Arteta Wants ‘Dominant’ Performance at Liverpool

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in London, Britain, 17 December 2023. (EPA)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in London, Britain, 17 December 2023. (EPA)
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Arteta Wants ‘Dominant’ Performance at Liverpool

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in London, Britain, 17 December 2023. (EPA)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in London, Britain, 17 December 2023. (EPA)

Arsenal has recorded wins at some iconic stadiums in Mikel Arteta's four years as manager. He hopes to add Anfield to the list.

First place in the English Premier League will be up for grabs Saturday when Arsenal faces Liverpool.

"We have done it at Old Trafford, we have done it at Stamford Bridge and many other places that for many years we haven’t," Arteta said Friday. "That’s the next challenge. Go there and win. (If) you want to be at the top, you’re going to have to go to those places and be dominant and win the games, and that’s what we’re going to try to do."

The winner would sit atop the league regardless of the outcome of third-placed Aston Villa's home match Friday against Sheffield United. The Gunners lead Liverpool and Villa by one point, with Klopp's team second on goal difference.

Arsenal hasn't won at Anfield since September 2012, when Arteta was still playing in Arsene Wegner's midfield.

They were on track to snap the streak in April when Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus scored early to give them a 2-0 lead. The Gunners were in the title race with Manchester City. But Mohamed Salah scored before the break and Roberto Firmino tied it in the 87th. It ended 2-2.

"The atmosphere is something that is important to understand as well, but we have now the experience of what we did last year there as well for big parts of the game," Arteta said. "That’s a lot of things that we have to replicate and some others that we have to do better to win tomorrow.

"We allowed them to run, especially. When they get that momentum and the space, they are a really dangerous team."

Speaking of atmosphere, Klopp spent time Friday talking about his post-match comments that followed a 5-1 win over West Ham in the League Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday at Anfield.

Klopp had said he was "not overly happy with the atmosphere behind me," and urged subdued supporters to "give your ticket to somebody else" if they can't be on their toes Saturday.

The manager said Friday that it boils down to him wanting the game to be "a proper Anfield experience."

"I can’t wait for the first whistle," he said.

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson could be back in January. The left back had shoulder surgery following an injury in October while on international duty with Scotland.

"We all hope it will be in January," Klopp said.



Messi to Unveil 21-meter Statue of Himself on India 'GOAT' Tour

(FILES) Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates his team's fourth goal during the Major League Soccer (MLS) Eastern Conference final football match between Inter Miami and New York City FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 29, 2025. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)
(FILES) Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates his team's fourth goal during the Major League Soccer (MLS) Eastern Conference final football match between Inter Miami and New York City FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 29, 2025. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)
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Messi to Unveil 21-meter Statue of Himself on India 'GOAT' Tour

(FILES) Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates his team's fourth goal during the Major League Soccer (MLS) Eastern Conference final football match between Inter Miami and New York City FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 29, 2025. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)
(FILES) Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates his team's fourth goal during the Major League Soccer (MLS) Eastern Conference final football match between Inter Miami and New York City FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 29, 2025. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)

Lionel Messi will unveil a 21-meter (70-foot) statue of himself in India on Saturday as he embarks on a three-day tour of the country that has sparked a fan frenzy.

The iron sculpture in Kolkata, which shows Messi holding aloft the World Cup, is part of a so-called GOAT Tour that will take in four Indian cities and a possible meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami superstar will unveil the monument virtually rather than in person for security reasons, AFP said.

A "Hola Messi" fan zone has also been set up in Kolkata where on display is a life-sized replica of Messi sat on a throne.

The hall also recreates his Miami home, complete with mannequins of his family members.

Football fan Samir Nandy said it would be "a dream come true" to catch a glimpse of his idol.

"Legends are not made by success alone. It is his resilience that made me believe in him," Nandy, 64, said in Kolkata.

"The statue is a fitting tribute to him."

Monti Paul, the statue's main sculptor, told AFP the structure was built inside 40 days.

"It's a matter of pride to build the sculpture of Messi. It's the tallest statue I have made," he said.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner will also meet Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly during his whirlwind trip to Kolkata.

Ahead of his arrival, Messi said it was an honor to visit India and interact with the fans.

"India is a very special country and I have good memories from my time there 14 years ago -- the fans were fantastic," Messi said in a statement.

"India is a passionate football nation and I look forward to meeting a new generation of fans while sharing the love I have for this beautiful game."

After Kolkata, where Messi will play a short friendly match, he will head to Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.

In Hyderabad he will attend a concert in his honor and play another friendly.

He is reportedly scheduled to meet Modi in the capital.

Messi won his second consecutive Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player award this week after propelling Inter Miami to the MLS title and leading the league in goals.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain attacker will spearhead Argentina's defense of the World Cup in June-July in North America.


