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Anti-discrimination body Kick It Out received a record number of reports of discriminatory behaviour during the 2022-23 season. Figures released by the organisation show that 1,007 reports – an increase of 65.1 per cent over the previous season – were made during the campaign from the grassroots and professional games and across social media. Reports of online abuse rose by 279 per cent with the organisation receiving 207 more reports related to online forums and social media than in the previous 12 months. The significant leap in reports highlights that discrimination is still a serious issue within the game. Kick It Out Racism was the most common form of discrimination, accounting for just under half (49.3 per cent) of all reports, while reports related to sexism and misogyny represented the largest rise in a specific discrimination type. Figures show a 400 per cent increase in reports of sexism and misogyny, up from 16 to 80. Faith-based discrimination fell slightly due to a 29.5 per cent drop in the number of reports received of an antisemitic nature, but Islamophobia (300 per cent) and sectarian chanting in the professional game (15.8 per cent) were both up. Discrimination reports in the professional game rose by 27.4 per cent to 484, which represents those received from the Premier League, English Football League and National League, domestic cups, European and international competition, Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship. A statement from Kick It Out referred to the rise in reports as a “significant leap” that “highlights that discrimination is still a serious issue within the game”. However, it added: “The record figures could also be attributed to an increased awareness of reporting procedures and fans becoming less tolerant of discriminatory behaviour.” Racism continued to account for more than half of grassroots reports (50.8 per cent) and 43.4 per cent of overall grassroots incidents received were from under-18s or younger age-group games. “Research conducted by Kick It Out suggests these numbers are the tip of the iceberg with many incidents still not reported,” the statement added. Social media abuse comprised a much larger proportion of overall reports compared to previous years, making up 28 per cent of all reports received, up from 12.1 per cent last year. Kick It Out chief executive Tony Burnett said: “The significant increase in reports across the game is alarming and strengthens our resolve to tackle discrimination in all areas of football. “Behind each of these statistics is somebody who has sadly experienced discrimination, and supporting the victims of abuse remains Kick It Out’s utmost priority. “While we continue to work tirelessly to Kick It Out, we call upon fans, clubs, leagues and governing bodies to help us with this cause, and we are encouraged that the number of reports per incident continues to increase, suggesting that people are becoming less tolerant of discriminatory behaviour and more likely to report abuse when they see it. “Our figures provide a snapshot of what is happening across the game, but we still don’t know the full picture because clubs, leagues and governing bodies aren’t currently mandated to share their reporting data. “This underscores why football urgently needs a centralised reporting mechanism to collate and monitor reports. Only once that happens can we understand the full extent of the problem within football and tackle it with the full force of the sport.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Football rumours: Nottingham Forest vying for Manchester United’s Dean Henderson On this day in 2009: James Anderson and Monty Panesar defy Australia in Cardiff Elena Rybakina and Ons Jabeur set for rematch in Wimbledon quarter-finals

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Back in 2019, Mauricio Pochettino came perilously close to linking up with compatriot Paulo Dybala. The then Tottenham manager had hoped to bring the Argentine to north London to strengthen their frontline following a 2-0 Champions League final to Liverpool a few months earlier. The deal, of course, fell through, as Dybala remained at Juventus before moving to Roma last summer. The 29-year-old was welcomed to the Italian capital with open arms, and he enjoyed a solid debut season at the Stadio Olimpico, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists for Jose Mourinho’s Roma outfit. And yet, Dybala’s time in Rome could already be drawing to a close. The forward has a €12m release clause, active for overseas sides, which is valid until the end of July. That does present the opportunity for a potential link up between Dybala and Pochettino. Chelsea are in the market for another striker this summer, this despite the additions of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson from RB Leipzig and Villarreal, respectively, and this has led them to Serie A. As per The Independent, Chelsea are exploring the possibility of turning their attention to Italy’s top tier in a bid to bolster their frontline, with Dybala and Juventus hitman Dusan Vlahovic both emerging as potential targets for the Blues. Two different striker profiles, but the reasoning for considering one or the other is sound. The arrivals of Nkunku and Jackson means the Blues are versatile in their approach for another forward, with Dybala operating better as a second striker and Vlahovic considered more of an out-and-out frontman. Initially a move for Dybala perhaps makes more sense financially. €12m for a forward of his calibre is a steal in the modern market, but even if Chelsea are able to pay that release clause, agreeing terms with the player is another matter entirely. Dybala, who turns 30 in November, is said to be happy in Rome, and even if Chelsea could strike a deal with the Argentina international, is he worth the risk? Dybala’s injury issues are well documented, and his fitness concerns meant he started just 22 of a possible 38 league matches for Roma in 2022/23. Furthermore, with the capture of