unaware of the idea before it caught the public eye.

The proposal from football's rule making body to introduce 'blue cards', which gives referees the power to send players off for 10 minutes for dissent or committing cynical fouls, was discussed with FIFA at the IFAB's Annual General Meeting in Scotland.

Gianni Infantino blue cards

Christian Pulisic is now one of Lazio fans’ most hated players after he drew two red cards against the club on Friday during AC Milan's 1-0 victory. 

The incident that the Lazio faithful are the most upset about was Pulisic drawing a second yellow card on Luca Pellegrini who wanted play to stop for an injured player. There was no whistle so Pulisic kept playing.

LONDON — Chelsea fought back to earn a point against Brentford in a 2-2 draw after defender Axel Disasi headed an 83rd-minute equalizer in the West London derby at the Brentford Community Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday.

Chelsea took the lead with a clinical header by Nicolas Jackson in the 35th minute but Brentford looked on course for a comeback win after Mads Roerslev pounced on a loose ball in the Chelsea box in the opening minutes of the second half.

Christian Pulisic was the spotlight of two hectic moments between AC Milan and Lazio players on Friday during the Rossoneri’s 1-0 victory. In the second half Pulisic got under the Lazio players’ skin and drew two red cards. 

The first incident saw the American dragged to the ground by Lazio defender Luca Pellegrini who was given a second yellow card and sent off. Pellegrini had already picked up a yellow card earlier in the game for a hard tackle on Pulisic.

Drawing defending champions Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals was the last thing Eddie Howe wanted to hear as the Newcastle United manager prepares to face last year's treble winners for a fourth time this season.

Newcastle, who last won the trophy in 1955, will visit City on March 16 for the knockout fixture.

"I was driving at the time and I almost swerved off the road! It wasn't the draw we wanted, that's for sure," Howe told reporters on Friday.

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba's career hung in the balance on Thursday after he was handed a four-year doping ban but the France international said he would try to clear his name by appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The France international was provisionally suspended by a tribunal of Italy's national anti-doping organisation (NADO Italia) in September after testing positive for DHEA - a banned substance which naturally raises levels of testosterone.

MANCHESTER — Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag scolded Fulham on Thursday for a TikTok video that poked fun at his captain Bruno Fernandes, suggesting the midfielder feigned injury in their 2-1 loss to the London side at Old Trafford last weekend.

"It is not right," Ten Hag said in his press conference to preview Sunday's Manchester derby. "It is absolutely not right that a clip makes such statements. It is totally out of order and they were wrong so they should apologize for this."

Fulham TikTok about Bruno Fernandes

Germany qualified for this year's Paris Olympics after a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in Heerenveen on Wednesday in the third-place playoff of the women's Nations League.

Klara Buhl's half-volley from close range in the 66th minute and Lea Schueller's header in the 78th sealed the win for Germany, Olympic gold medallists in 2016, who will return to compete at the Games after missing Tokyo 2020.

Germany goal vs. Netherlands

LUTON — Erling Haaland roared back to his best form with a five-goal salvo as Manchester City thumped Luton Town 6-2 at Kenilworth Road to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Tuesday.

Luton had no answer to the marauding Norwegian who bagged his eighth City hat-trick before halftime and then scored twice more after the break to kill off a stirring Luton revival.

The 23-year-old Haaland's first four goals were all created by Kevin De Bruyne. Mateo Kovacic also got on the scoresheet for holders City who are unbeaten in 18 games in all competitions.