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FULHAM BOSS ALVARO ARBELOA CHARGED BY FA AFTER CLAIMING OFFICIALS 'WOULD NOT LET MANCHESTER UNITED LOSE'

Arbeloa made the comments after Fulham’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United earlier this month

Arbeloa has been charged by the FA (Getty)

The Football Association has charged Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa with misconduct following his claims that officials “would not let Manchester United lose" during their Premier League draw at Craven Cottage.

Michael Carrick’s side were fortunate to leave with a point after Matheus Cunha’s 89th-minute deflected goal rescued a 1-1 draw on 20 September.

Speaking during a post-match TV interview, Arbeloa stated the referee had given "all fouls" to the opposition and added: "I knew after the game against Man City that they (would not) let Manchester United lose here," referencing a controversial VAR decision from the Manchester derby the previous weekend.

The FA alleges the manager "acted in an improper manner by making comments in a post-match interview that imply bias and/or question the integrity of a match official".

Arbeloa, who assumed control at Fulham in the summer but is yet to win a league match, has until Thursday to respond.

Fulham had gone ahead against United early in the second half thanks to a Lisandro Martinez own goal and looked on course for victory before Cunha’s late strike.

Former United player and Sky Sports commentator slammed his old team’s performance, claiming they played the “worst 15 minutes of football” he can remember seeing since watching the team from the age of five.

After the game, Neville explained his reasoning adding: “I was purely referring to the fact that they walked around the pitch. I’ve never seen a Manchester United team walk, out of possession, as much as that.

“Michael [Carrick] said he was happy with the team’s energy, Michael’s got to stop defending them. I get why he’s defending them, he’s loyal and wants his players to work for him. Both teams were the same, I called them mannequins. I’ve never seen a Manchester United team, for 15 minutes, walk around out of possession as much as that. No alertness, no liveliness, no sort of on your toes. Just walking when Fulham were in possession.

“There needs to be a rebalance,” Neville continued, “I wish he [Carrick] could play those attacking players but they’re going to kill him defensively.”

- Sam Brookes

LOUIS SALAH NOW WORTH OVER £4 BILLION FOLLOWING SUCCESS AFTER FOOTBALL

 

Throughout his career as a footballer, Louis Saha saw incredible success. His goalscoring exploits for the likes of Fulham, Everton and Manchester United saw him forge a solid legacy in the Premier League.

For over a decade, he was a key figure in the English top flight and during his time with the Red Devils, he won some major silverware. Whether it was the Premier League trophies or the Champions League title that he won, it's safe to say he was a very successful player.

With that said, he might just be even more successful away from the pitch, amassing a huge fortune in the years since his retirement. These days, Saha is worth a simply staggering £4.5 billion and has far surpassed the amount of money that he earned during his playing career.

Only one player has gone on to make more money once they've called time on their career and that's Matheu Flamini, who has built a net worth of over £21 billion through his time as co-owner of GF Biochemicals.

Saha's path is a little different. While he's built up a very impressive net worth, he hasn't done it through working with biochemicals and instead has done so while staying close to the world of sport.

Saha Set Up a Social Network for Sports Stars

After retiring from football, Saha decided to use all that he'd learned from his experiences in the beautiful game and set up a social network for sports athletes to converse, offer tips and share their experiences while competing at an elite level in their specific sports. The network, called Axis Stars, is only available to the ultra-wealthy and talented, and these days, it's valued at over £3.5 billion.

According to the company itself, Axis Stars is a community that 'facilitates authentic, win-win connections between pro-athletes & entertainers, their peers and trusted partners.' Saha formed the network with marketeer Kate Hamer and alongside technological executive Patrice Arnera and former Manchester United marketing guru Mike Farnan, it has gone from strength to strength.

It currently possesses thousands of users, including around 550 ex-professional athletes, and as a result, Saha's net worth has risen to a reported figure of £4.312 billion according to OLBG.

Saha Created the Network Due to a Gap in the Market

Speaking in an interview with CityAM back in 2014, around the time that Axis Stars was formed, Saha revealed that the idea and the desire to create such a network came from wishing that there was something similar during his own time on the pitch.