Nkunku, do Chelsea really need a similar forward on the books? The Frenchman, likely Dybala, is able to lead the charge, but is better playing off a striker in the number 10 role, rather than as the lone striker in Pochettino’s favoured 4-2-3-1 setup. As such, why invest so much in Nkunku to then sign an injury-prone attacker who operates in the same role in order to half-heartedly bolster the attack? Chelsea have made a habit of making poor tranfer decisions in recent seasons, but if they are looking to add another forward, then a move for Vlahovic would make more sense. The towering Serb hasn’t quite lived up to expectations at Juventus following his arrival from Fiorentina 18 months ago, but 17 league goals in a disfunctional Old Lady outfit isn’t to be scoffed at. Of course, he’d cost significantly more than Dybala - one report states that Juventus are willing to consider offers in the region of €75m for the ex-Viola man - but at 23 years of age, he’d be a far better investment in the long-term, and match Chelsea’s current approach of signing the best young players. What’s important to note is that Vlahovic is a striker who, to put it bluntly, knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. This was better evidenced during his time with Fiorentina, but is a quality to his game that fans have bore witness too in fits and spurts at Juventus. Summer signing Jackson is another consistent finisher having returned the best conversion rate (29.3 per cent) in La Liga last season, yet Vlahovic’s arrival would afford Pochettino some attacking flexibility. While he did play up front for Villarreal last season, Jackson has been considered a winger in the past. Factor in Nkunku’s ability to play a number of roles on the frontline and Vlahovic’s biggest strength being to operate as the lone forward, and Pochettino would have an impressive array of strikers on the books that each offer something different. So while Chelsea are considering their Serie A striking options in a bid to strengthen in the final third, they should focus their efforts on Vlahovic rather than Dybala if the Blues do have their heart set on raiding Italy for another frontman this summer. Read More Chelsea target two Serie A players in quest for experienced strikers Mauricio Pochettino explains Chelsea ‘risk’ as club enters new era Mauricio Pochettino tells Chelsea to banish last season and deliver from day one Chelsea target two Serie A players in quest for experienced strikers Mauricio Pochettino explains Chelsea ‘risk’ as club enters new era Arsenal transfer news: Record Rice bid, Timber and Xhaka latest

What the papers say Nottingham Forest are reportedly looking to capitalise on Manchester United’s pursuit of Andre Onana by going after England international goalkeeper Dean Henderson who was on loan at the club last year, the Telegraph reports. The Telegraph say promoted Burnley have set their sights on Coventry midfielder Gustavo Hamer. Coventry, who lost to Luton in the Championship play-off final, are set to lose their striker Viktor Gyokeres to Sporting Lisbon for a deal worth around £20million, according to the Daily Mail. Manchester Evening News says Manchester City are close to signing 16-year-old young gun Harrison Parker from Manchester United as “revenge” after United attempted to sign City’s 16-year-old twins Jack and Tyler Fletcher. Social media round-up Players to watch Gabri Veiga: The 21-year-old Celta Vigo midfielder is has attracted interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, French media outlet Le10Sport said. Alex Scott: Bournemouth are looking most likely to sign the 21-year-old, but Tottenham, West Ham and Wolverhampton are all interested in the Bristol City midfielder.

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Republic of Ireland Under-21s international Sinclair Armstrong has spoken of his pride in himself for resisting the urge to punch an opposition player after he was allegedly racially abused. The 20-year-old QPR striker was warming up on the sideline during Ireland’s friendly against the Kuwait Under-22s in Austria last month when a comment was made which prompted him and his team-mates to walk off the pitch and the game to be abandoned after 60 minutes. The Football Association of Ireland has backed the stance of the players and manager Jim Crawford and reported the matter to UEFA and FIFA, although the Kuwaiti FA categorically denied the accusation and claimed a halt was called because of “excessive roughness and tension between the players”. However, speaking to the Training121 podcast, Armstrong said: “I had never experienced racism on the pitch. I remember going out to warm up. It was me and Killian Phillips. He was right beside me. “The lad made a gesture. Me being me, I just laughed. Then he said what he said, and I looked at him thinking: ‘There is no way he just said that’. “It’s kind of like the devil and the angel on my shoulder. Should I go and punch him? Or calm yourself and see what happens. “But I am proud of myself because I know I could have hit him. There was no one stopping me from hitting him, but I just thought, if I hit this lad, I’m not going to get anything out of it. It’s wrong. You can't be saying this sort of stuff on the pitch. Republic of Ireland Under-21s international Sinclair Armstrong “He had already said what he said. I have already heard it. I am proud of myself that I didn’t hit him and just dealt with it the way I dealt with it, by just telling the linesman: ‘He said this’ and telling the gaffer: ‘He said this’. We just walked off.” The game in Bad Radkersburg was one of two abandoned in Austria on the same day with New Zealand refusing to return for the second half of their fixture against Qatar after no action was taken over an alleged racist remark. Armstrong stressed the need for education to address the issue and urged those affected to speak out. He said: “It’s wrong. You can’t be saying this sort of stuff on the pitch. It happens again and again, but I hope I see change. We have to talk about it. Hopefully we do see change.”

