French
Professional Football League (LFP) General Dir
Didier Quillot wants the
sale of Ligue 1 side
Olympique de Marseille to “run its course as quickly as possible.” During a press conference, Quillot expressed his wish to see a solution found “with a big project, sporting, marketing and manufacturing.” Quillot: “I’ve had contact with some of the owner’s people. But I will not make any further comments on the subject other than to say the sooner we have a popular project on these three dimensions, the faster we’ll have a completed project, and the better it will be for French Football” (
L’ÉQUIPE, 8/20).
GIVE HIM THE JOB: Premier League side Hull City caretaker Manager Mike Phelan can "surely do no more to ensure he is Hull City's next full-time manager after making it two wins from two at toothless Swansea." Phelan is "still parking in the assistant manager's bay at the club's Cottingham training ground." But the travelling support at the Liberty stadium "made their views very clear" as they lustily chanted, "We want Phelan in" throughout the match, which was settled by late goals from Shaun Maloney and Abel Hernandez. There is "a long way to go, as Phelan knows only too well." Phelan said, "I suppose it is better to have the fans chanting, 'We want Phelan in' than them chanting, 'We want Phelan out.' ... All I can do is take the team and win football matches. At the moment, that's going to plan. We are sticking together and you are seeing that in the performances. It's no fluke" (LONDON TIMES, 8/21).
'ILLICIT BANNER': Scottish Premiership side Celtic has "been hit with another UEFA charge" over the presence of an "illicit banner" during Wednesday's Champions League playoff match against Israel's Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Dozens of Palestine flags "were displayed during Celtic's 5-2 first-leg win over the Israelis, the majority of them in the new safe standing section occupied by the Green Brigade." Now, after receiving the report of Spanish delegate Eduard Dervishaj, the governing body "again put the Scottish champions in the dock." Celtic was fined about £16,000 two years ago "after a Palestine flag was displayed at a Champions League qualifier against KR Reykjavik" (Scottish DAILY MAIL, 8/19).
