When asked about comments made by Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos on Tuesday stemming from a pair of contentious incidents during the Champions League final, Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino couldn’t help taking a shot at the four-time Champions League winner.
Related – Real’s Ramos: Role in Liverpool injuries ‘blown out of all proportion’
“I prefer not to make any comments, I think he has a view because he was the champion but I thought he was an idiot for what he said but that’s OK,” Firmino offered, per Sky Sports’ translation.
After denying his role in injuries to Reds star Mohamed Salah and ‘keeper Loris Karius and the subsequent hysterics, Ramos added, “Now it only needs Firmino to say he got the flu as a drop of my sweat fell on him.”
Luckily for Firmino, he does not have the flu, and whilst in conversation with media ahead of Brazil’s World Cup warm-up with Austria on Sunday, the versatile forward with sparkling choppers also addressed reports of Liverpool’s interest in Roma shot-stopper and fellow La Canarinha standout Alisson.
“Sometimes I talk to him about it and have a joke with him, saying ‘you should come to Liverpool,” Firmino added. “His agent is sorting his future but it wouldn’t be a bad thing to have him here at Liverpool.”
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — One day after franchise legend Dwight Clark died following a lengthy battle with ALS, the San Francisco 49ers honored and remembered him.
Before the Niners stepped on the field Tuesday for their eighth organized team activity of the offseason, coach Kyle Shanahan asked vice president Keena Turner to talk to the team about Clark. Turner, who played linebacker for the Niners in the 1980s, knew Clark best among those in the building.
“We had Keena talk to the team a little bit about him today to tell them what type of guy he was and just to hear how he was in the locker room,” Shanahan said. “It wasn’t a coincidence that that team was so tight. To hear the type of teammate he was, the type of friend he was to people like Keena and the rest of that team, that’s what we’re trying to build here. That’s why they had a great culture then, started out with great people, starting with Dwight, and that’s what we’re trying to emulate. I’ve got a lot of respect for that guy, and he’s going to be greatly missed.”
During the discussion, Turner told the current Niners about how former coach Bill Walsh discovered Clark on a scouting trip to Clemson; Walsh had originally gone to see Tigers quarterback Steve Fuller. But the biggest message Turner aimed to get across was how someone like Clark can help change an entire team’s culture.
“I think they really enjoyed Keena talking about his teammate and why he was so important to their turnaround and their becoming champions,” general manager John Lynch said. “I thought he nailed it, talking about the right approach and how Dwight can be an example for all of them and for this team as we move forward.”
Beyond Turner’s visit with the team, the 49ers also took steps to make sure that Clark was at the forefront of everyone’s mind Tuesday. Shanahan showed some film of Clark so players could see what he was able to do on the field. The video board outside Levi’s Stadium had a graphic with Clark’s name, number and the years he lived. Every member of the coaching staff wore a T-shirt with Clark’s name and his number, 87. Shanahan wore a Clark No. 87 T-shirt jersey.
Lynch confirmed that the 49ers have already begun exploring ways to honor Clark this season. While it’s unclear how the team will honor him — a jersey patch, a helmet decal, etc. — the 49ers will have some prominent acknowledgment of Clark this season.
“We’re talking about a lot of things,” Lynch said. “I know [49ers president] Al Guido is talking with the league about what we can do, and I know there’s always approval [needed] there, but I promise you we’ll come up with a nice way to honor him. I think not only nice but fitting. He deserves it. He’s earned it. I’ve talked about how beloved he is with this fan base and he earned that, so I think we’ll do the right thing and be happy to do so.”
For Shanahan, Clark’s loss hit particularly close to home. As a middle schooler, Shanahan spent his downtime around the 49ers when his father, Mike, was the offensive coordinator. During those years, Clark was working as a front-office executive for the team.
Shanahan said he spent a lot of time around Clark as a child and Clark would often make him run errands for him or race against him when he was driving his golf cart at training camp.
“I didn’t know it at the time, but now that I’m older and I look back on that stuff, that stuff had a huge impact on how I am now, and I feel very fortunate to be able to grow up around people like that, especially him,” Shanahan said.
During his own playing career, Shanahan wore No. 87, though he says that was more because he was a fan of former Broncos receiver Ed McCaffrey. But Shanahan said he makes sure his children know that anytime they see No. 87 around the Bay Area, it’s not because of him.
“I tell them it’s Dwight,” Shanahan said. “That was the man. Don’t get that mistaken.”
Shanahan was able to reconnect with Clark when he returned to San Francisco as head coach last year. Before the 2017 NFL draft, Clark sat with Shanahan and Lynch and talked football for about an hour.
Lynch said those moments were meaningful for him. He had met Clark only a few times before becoming the team’s general manager but quickly realized Clark’s imprint on the Bay Area.
