Robin van Persie: Man Utd striker lucky to be alive - Ferguson

 Sir Alex Ferguson says Robin van Persie is "lucky to be alive" after being hit in the head by a ball struck by Ashley Williams in the 1-1 draw with Swansea.

Van Persie was lying on the ground when Williams kicked the ball from a couple of yards away as the referee blew the whistle for a foul.

Ferguson felt Van Persie was fortunate to escape serious injury.

"Robin van Persie is lucky to be alive. It was a disgraceful act from their player," Ferguson told BBC Sport.

Van Persie and Williams were involved in an angry confrontation

"He should be banned by the FA. Robin could have had a broken neck."

The United manager said Williams, 28, had deliberately aimed the ball at Van Persie, who reacted furiously - both players were cautioned by referee Michael Oliver.

Ferguson added on Sky Sports: "With the Van Persie situation, you can clearly see that he could have been killed.

"He should be banned for a long time because that was the most dangerous thing I've seen on a football field for many years.

"It was absolutely deliberate. The whistle has gone, the game has stopped and he has done that right in front of the referee, he could have killed the lad.

"It was a disgraceful act by the player, he should be banned for a long time."

Williams denied he had hit Van Persie intentionally.

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Williams on Van Persie incident

"I've seen it on the TV and that's his [Ferguson's] opinion," said Williams.

"Everyone's going to have their own opinion but, from my point of view, I tried to apologise on the pitch but it all flared up.

"I just kicked the ball in frustration and obviously not trying to hit him square on the head.

"I understand exactly why he's angry. I'd be the same if the ball hit me on the head at that pace."

United striker Wayne Rooney tried to play the incident down.

"I think it's one of those things," he said. "The whistle's gone, the defender has gone to clear and it's hit him in the head. I think probably the right decision from the referee."

United led the Premier League by six points going into the weekend's fixtures but, after the draw with Swansea and rivals Manchester City's win over Reading, that advantage has been cut to four points.

"It should have been six. That's the disappointment," added Ferguson.

"We absolutely battered Swansea [in the second half].

"In the second half it was a marvellous performance by us and we were unlucky not to win it. We struck the bar twice and had some great chances.

"If there is a criticism then maybe it is that we were wasteful with the chances and we have to hold out hand up to that."

The United manager was angry that referee Michael Oliver, 27, did not disallow Swansea's equaliser for a foul by Chico on Van Persie during the build-up to the goal.

"It really it should have been a foul for us when the defender fouled Van Persie but the referee has had one of those games," said Ferguson.

"I know he is a young referee but dear me what a performance that was."

She Bolt-ed! Usain's British girlfriend Megan Edwards calls time on her relationship because of the long distance

He may be the world's fastest man, but Usain Bolt couldn't travel the 4,600 miles between Jamaica and England to keep his relationship with Megan Edwards alive.

The British office worker has announced her split from the Olympic Gold medalist, finding their long-distance too difficult to cope with.

And according to Megan, Usain was devastated.

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After her last trip to the 100m champion's homeland, the Dartford girl called it quits: 'I got home I rang him and told him it wasn't going to work. I said the distance thing and not seeing him enough was a problem for me.'

As a junior athlete herself, Megan had a lot in common with the Jamaican sprinter.

So when the 22-year old was selected to work the catwalk in his national team's kit ahead of London 2012, it's no surprise that with her pretty face and runner's body, Usain couldn't keep his eyes off her.

Runners: The pair met on the catwalk while modelling Jamaica's team kit before the Olympics

Rio: Although their relationship is over for now the aspiring Olympic athlete hopes they may see each other again in 2016

After getting her number, Usain went on a mission to make Megan his girl, taking her on a number of dates.

But with the Olympics looming, their three month relationship prior to the tournament was kept out of the public eye.

'We'd been seeing each other before the story broke but kept it quiet as he was focused on the Olympics,' Megan told The Sunday Mirror, 'he asked me to see him at his place because it was hard for him to go out in public.'

