Manchester United have made it through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League following what can only be described as a captain’s performance by Bruno Fernandes, who scored a hattrick to take home the match ball.
He may have been given two penalties to help him on his way but still… can you see where this is going?
After Alejandro Garnacho posted a picture posing with Bruno Fernandes, it didn’t take much zooming in to spot a couple of sarcastic scribbles from other members of the squad. Who knows who wrote what or what else is written on there? All we know is it gave us a good chuckle.
In case you can’t quite see for yourselves, just to the right-hand side of the ball reads, “How much you paid the ref?”, obviously in reference to him earning not one but two penalties, at least one of which was categorised as ‘soft’ by some.
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We’re referring to the first instance when Rasmus Højlund (who did almost everything but score on the night as his duck in front of goal goes on) went to ground and did enough to earn them an equaliser through Bruno‘s first spot-kick.
Nevertheless, it was one of three penalties awarded on the night and there could have even been a fourth were it not for Patrick Dorgu, who won himself a second pen after falling in the box before ultimately urging the referee to overturn the decision once it went to VAR.
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A particularly rare moment of sportsmanship which manager Ruben Amorim applauded, telling media “I’m proud of him” – though he did joke he’d think differently if they were still 0-0 at the time.
But besides the penalty jibes, the other discernible message left on Bruno’s match ball that has tickled Reds is the one that reads: “You were still s*** [in the] first of the half of the season.”
Always good to keep your footballing colleagues humble by continuing to take the mick no matter what.
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As for the man of the match performance itself, it’s been one of a number by the ‘Portuguese Magnifico’ this season and despite Man United legend Roy Keane having taken aim at the 30-year-old regarding his leadership qualities recently, he only seems to have been lofted by the criticism.
Amorim, naturally, was full of praise for his midfield talisman, insisting that he can thrive both further up the pitch and in this current deeper role, before going on to say: “He’s a perfect captain for our team and we need to help him to win titles because he deserves a lot.”
You can watch the highlights from the chaotic down below:
Featured Images — TNT Sports (screenshot via YouTube)/Alejandro Garnacho (via IG)
Sport
Tommy Fury announces return to boxing after his ‘hardest battle’ yet
Danny Jones
Manc boxer Tommy Fury has announced his return to the ring later this year, although he’s still keeping tight-lipped about some of the finer detailsabout his next fight.
Tommy Fury has been stuck on the sidelines for the best part of the last two years following his last boxing match against influencer and musician KSI, having reluctantly stepped away from boxing through injury and well-publicised personal issues outside of the sport.
He ultimately pulled out of his intended comeback against Darren Till ahead of what looked to be an already fraught face-off, and his been quiet on the competitive front ever since – until now.
Revealing a scheduled date for the next fight, the 25-year-old took to social media to confirm that he will be back very soon but is withholding some of the particulars for now.
Writing in the caption, the younger Fury brother said: “Two years out. One surgery. The hardest battle I’ve faced has been the mental battle of being away from boxing. But I’m back stronger, sharper, and more HUNGARY than ever.”
However, the most notable omission is who he will actually be taking on, i.e. one of the main reasons fight fans would be interested in the first place.
Although many have been left frustrated by the infrequency of his fights due to multiple cancellations, it’s clearly a concerted effort to build anticipation ahead of the event.
Sharing the date for his Budapest bout – which is coming much sooner than many would have expected (Friday, 9 May) – he signed off by adding: “It’s showtime. Let’s go!”
Besides the social media post, the local fighter published a lengthy announcement video/teaser trailer on the official Tommy Fury YouTube channel on Monday night, in which he states, “the contract has literally just been signed as we speak”.
You can watch the feature in full down below:
In truth, the majority of the video is about brand deals, but it does show getting some training done.
Hyping up his undefeated record, with 10 wins to his name thus far in his still fairly fledgling boxing career, he goes on to say he is “over the moon” and ready to get back in business.
Only time will tell whether this fight will actually go ahead as his followers have gotten more than used to seeing his matches postponed or cancelled. First and foremost, who do you think his comeback opponent is gong to be?
His name has mostly been in the headlines due to his high-profile relationship with fellow famous face Molly Mae-Hague.
The couple, who first met on Love Island back in 2019, welcomed their first child, Bambi, back in January 2023 but went on to split up last August. A docuseries covering their struggles dropped at the start of this year.
Featured Images — Screenshot (via YouTube)/Ghazi Twaissi (via WikiCommons)/The Manc Group
Sport
Belle Vue manager warns of former Aces ahead of Premiership clash
Danny Jones
Belle Vue Aces boss and Aussie speedway legend Mark Lemon has warned his side of Oxford Spires’ quality ahead of their face-off in the Premiership, especially as they prepare to come against some ex-ATPI employees.
With a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership round coming up on Monday night (14 April) and the Aces second in the table with five early points total on the board already, the CEO, Director and Team Manager isn’t underestimating the southern opponents.
Even though Oxford have had a tough start to the season, the Manchester racers can’t afford to be complacent, and Lemon has already identified some key threats on the track, including two former Aces.
It’ll be a thrilling night at the National Speedway Stadium (NSS), as always.
𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼…
♣️ ATPI Aces v Oxford Spires ⛪️ 🗓️ Monday, April 14, 7.30pm. 🏆 Premiership R1. 🏟️ National Speedway Stadium. 🎟️ Get ticket now: https://t.co/DREWNjxB09 🍴 Hospitality: https://t.co/RFS3gcPD99
Speaking on Sunday ahead of the races, the 52-year-old said: “I know it’s a cliche, but there really aren’t any easy meetings in the Premiership.
“We know what Oxford’s riders are capable of; Rohan [Tungate] and Charles [Wright] can be very good at the National Speedway Stadium, and that makes them dangerous.
“When you add in the likes of [Maciej] Janowski, Erik Riss and guest Dan Thompson, [Oxford Spires] are a strong side.”
33-year-old ‘Magic’ Janoswki from Poland is not only a former world number three but has four FIM Speedway World Cup gold medals to his name.
Nevertheless, the Aces have bounced back after a disappointing 50-40 defeat in the KO Cup by Ipswich Witches to record a double over King’s Lynn Stars, with a narrow loss against Leicester still showing plenty of fight and promise for the rest of the campaign.
Belle Vue Aces’ Jaimon Lidsey pushing hard against King’s Lynn – here’s hoping for more of that against Oxford. (Credit: Taylor Lanning)
Lemon went on to assure that he remains confident, however, adding: “We’re settling back into a routine. It was good that all the boys are getting confidence-building scores.
“Zach Cook, Norick Blodorn and Jake Mulford have all started winning key races and scoring well. Tate Zischke is also solving some bike issues.
“As I’ve said before, at this time of the season, it’s about building momentum. That’s the target.”
The Aces get underway against the Spires at the NSS just down the road in Gorton from 7:30pm – best of luck to all those at Belle Vue.
Danny Jones -
14th March 2025 
