Jorginho v Chappell Roan and another normal weekend on the internet
In today’s Football Daily: A ball-hogging midfielder v mega-famous pop star
RIO ROW
Hands up who had Jorginho v Chappell Roan on their bingo cards this weekend? Ah, who’s Chappell Roan, you ask? It’s a fair question if you’re a reader as long in the tooth as this tea-timely email. Pink Pony Club anyone? Ah. Well, Football Daily hasn’t had to do any research at all, nope, to tell you that she’s a flamboyant 28-year-old synth pop singer-songwriter from the USA USA USA who is so popular with the kids that she has eight gazillion followers on Instachat and fans including the former Chelsea and current Flamengo star’s stepdaughter. Those followers may number 7,999,997 after the weekend, mind, when Jorginho took to his social media disgrace of choice to lash out at Roan, claiming one of her security guards made his stepdaughter cry after speaking “in an extremely aggressive manner” to her and his wife at a São Paulo hotel.
Yep, the ball-hogging former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder accused the singer of taking her fans for granted, saying that they had been staying in the same hotel and his stepdaughter – who just so happens to be Jude Law’s daughter – had seen Roan walking past when they were eating breakfast. He said his stepdaughter had not approached the singer but had just walked past Roan’s table, and smiled, before walking back to sit with her mum. “Without your fans, you would be nothing,” he barked in a manner at odds with his less combative style on the field, adding that as someone in the public eye he understood boundaries and when lines are crossed, but growled “what happened was not that”.
In response to the criticism, Roan posted a video, claiming the overbearing guard was “not my personal security” and saying: “I didn’t even see, I didn’t even see a woman and a child like … no one came up to me, no one bothered me … like I was just sitting at breakfast in my hotel … I’m sorry to the mother and child … if you felt uncomfortable, that makes me really sad. You did not deserve that. I think these people were staying at the hotel as well … I did not ask the security guard to go up and talk to this mother and child, I did not. They did not come up to me. They weren’t doing anything. It’s unfair for security to just assume someone doesn’t have good intentions when they have no reason to believe, because there’s no action even taken. I do not hate people who are fans of my music. I do not hate children – that is crazy.”
The video may have resonated more had she not been lying down in bed when she recorded it and, despite the apology, sympathy seemed in short supply afterwards. The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Cavaliere, was quick to take sides, banning Roan from the city’s annual Todo Mundo festival. “As long as I’m in charge of our city – this young lady @ChappellRoan will never perform at Todo Mundo no Rio!,” he roared. “I doubt that Shakira @shakira @Shakira_Brasil would do that! By the way, @FrelloJorginho your little one is already the guest of honor from the organization in May!” Just another normal weekend on the internet, then.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I wanted another yellow card, that was the target. If I cannot celebrate against that team with the way we are playing, then when? Emotions are related to the way we are playing. Give me another yellow card, I’m not yet artificial intelligence. I’m a human being and I want to celebrate. It’s not no respect for Arsenal, I just celebrate with my people. I’m a human being with emotions and I express it’ – Pep Guardiola, fresh from Manchester City’s Milk Cup triumph, explains his Chuck Norris tribute in hoofing a Wembley advertising hoarding.
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FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
Is there a better walk home from a Premier League ground, I wonder? After watching Brighton beat Liverpool, I walked back from the Amex to Lewes: up the Downs, along the top of the South Downs Way, down into historic Southover past the Anne of Cleves House, through beautiful Grange Gardens, up past Lewes Castle, the Pells Pools, and over the River Ouse, to South Malling. Countryside and then Historic England. About two hours of bliss. Followed by a good walk” – Peter Harris (and no other ramblers).
I’ve been reading and hearing Thibaut Courtois’s name for almost 15 years now and it only just struck me that it might be a derivative of ‘Tybalt’. Did we ever get Lukaku rounding Courtois and finishing in an open net to prompt a ‘Romelo slew Thibaut’ line from a pundit or writer? Or perhaps there are some other Pro Evo-style Shakespeare quotes I missed?” – Kristian Karamfiles.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day is … Peter Harris. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.
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NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
Uefa has rejected requests from English clubs to make Bigger Cup squads bigger for next season after a backlash led by La Liga sides.
Cristian Romero is vowing to give more than his usual output for teetering Spurs, which could be dangerous for the renowned collector of cards. “It’s not easy but the most important thing is to get to the national team and back here for the last seven finals,” he honked. “I promise [to] put 200% in every one and for me it is not easy, but we have to stay all together.”
The 2026 Community Shield has been shifted to Cardiff because The Weeknd has sold out Wembley on the, erm, weekend of 15-16 August, which presumably brings in more dosh to the FA coffers.
Crawley have thanked Scott Lindsey for the “everlasting memories” before sending him on his way, after a 10-match winless run left the club hovering just a point above the League Two relegation zone.
Rushden and Diamonds have bundled Bruno Andrade and Tyler Winters through the door marked Do One after the players were sent off for fighting each other during a 3-0 loss to Loughborough Students. “We recognise that football is an emotional game,” sniffed a club statement, “but incidents of this nature require a clear and considered response in order to protect the integrity and reputation of the club.”
And 2016’s Dimitri Payet has retired after a long career in which he won no major trophies, but did make jaws drop on more than a few occasions with his sumptuous free-kicks. “I come from an island [Réunion] and my dream was to become a professional,” he sniffed. “I made it and did it for 20 years at the highest level. I managed to play for the national squad, and today is the end of a beautiful journey.”
STILL WANT MORE?
Manchester City dousing Arsenal’s dreams of the quad, plus more top-flight twists and turns. They all feature in 10 talking points from the weekend’s Premier League and Coca-Cola Cup final action.
Barney Ronay was at Wembley to see Pep Guardiola having fun while Arsenal suffered a collective amnesia.
Jonathan Wilson looks at a Tottenham side seemingly unable to stop themselves heading towards an away day in Lincoln.
Nick Ames watched Raheem Sterling get hooked early after struggling to make an impact for Feyenoord in De Klassieker against Ajax.
Goal records and late winners caught the eye on a good weekend for both Manchester clubs. You’ll find it all in our WSL talking points.
Lukas Kwasniok’s reign at FC Köln is over despite a breathless 3-3 draw in the 100th top-flight Rhineland derby against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Andy Brassell explains why it’s the end.
Nicky Bandini on how 20-year-old Inter striker Francesco Pio Esposito plays without fear and why, going into the playoffs, he could be the perfect man to help a nervous Italy reach the Geopolitics World Cup finals.
Over in MLS, the excellent form of former Nottingham Forest and Stoke striker, Sam Surridge, could attract interest from the Premier League. Jeff Rueter recaps the weekend.
And it’s Barney again, this time on how Chelsea’s paltry fine for Abramovich-era payments puts the bizarre Paul Tierney huddle episode in the shade.
MEMORY LANE
9 October 2006: Scotland’s Scott Severin and David Weir watch a cheeky stray dog make off with one of the training markers during a session in Kyiv the night before their Euro 2008 qualifier against Ukraine.