Former Tottenham and Liverpool player Paul Stewart has said he was abused as a child by a coach.
Stewart, 52, alleges he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a man who threatened to kill his family if he spoke out.
Other boys were also abused by the same man, claimed Stewart, who started his career at Blackpool and also went on to play for Manchester City and Sunderland.
Stewart told the Daily Mirror: “The mental scars led me into other problems with drink and drugs. I know now it was a grooming process. The level of abuse got worse and worse.”
Draxler is not for sale – Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg will not be listening to offers for Julian Draxler this winter, their director of sport Klaus Allofs has said.
Draxler tried to force a way out of the Bundesliga club in the summer but Wolfsburg released a statement reminding the player of his contractual obligations.
The 23-year-old is tied to the Wolves until 2020, although he does have a release clause which can be activated from 2017.
“There is no need to talk about it,” Allofs told reporters.
“I am quite sure that Julian Draxler is not going to say something like that again.”
Goals record not nice for Weidenfeller
Goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller admits Borussia Dortmund’s record-breaking 8-4 Champions League win over Legia Warsaw is not a game he will remember fondly.
Weidenfeller will be Dortmund’s first-choice goalkeeper for the next two months while Roman Burki recovers from a broken hand and he admitted it had hardly been the return he had hoped for.
“It was the game with the most goals in history (of the Champions League) and, of course, it was nice to be in the stadium to witness it, but it was pretty rough for a goalkeeper,” he said.
“Thank God we scored so many goals, but there are other things we should talk about.”
Drogba to leave Montreal Impact
Striker Didier Drogba has indicated he will not return to Montreal Impact next season, with the Major League Soccer club releasing a video on Twitter thanking him for his service.
The 38-year-old former Chelsea striker played his last home game for the club after he came on as a second half substitute in Impact’s 3-2 win over Toronto FC in the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday.
“Everyone knows that it was my last game here,” Drogba said when asked after the match if he would be back next season.
“There is still one, maybe two games to go. Let’s think about next week’s game, I think that is more important than if it’s finished or not.”
Drinkwater charged with violent conduct
Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater has been charged with violent conduct by the FA after appearing to elbow Watford’s Valon Behrami in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League away defeat.
“Danny Drinkwater has been charged for an alleged act of violent conduct which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video,” the FA said.
“The Leicester City midfielder was involved in an incident with Watford’s Valon Behrami in the 67th minute of the game on Saturday 19 November 2016.”
The England international, who faces a three-match ban, has until next Wednesday to respond to his charge.
Court wants prison sentence for Neymar
Spain’s public prosecutor has called for Barcelona player Neymar to be sent to prison for two years for his part in a corruption case over his transfer from Brazilian club Santos to the La Liga champions in 2013, said a court filing yesterday.
Judge Jose Perals also called for a five-year sentence for former Barca president Sandro Rosell and a fine of €8.4 million for the club, but called for charges against current president Josep Maria Bartomeu to be dropped.
The case stems from a complaint by Brazilian investment group DIS, which owned 40 per cent of Brazil forward Neymar’s transfer rights and which alleges it received less money than it was entitled to as Barca concealed the real transfer fee.
N. Ireland and Wales face FIFA action
Northern Ireland and Wales are facing disciplinary action by FIFA for displaying signs which in-cluded poppies during World Cup qualifiers earlier this month.
Supporters held up cards to form poppy mosaics in the stands before Northern Ireland’s match at home to Azerbaijan on November 11 and Wales’s match against Serbia the following day.
Players also wore black armbands.
FIFA has already opened disciplinary proceedings against England and Scotland after they wore poppies on black armbands in their qualifying match at Wembley this month.