"I would have loved to be able to master my job better when I was playing but now I’ve retired, I still have a huge role to play sharing my experience with young players.

"I wish I had a platform like this as a player; it would have helped me manage my career and plan for the future a lot better."

 Several years later, in an interview with The Guardian, he spoke about how successful the launch of Axis Stars had been and revealed how the results had only made him more sure that it was the right move to make.

"I still get asked for advice by different people on a daily basis. For instance, my agent called me to say he had a talented French footballer who he wants to bring to England, and asked me for advice on how to create a tailor-made training programme. I put him in touch with people I used to work with.

"This kind of player could join Axis as he can then search for a personal coach in his region. It is a hard process but it’s so rewarding, because if I can help 100,000 people, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done."

His time off the pitch has been a major success, but it's important to remember just how good he was on it as well.

Saha Was a Fine Premier League Striker

While Saha has had some incredible success as a businessman over the last decade, he got into that position due to his superb career on the football pitch. Hailing from France, the forward got his start at Metz, and while the goals didn't come often, he scored five times for the club. After a brief, albeit unsuccessful loan spell with English side Newcastle United in 1999, where Saha scored just once in 11 appearances, he eventually moved to the country permanently when he signed with Fulham in 2000.

His time with the Cottagers was much stronger, and Saha lit the First Division up in his debut season with the club. The forward scored 32 times in 48 appearances as he helped lead them to the Premier League. He would then remain in the English top flight for the next 13 seasons.

His time at United is what he will be remembered for most, though, as the now 47-year-old spent four years at Old Trafford and played a key role in the side winning a pair of Premier League trophies and a Champions League title to go along with it.

A footballer's days on the pitch don't last forever and while players make a tonne of money during their careers, that doesn't necessarily mean they'll hold onto those finances for the rest of their lives. There have been numerous examples of ex-pros who have wound up bankrupt in the years after they've retired, but Saha's business acumen and intelligent moves have ensured that this certainly won't be the case for him.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 20-09-26.

- Callum Altimas

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MICHAEL CARRICK 'NOT OFFENDED' BY MAN UTD PLAN AND 'RESPECTS' DECISION

A Manchester United fan group are pressing on with protest plans this Sunday but Michael Carrick is not offended by them venting their frustration at Old Trafford

Getty

Michael Carrick insists he is "not offended" by the planned protest by Manchester United fans ahead of their clash against Fulham - and vows that it won't impact on the players as they bid to make it three wins from three under him.

Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim until the end of the season and has begun with a bang - first downing Manchester City at Old Trafford before going to Arsenal and beating them in north London. It has United firmly in the hunt to claim a Champions League spot for next season.

There is a feel good factor around the club, but the fans have not changed their mind on holding a protest before Sunday's clash, albeit their anger is directed at Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the overall ownership structure.

United fan group The 1958 is expecting upwards of 6,000 supporters to join their pre-match march to protest against the Glazers and Ratcliffe, who have continued to make unpopular decisions with anger and frustration mounting.

The 1958 group see Ratcliffe, who is in charge of football operations, as very much being in bed with the Glazers as the club's debts of £1.1billion continue to rack up - but Carrick understands their right to air their feelings.

The man in the dugout has maintained: "It doesn't affect the team. I fully respect the supporters. They're incredible. They have been for so long and had a lot of ups and some downs as well, but, you know, I'm not offended by it or anything, and the players certainly aren't. Within the stadium, the support we've felt, and that's been there for all the games that I've watched for quite some time, has been of the highest level and I'm sure it will continue to be like that.

'The connection we've had over the last couple of weeks has been pretty special and we've both fed off that. I think the supporters have fed off it.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is not popular among the Man Utd faithful(Image: James Gill - Danehouse, Getty Images)

"We have as a group, the players certainly have, and that's something we need to keep building on moving forward, because that's exactly how we wanted it to be. I think we've had a good couple of weeks and we're moving in the right direction. We want to keep building on that."

Already there is talk of Carrick landing the job beyond this season, although the original plan was for the club to eye a new permanent manager come the summer. Carrick's results could make him hard to ignore however with 15 games of the season remaining.

- Samuel Meade

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