Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sanju Receive AIFF Player of the Year Awards, Tottenham Hotspur Get Bye in League Cup and More (Football Round-up)

Indian football team goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, and midfielder of the women’s national team, Sanju, have been awarded the AIFF (All India Football Federation) Wen’s Footballer of the Year and Women’s Footballer Of the Year Award respectively. 

The winners were decided by votes from the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League club coaches. 

Sandhu became the second goalkeeper after Subrata Paul to be receive the prestigious award.

“There was always a desire to reach this point and this is an Award which I have always looked up to,” he said. “Huge thanks go to AIFF and everyone who has supported and helped me relentlessly to help me achieve this today. Garnering the all-important draw against Asian Champions Qatar in Doha, eleven clean sheets in the last ISL edition, winning the award could not have been possible without the team.” 

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Sanju was selected on the basis of her exemplary performance this season, while Ratanbala Devi was awarded the 2019-20 Emerging Women’s Footballer of the Year award. Women’s National Team Head Coach Maymol Rocky, in consultation with AIFF Technical Director Isac Doru, selected both the candidates for the awards. 

“Personally, it's a big milestone for me. This award is the proof that all the hard work that we have been doing over the last few years has indeed paid off. I would like to thank AIFF for all the exposure that we have got to grow and to improve ourselves. I'd also like to thank the seniors in our team. All of them have been an immense help to me and have helped me cope with the rigours of international football. I'd also like to thank Maymol ma'am for allowing me the time and the opportunity to grow within the team and express myself on the pitch,” Sanju said. 

Tottenham Receives Bye

Tottenham Hotspur were handed a bye into the fourth round of Carabao Cup after their tie against Leyton Orient was cancelled following a couple of Covid-19 cases at the club. 

The game between Orient and Spurs was scheduled to take place last Tuesday but was suddenly called off two hour before the match after a few players tested positive for the coronavirus. Orient requested EFL to reschedule the game. However, as per Carabao Cup rules, they had to forfeit the tie. 

 “In accordance with Carabao Cup Rules, Tottenham Hotspur have been awarded with a bye to progress to Round Four of the Carabao Cup and will now play Chelsea on Tuesday 29 September,” said the EFL statement. 

“The Round Three tie scheduled for Tuesday 22 September between Leyton Orient and Tottenham Hotspur could not take place following the issue by Waltham Forest Borough Council of an order preventing the match being played as planned. This followed a number of Leyton Orient players testing positive for Covid-19,” added the statement. “The EFL Board has determined that in line with Carabao Cup Rule 5.1, the club was unable to fulfil its obligations to complete the fixture by virtue of the Council’s order and shall therefore forfeit the tie,” it added. 

Sex Toys Brand Logo on Jersey

FC Emmen, a top flight club in the Netherlands, will feature the logo of a sex toys company on their shirts after the Dutch Football Assocation (KNVB) reversed a ban. 

"FC Emmen and the KNVB reached a provisional solution for the use of EasyToys as shirt sponsor on Thursday after good consultation," said a club statement. "This solution means that EasyToys will adorn the shirt of FC Emmen's first team for one season for the time being. FC Emmen will play at home against Willem II for the first time with EasyToys on the chest on Sunday.

"After the first meeting on Tuesday, the talks continued and they went in such good harmony that we found a good compromise," Emmen chairman Ronald Lubbers added.

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Last week, Emmen were prohibited to display the logo of their new sponsor, Easy Toys, but after being subjected to widespread criticism, the KMVB decided to overturn the ban. 

"It is not appropriate to display sponsorship from the sex industry on match kit," said a statement from the association, noting it was in violation of their regulations. "We must take into account that football is for both young and old."

Messi Takes a Dig at Barcelona 

Lionel Messi has fueled again at FC Barcelona by criticising how Luis Suárez was treated while he was leaving for Atlético Madrid. Messi said that his former strike partner was “thrown out” of Camp Nou.

Messi said on his Instagram account on Friday “nothing surprises me anymore”  pointing at how things have been going on with the Barcelona management, mostly with president Josep Maria Bartomeu. 

“You deserved a farewell befitting who you are: one of the most important players in the history of the club, achieving great things for the team and on an individual level,” Messi wrote in his Instagram post regarding Suárez’s move to Madrid. “You did not deserve for them to throw you out like they did. But the truth is that at this stage nothing surprises me anymore.”

Messi had expressed his desire to leave Barça last month, but decided to stay so that a legal dispute can be avoided. He will move on a free transfer when the season gets over.

Moyes Tests Positive Twice

David Moyes will not head West Ham United’s Premier League game against Woverhampton Wanderers, League Cup fourth-round tie against Everton after two of his Covid-19 tests have come back positive, the Times reported. Moyes, along with two players -- Issa Diop and Josh Cullen -- got a positive report before the League Cup third-round match against Hull City.

According to the Times, West Ham were hoping to receive a negative report on Thursday so that Moyes could return for Sunday’s Premier League match against Wolves but the positive test will put Alan Irvine incharge again.

After the first test came back, the club in a statement said  “West Ham United can confirm that David Moyes, Issa Diop and Josh Cullen have returned positive tests for COVID-19. The Club’s medical team were informed of the test results as the team were at London Stadium preparing for this evening’s Carabao Cup third round tie against Hull City.”

Moyes is expected to return to the Premier League match Leicester City on Oct. 4 if he tests negative in the third round of test before the match.

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