“I think the one thing that’s been impressed upon me since I’ve been here, I think just the love that this community and this fan base had for Dwight,” Lynch said. “You think of Ronnie [Lott] and you think of Jerry [Rice], and what I learned when I came here is that Dwight is right there.”
In some ways, Lynch and Clark shared kindred paths. Both carved out long and successful playing careers before becoming high-ranking personnel executives.
Clark first came to visit Lynch during his second week on the job in San Francisco at the request of owner Jed York. While Clark was already dealing with his ALS diagnosis, Lynch said Clark wanted to be there to offer any guidance he could as someone who had made a similar leap into the front office. Clark hammered home to Lynch the importance of trusting his instincts and remembering to enjoy the job on a daily basis.
“Really, he was more there for me and just talking about some of the pointers and whatnot,” Lynch said. “I’ll always value that.”
Since Shanahan and Lynch took over the 49ers, they’ve emphasized to their players the value of embracing and understanding the franchise’s rich history. It’s why Rice was on the field running routes during a training camp practice last season and why murals and banners of the team’s greatest players and plays now adorn both public and private areas of Levi’s Stadium.
Taking time to remember Clark, the player who jump-started it all with “The Catch,” helped bring those things back into focus.
“I think Keena said it best today: It’s not about how you die, it’s about how you lived,” Shanahan said. “And I think anyone who knows him and has been around him, he lived a great life and left a huge imprint. Whether you go at 61 or 90 or 30, whenever it is, he did it right, and I think we are all thankful for that.”
Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos has slammed critics blaming the defender for a pair of incidents during his team’s Champions League final victory over Liverpool, saying accusations have “been blown out of all proportion.”
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah was forced off with a dislocated shoulder after the Egypt international and Ramos became entangled during the first half. Later, the four-time Champions League winner collided with Reds shot-stopper Loris Karius when he was pushed from behind by Virgil van Dijk. Salah is set to miss Egypt’s World Cup opener against Uruguay, and Karius has since been diagnosed with a concussion.
Ramos says the criticism against him has been unfairly amplified.
“Bloody hell, it’s all been blown out of all proportion,” Ramos told AS, courtesy of ESPN FC. “I didn’t want to talk but everything gets magnified.”
Related – Watch: Salah suffers shoulder injury after Sergio Ramos’ challenge
“(Salah) pulls my arm first, and I fall on the other side. Then when his other arm is injured, they say that I’ve done a judo move on him. Then the goalkeeper says he is concussed after a clash with me,” he added.
Karius was responsible for two howlers that gifted Real its first and third goals in the 3-1 defeat. In addition to directing blame at Ramos for the German’s gaffes, some Liverpool fans drafted a petition imploring FIFA and UEFA to punish the defender retroactively for his role in Salah’s injury.
Ramos has allegedly received threats stemming from the incidents, though the World Cup winner takes it in stride, deriding the disproportionate amount of criticism with a sarcastic barb.
“Now it only needs Firmino to say he got the flu as a drop of my sweat fell on him.”
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Dwight Clark, the receiver who made one of the most memorable plays in NFL history and jump-started the San Francisco 49ers dynasty, died Monday at his home in Montana.
Clark, who had been battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) since he first began feeling weakness in his left hand in September of 2015, was 61 years old.
Clark’s wife, Kelly, shared the news of her husband’s death via his Twitter account.
I’m heartbroken to tell you that today I lost my best friend and husband. He passed peacefully surrounded by many of the people he loved most. I am thankful for all of Dwight’s friends, teammates and 49ers fans who have sent their love during his battle with ALS. Kelly Clark.
— Dwight Clark (@DwightC87) June 4, 2018
“The San Francisco 49ers family has suffered a tremendous loss today with the passing of Dwight Clark,” the team said in a statement. “We extend our condolences and prayers to Dwight’s wife, Kelly, his family, friends and fans, as we join together to mourn the death of one of the most beloved figures in 49ers history. For almost four decades, he served as a charismatic ambassador for our team and the Bay Area. Dwight’s personality and his sense of humor endeared him to everyone he came into contact with, even during his most trying times. The strength, perseverance and grace with which he battled ALS will long serve as an inspiration to so many. Dwight will always carry a special place in our hearts and his legacy will live on as we continue to battle this terrible disease.”
Clark first disclosed his diagnosis in March 2017 on former 49ers owner Ed DeBartolo Jr.’s website, but said in that statement that he began feeling weak in 2015. After what he called months of tests and treatment, Clark was diagnosed with ALS, which is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
In the time since his diagnosis, Clark said he had lost strength in both hands, his midsection, lower back and his right leg while also losing significant weight. DeBartolo helped Clark and his family relocate in March to be near him in Whitefish, Montana. In April, DeBartolo hosted a group of about 30 friends and former 49ers to visit Clark at his Montana ranch.
“It was beautiful because we got to see him smile,” said former teammate Roger Craig, who said he almost fainted when he heard the news of Clark’s death.
