In an attempt to avoid further reprimand from UEFA following an attack on Manchester City’s bus prior to the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at home last week, Liverpool is calling on its supporters travelling to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday to avoid bringing flares to the reverse fixture.
An announcement posted Monday on the club’s official website reminds fans that such pyrotechnics are illegal and forbidden, and any use of them in Tuesday’s second leg by Liverpool fans could subject them to increasingly severe punishment from Europe’s governing body.
“The club has been charged by UEFA for Liverpool supporters using pyrotechnics during recent matches, which will result in sanctions being imposed and could lead to ticket allocations being reduced at future games,” the club said.
“Any individual who is found taking these items into the stadium are liable to arrest.”
UEFA announced Thursday it had levied four charges against the Merseyside club after its fans pelted City’s team bus with flares, bottles, and other items, shattering windows on the coach and compelling Liverpool to issue a public apology and condemn those responsible.
City bus arrives at Anfield. A few cans, flares and bottles thrown at it. The smashed bottle (which you can see towards the end of the vid) nearly landed on my head, which would’ve served me right tbf pic.twitter.com/NgMep0LAhP
— Sam Lee (@Sammy_Goal) April 4, 2018
Liverpool could face tougher punishment on May 31, when the UEFA Control, Ethics, and Disciplinary Body comes to a decision following an ongoing investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, “a huge security operation,” complete with extra stewards and increased police presence, is set to be instituted for the second leg Wednesday at the Etihad, according to James Ducker of The Telegraph. Fans intent on sitting in the home end will also need to have purchased a City ticket in the past in an effort to separate supporters of both clubs.
Liverpool leads 3-0 on aggregate after a commanding first-leg win at Anfield.
Aldon Smith was booked on Tuesday in San Francisco on four domestic violence-related charges. He was released from custody after posting $30,000 bond.
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According to online records, the former Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers linebacker’s next court date is Wednesday.
Smith was arraigned Thursday on three charges of violating a protective order, which was issued when he was arraigned March 12 for his original domestic violence charges stemming from a March 3 incident with his fiancée. He turned himself in on those charges on March 23 but failed to show for a court appearance two weeks ago before making his appearance Thursday. He was ordered to wear an ankle monitor, which monitors alcohol use through sweat, and released.
Smith was booked for violating a condition of his electronic monitoring, Sheriff’s spokeswoman Nancy Crowley told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Smith’s fiancée, Shawna McKnight, said in a statement to TMZ Sports that, “Unfortunately through these circumstances Aldon and I are no longer together.”
“Although it’s with a heavy heart, I truly wish him the best and pray he gets the help he needs. I will always have love for him, but at this point I’m simply the victim in this ongoing case,” she said.
Smith, a first-round pick of the 49ers in 2011 and a first-team All-Pro in 2012 who had 44 sacks in his first three seasons, has had several run-ins with the law. He has been arrested on DUI charges multiple times and has previously faced weapon charges that were later reduced.
The 28-year-old played nine games for Oakland in 2015, with seven starts, and had 3.5 sacks. But the NFL, in reaction to his numerous brushes with the law and the league’s substance abuse policy, suspended Smith for a year on Nov. 17, 2015, and has yet to reinstate him.
Mohamed Salah was substituted with a suspected groin injury 52 minutes into Liverpool’s visit from Manchester City on Wednesday.
Manager Jurgen Klopp said the Egyptian international will undergo further tests in the coming days to determine the damage.
However, Salah seemed upbeat about his chances of a swift recovery.
“After the game I asked him and he said, ‘I will be good, it will be fine.’ But now we have to wait for the real diagnosis, not Mo’s self-diagnosis,” Klopp said. “We will see, I don’t know at the moment.”
The former Roma winger scored and assisted for Sadio Mane in a first half that saw the Reds take a 3-0 lead in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final bout.
Related – Watch: Liverpool stuns Manchester City with 30-minute trio
Georginio Wijnaldum was introduced in Salah’s stead, as Jurgen Klopp’s side uncharacteristically seemed to begin trying to preserve its clean sheet and three-goal lead at Anfield.
The reverse fixture is set for next Tuesday at the Etihad Stadium, but Liverpool first faces Merseyside rival Everton to begin Saturday’s Premier League action.
Covered Vikings for Minneapolis Star Tribune, 1999-2008
AUSTIN, Texas — Quarterback Johnny Manziel played in a football game Saturday for the first time in 832 days, a modest step in his long road back to elite-level football.
Playing the equivalent of two quarters at a high school stadium in the Austin suburbs, Manziel threw one touchdown pass but was also sacked three times in what looked like the fourth quarter of an NFL preseason game. The outing followed nine days of practice among 170 players who paid a fee to participate in The Spring League, which bills itself as a developmental league that provides opportunities for players who are not on NFL rosters but hope to be.
Johnny Manziel played in a football game for the first time in almost three years Saturday, hoping to garner interest from NFL teams. Eric Gay/AP Photo
Manziel completed his first seven passes and finished with nine completions in 15 attempts for 82 yards. He said he was frustrated with the sloppy nature of the game but made clear he was thrilled to have returned to the field.
“It’s disappointing, some of the things that happened,” he said, “but nevertheless, it’s a huge step for me. I put pads back on. A lot of people wrote me off just to even get to this point. I’m definitely emotional about it. I’m definitely happy about it. This isn’t the end goal for me, but I’m having fun again. I have a smile on my face.”
The league has one more set of games scheduled for April 12, after which Manziel hopes to receive interest from NFL teams. If not, he has said he likely will make a two-year commitment to play in the Canadian Football League.
“The message that I’m sending is showing up every day and going to meetings,” he said. “Being engaged in everything that is going on during practice and in the game. I can’t control what is going on [with NFL teams’ interests] and I don’t know what’s going on in NFL meetings. If that’s the case, if the NFL is something that pops up, cool. If not, I’m going to work until I get back there. We’ll see how things play out.”
Manziel’s CFL rights are owned by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Their general manager, Eric Tillman, was among the NFL and CFL representatives in attendance. A total of 17 NFL teams have sent scouts to practices, according to The Spring League CEO Brian Woods.
Manziel attended high school about two hours away in Kerrville, Texas, and most of the estimated 2,500 in attendance Saturday at Kelly Reeves Stadium appeared to be in support of their local hero. Manziel showed some glimpses of his playmaking ability, leaving the pocket twice for completions — including the touchdown — while also producing scrambles of 11 and 10 yards. The competition was inferior to what he would face either in the NFL or the CFL, but he gave scouts of both leagues an important check-in on his progress.
“You can get there only by working in this kind of environment,” said Terry Shea, a longtime NFL and college coach who is leading The Spring League’s football operations. “If he were back home throwing to his buddies against air, he wouldn’t get any of this, so from this standpoint, I would say he’s really grown here.
“I’ve never been around Johnny Manziel until this moment of time, but I see a very quick arm. I see very active eyes. He sees things, and those classic Johnny Manziel plays, particularly when he’s on the move, I’ve seen those come up here.”
NFL teams are opening their offseason programs this month. CFL training camps start May 16 for rookies, and the league’s regular season begins June 14.
Realistically, Manziel has about a month to decide whether to hold out for an NFL job or make a two-year commitment to the CFL. If it’s the latter, he wouldn’t be eligible to play in the NFL until November 2019 at the earliest.