Ashley Young is in talks with Everton following his departure from Aston Villa, the PA news agency understands. The 38-year-old is a free agent having left Villa at the end of his contract. A move to Goodison Park could be next, as it is understood that things are moving in a positive direction on that front. Young made over 100 appearances for Watford before joining Villa, for the first of two stints with the club, in 2007. He subsequently signed for Manchester United in 2011 and won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League during nine years at Old Trafford. Young moved on to Inter Milan in 2020 and helped them claim the Serie A title, becoming the third Englishman to win Italy’s top prize after Jimmy Greaves and Gerry Hitchens in 1963. The 39-times capped England international, who can play as a left-back or left winger, then rejoined Villa in 2021. He made 32 appearances last season, and 250 for Villa across his two spells. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Wimbledon is underway and that means the classic British summertime treat of strawberries and cream is ready to be dished out across the courts, with a staggering 1.92 million strawberries expected to be consumed during the tournament. When buying strawberries, we are attracted to the deeper coloured fruits as they are the ripest, but it’s worth being mindful of when you plan to eat them as fully ripe strawberries are best served the same day. Always check the bottom of the punnet to see if the strawberries are starting to bruise as this is a sign they are beginning to be past their best. When it comes to cooking, if you overcook strawberries, you can get a jam-like taste rather than a freshness, so it’s best to use recipes that don’t require a lot of heat and keep it simple for a more refined flavour. Simple touches like adding a dash of lemon will help the strawberries to pack a punch and elevate any recipe. I also like to add a crack of pink peppercorn to macerated strawberries in whatever I’m using them for, this helps enhance the floral notes of the strawberries, as when you eat them the pepper helps open up the nasal passage. Final-worthy dessert: strawberry shortcake Ingredients: For the shortcake: 115g cake flour 5g baking powder 5g salt 3 eggs, separated 1 pinch cream of tartar 175g sugar 15g unsalted butter, softened 5g vanilla extract 125ml milk For the topping: 500g strawberries 1 lemon 75g caster sugar 1 pinch of ground pink peppercorns Method: For the shortcake: Sift and combine all the dry ingredients, then rub the butter into the flour mix. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together until they form medium peaks. Combine the egg yolks and milk with the dry ingredients. Separate into equal-sized balls and bake at 180ºC until golden. For the topping: Quarter or roughly dice the strawberries, cover with the sugar, pepper and lemon zest and leave to sit for 15-20 minutes in the fridge. To serve: Place a few of the shortcakes at the bottom of a bowl or on a large plate. Top with a dollop or two of whipped cream or thick yoghurt, cover with the fresh strawberries and drizzle with the strawberry syrup. Finish by crumbling a shortcake or two over the top. For extra flair: Baste the halves of two peaches and sear in a pan with beurre noisette and a sprig of thyme on a medium heat. Serve on the side of the strawberry shortcake. Quickly served treat: brioche with passion fruit and strawberries Ingredients: For the fruit mix: 500g strawberries 8 fresh passion fruits 60g caster sugar 1 pinch salt For the topping: 200g mascarpone 3 tbsp honey Zest of 1 lemon Brioche to serve Method: Scoop the passion fruit seeds into a small pan and bring to a gentle simmer on a low heat. Add the sugar and the salt and simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until the seeds are shiny. Remove from the stove and allow to cool for five minutes, then pour over your halved strawberries. Place them in the fridge to marinate. To serve: Slice the brioche with a generous thickness, and toast in a pan over a medium heat with a knob of butter, until golden. Flip and repeat. Mix the mascarpone, honey, and lemon zest, spread over the brioche and add a generous amount of the strawberry fruit mix. For extra flair: Roast a handful of pistachios and crush them slightly. The green of the nut against the rich red of the strawberries will add a punch of colour. Read More The Norwegian sparkling wine aged at the bottom of the sea I was an air fryer sceptic – now I can’t stop using it Ditch Deliveroo – make these healthy, 30-minute pizzas instead Three quick and easy vegan fakeaway recipes The dish that defines me: Eddie Huang’s Taiwanese beef noodle soup How to cook kohlrabi