“That’s all I wanted, to see him smiling. We cried, we all got a taste of Dwight, all we wanted to do is see him smile the whole time we all were there and he smiled the whole time. He made us feel good and I know he felt good knowing he had all those teammates there to support him.”
Garrison Hearst, who was among the former teammates who visited Clark in Montana, tweeted that “We lost a great one.”
?????? Rest In Peace!!! We lost a great one!!! Love you brother!!! pic.twitter.com/FT6lE4qAGD
— Garrison Hearst (@garrisonhearst5) June 4, 2018
In a statement, DeBartolo said that he “lost my little brother and one of my best friends.”
“I cannot put into words how special Dwight was to me and to everyone his life touched,” DeBartolo said. “He was an amazing husband, father, grandfather, brother and a great friend and teammate. He showed tremendous courage and dignity in his battle with ALS and we hope there will soon be a cure for this horrendous disease.
“I will always remember Dwight the way he was — larger than life, handsome, charismatic and the only one who could pull off wearing a fur coat at our Super Bowl parade. He was responsible for one of the most iconic plays in NFL history that began our run of Super Bowl championships, but to me, he will always be an extension of my family. I love him and will miss him terribly. Our hearts and prayers are with his wife Kelly, his children and the entire Clark family.”
The 49ers held “Dwight Clark Day” last season at an Oct. 22 game against the Dallas Cowboys.
In what would be his final appearance in front of such a large group of 49ers fans, Clark addressed the crowd, ownership, his family and more than 40 teammates from a Levi’s Stadium suite. That day, he said he simply wanted one more chance to be around the team he loved.
“When Keena Turner [San Francisco’s vice president of football affairs] asked me what I wanted to do, whether raise money or have some kind of function, I said I just want to see my teammates,” Clark said that day. “And the 49ers heard that and flew all these players in so I could see them one more time.”
In honor of Clark, the 49ers gave away T-shirts with images of “The Catch,” the leaping grab Clark made in the back of the end zone to beat the Cowboys in the 1981 NFC Championship Game, imprinted over his No. 87. Famous sportscaster Vin Scully narrated a video tribute to Clark that was played on the scoreboard, and Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana introduced Clark.
“Dwight was a vibrant charismatic soul!! Jennifer and I are heartbroken over his passing,” Montana wrote in a Twitter post Monday night. “While we knew it was inevitably coming, it came way [too] soon! We are grateful for the decades of love and friendship we shared.”
Dwight Clark was on the receiving end of one of the most iconic plays in NFL history — one that spurred the 49ers to their first Super Bowl victory and jump-started a dynasty that would see San Francisco win four world championships in the 1980s. Rob Lindquist/Getty Images
“The Catch” spurred the Niners to their first Super Bowl victory and was the unofficial beginning of a dynasty that would see San Francisco win four world championships in the 1980s as well as make eight playoff appearances in 10 seasons.
Known as “Sprint Right Option,” the play became one of the most iconic in league and franchise history. On the play, Montana took the snap and rolled to his right before floating a pass in Clark’s direction. Clark timed his leap and his reach just right and hauled in the pass by his fingertips before landing safely in the right corner of the north end zone. The Niners went on to a 28-27 victory and would go on to win Super Bowl XVI against the Cincinnati Bengals.
When the 49ers closed down Candlestick Park in 2013, “The Catch” was named the No. 1 play in the stadium’s history.
“I just loved the guy, man, and idolized him,” former teammate and Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice told 95.7 The Game. “I would just sit back and just watch him, and I just wanted to try to emulate him, on the football field, off the football field. … This guy — he was one of the greatest football players to ever play the game, but also he was a great individual.”
A native of Kinston, North Carolina, Clark played collegiately at Clemson before he became a 10th-round pick of the 49ers in the 1979 NFL draft. As the story goes, legendary 49ers coach Bill Walsh discovered Clark when he was at Clemson to scout quarterback Steve Fuller. As Clark was heading out to play golf, he got a call from Walsh asking him to handle receiving duties for Fuller in the workout. Walsh came away so impressed with Clark, who had just 33 catches and three touchdowns in 34 college games, he decided to draft him.
Clark spent his entire nine-year career with San Francisco, earning two Pro Bowl berths and a pair of Super Bowl titles. He still ranks third on San Francisco’s receiving yards list (6,750), fourth in receptions (506) and seventh in touchdown receptions (48).
When his career ended in 1987, Clark moved into the team’s front office, where he earned three more Super Bowl rings as an executive. He joined the Cleveland Browns in an executive role in 1999.
“All of us in the NFL are saddened by the passing of Dwight Clark,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Dwight made many memorable contributions on the field as a two-time Super Bowl champion and later as a member of the front office of the 49ers and Browns. He will forever live on in our memories for The Catch but also for his kind, gentle and courageous spirit.”
Clark is survived by his wife and three children from a previous marriage, daughter Casey and sons Riley and Mac.