His public persona is known for being outlandish and overly confident - understandable for an athlete who was the first ever to win both the 100m and 200m Olympic golds in consecutive tournaments.

However, when the London lass first got to know him, she discovered a far more modest side to Usain's personality: 'He was really sweet to talk to, nothing like the shouty show-off you see when her wins races.'

Shortly after Megan, who runs for Dartford Harriers Athletics Club, helped Usain celebrate his unprecedented track success in London, watching the star show his rapping and DJ-ing skills at a party on Brick Lane.

After that the millionaire athlete invited his girl to Jamaica to visit his family and experience life on the tropical island.

But as an office worker limited to five weeks holiday a year, using them all up on trips to see Usain was not a future she wanted to undertake.

So although the timing isn't right for the two now, the hopes of Megan to compete in Rio 2016 may very well mean their paths will cross again.

 

Federata Serbe e futbollit merr ne dore "Jeten Sportive te Kosoves "

Federata Serbe e Futbollit e ka marrë me gëzim lajmin e fundit nga FIFA, e cila i autorizoi serbët që ta lejojnë apo jo përfaqësuesen e të rinjve të Kosovës të luajë në territorin e Kosovës. Krerët e futbollit serb kërkojnë nga pala kosovare që t’i pyesë ata për miqësoret, derisa konfirmon kundërshtimin e fuqishëm për anëtarësim të FFK-së në FIFA e UEFA.

Bordi Ekzekutiv i Federatës së Futbollit të Serbisë (FFS) e ka mbajtur të shtunën mbledhjen e vet të fundit për këtë vit, ndërsa temë qendrore e kishte vendimin e fundit të Komitetit Ekzekutiv të FIFA-s në lidhje me ndeshjet miqësore ndërkombëtare të përfaqësueses së Kosovës për të rinj.

Anëtarët e Bordit Ekzekutiv janë informuar nga kryetari i FSS-së, Tomislav Karadzic, rreth më të rejave, respektivisht për letrën e pranuar nga FIFA, e cila e ka autorizuar vendin fqinj që ta lejojë ose jo Kosovën për zhvillimin e ndeshjeve miqësore në territorin e Kosovës.

“E ashtuquajtura FFK ende nuk është anëtare e UEFA-s e as FIFA-s dhe përfaqësuesja e Kosovës nuk ka të drejtë të zhvillojë ndeshje miqësore. Ndër të tjera, për çdo lojë që duan ta zhvillojnë në territorin e Kosovës dhe Metohisë, janë të obliguar të diskutojnë me Bordin Ekzekutiv të Federatës tonë. Disa ndeshje do të luhen jashtë me kategori të reja, me femra dhe ekipe, por nuk do të kenë të drejtë përdorimin e karakteristikave kombëtare”, shkruan në ueb faqen zyrtare të FSS-së.

Serbët: S’do ta lejojmë Kosovën të hyjë në FIFA

 

Ndërkohë, serbët e kanë konfirmuar edhe njëherë kundërshtimin e tyre të ashpër për pranim të FFK-së në FIFA e UEFA, të paktën derisa Kosova nuk është pjesë e Kombeve të Bashkuara (OKB).

“Federata serbe do të vazhdojë t’i përdorë të gjitha mjetet legjitime dhe legale për ta luftuar ruajtjen dhe respektimin në përputhje me parimet themelore dhe statusin e UEFA-s dhe FIFA-s dhe në pengimin e anëtarësimit të FFK-së në këto institucione, për faktin se Kosova nuk është anëtare e OKB-së”, vazhdon konkluzioni i nxjerrë të shtunën nga pala serbe.

Në mes të janarit, presidenti i FSS-së, Tomislav Karadzic dhe sekretari i përgjithshëm i saj, Zoran Lakovic, do ta zhvillojnë një takim me autoritetet e FIFA-s dhe UEFA-s, ku do të bisedojnë rreth çështjes së Kosovës.