Fan Group Urges FIFA to Halt World Cup Ticket Sales over 'Extortionate' Prices

A sign promoting the World Cup in 2026 is shown at a newly opened metro stop at Los Angeles International Airport on December 5th, in Los Angeles, California, US August 22, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson
A sign promoting the World Cup in 2026 is shown at a newly opened metro stop at Los Angeles International Airport on December 5th, in Los Angeles, California, US August 22, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson
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Fan Group Urges FIFA to Halt World Cup Ticket Sales over 'Extortionate' Prices

A sign promoting the World Cup in 2026 is shown at a newly opened metro stop at Los Angeles International Airport on December 5th, in Los Angeles, California, US August 22, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson
A sign promoting the World Cup in 2026 is shown at a newly opened metro stop at Los Angeles International Airport on December 5th, in Los Angeles, California, US August 22, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson

Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has called on FIFA to immediately halt sales of national team allocations for next year's World Cup, accusing football's governing body of imposing "extortionate" ticket prices that risk shutting ordinary fans out of the tournament.

In a statement on Thursday, the European fan umbrella group said prices for tickets allocated to Participating Member Associations (PMAs) – typically distributed via official supporters' clubs or loyalty schemes – had reached "astronomical" levels, Reuters reported.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

FSE said based on price tables quietly circulated to national associations, a supporter following their team from the first group match through to the final via the PMA route would pay at least $6,900, almost five times the equivalent cost at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

FSE said national team supporters were being asked to pay the full amount in early 2026 in order to secure the right to buy tickets all the way to the final.

Adding to fans' frustration, FSE said the lowest price category – Category 4 – would not be made available to the most loyal supporters through their associations, with FIFA reserving those tickets for general public sales and subjecting them to dynamic pricing.

The group called that decision a "monumental betrayal" of World Cup tradition and of the contribution of traveling supporters to the tournament's atmosphere.

"For the prices that have been put up by FIFA, we're a bit stunned," FSE Executive Director Ronan Evain told Reuters.

"This is a handful of people who are trying to make as much money as possible from the tournament. And we believe this approach is putting the very nature of the tournament at risk."

"For the final, tickets are going up to about $4,000. You need fans, you need the life in the stands, you need the colour, you need the atmosphere. With these prices, none of this will happen," he said.

For the first time at a World Cup, FSE said, there will be no consistent prices across all group-stage games, with FIFA instead introducing variable pricing based on opaque notions such as the "attractiveness" of a fixture.

That means fans of different teams could pay different amounts for the same category of ticket at the same stage, with little transparency on how prices are set.

Evain said the new structure would push many ordinary fans beyond what they can afford, particularly families.

"A lot of people that were hesitating in travelling to the U.S. are now saying they need to take an extraordinary financial risk, especially if you're a family," he said.

"We are in the region of $30,000 for a family of four. The vast majority of football fans can't afford this. Even in Europe."

FSE urged FIFA to pause PMA ticket sales and open consultations with member associations, supporters' groups and other stakeholders "until a solution that respects the tradition, universality and cultural significance of the World Cup is found."


French Player Folliot Suspended for 20 Years over Match-fixing

Paris 2024 Olympics - Tennis Training - Roland Garros Stadium, Paris, France - July 24, 2024. General view of tennis balls during training REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Paris 2024 Olympics - Tennis Training - Roland Garros Stadium, Paris, France - July 24, 2024. General view of tennis balls during training REUTERS/Claudia Greco
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French Player Folliot Suspended for 20 Years over Match-fixing

Paris 2024 Olympics - Tennis Training - Roland Garros Stadium, Paris, France - July 24, 2024. General view of tennis balls during training REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Paris 2024 Olympics - Tennis Training - Roland Garros Stadium, Paris, France - July 24, 2024. General view of tennis balls during training REUTERS/Claudia Greco

French player Quentin Folliot has been suspended for 20 years for committing 27 breaches of tennis's anti-corruption program, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said on Thursday.

Folliot was a central figure in a network of players operating on behalf of a match-fixing syndicate, an ITIA investigation found, and is the sixth player to be sanctioned as a result.

Folliot's career-high ranking was 488th, according to the ATP, and he earned prize money of $60,047 in singles and doubles.

The Frenchman denied 30 charges relating to 11 matches between 2022 and 2024, eight of which he played in, and an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer, Amani Khalifa, upheld 27 of the charges in October.

Khalifa's written decision said the 26-year-old Folliot was "a vector for a wider criminal syndicate, actively recruiting other players and attempting to embed corruption more deeply into the professional tours".

Folliot, who was provisionally suspended in May 2024, has also been fined $70,000 and ordered to repay corrupt payments totaling more than $44,000, Reuters reported.

Time served under the provisional suspension was credited against his period of ineligibility meaning Folliot's ban will end on May 16 2044, subject to repayment of outstanding fines.