‘I take it as a compliment’ – Harry Kane responds to presidential candidate’s bid to bring him to Barcelona
Bayern star Harry Kane has responded to presidential candidate Xavi Vilajoana’s bid to try and bring him to the Camp Nou.
Vilajoana has claimed to have made contact with the England captain and says he’d be a “great fit” for the Catalan giants.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kane says he doesn’t know anything about it.
“I haven’t heard anything about it. My father and brother handle everything, but they haven’t said anything to me,” he told reporters.
“As I’ve already said, I’m very happy here at Bayern. I’m focused on this season and my time at Bayern. I take it as a compliment.”
Kane spoke out after scoring twice for Bayern to take his tally to the season to 28 in the Bundesliga, meaning he’s closing in on Robert Lewandowski’s famous record.
The striker is also expected to sign a new contract at Bayern. His current deal with the Bavarian giants expires in 2027.
Three Barcelona players at risk of suspension heading into Levante game
Barcelona are set to take on Levante today, having an excellent opportunity to reclaim their top spot in the league table after Real Madrid lost to Osasuna on Saturday.
Coming on the back of two back-to-back defeats, Barcelona will be desperate to secure all three points this weekend.
However, the club must also proceed with some caution, with three of their players currently running the risk of suspension for the upcoming game against Villarreal.
Three Barcelona players are at risk
The three players in question are Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde and Gerard Martin. All of them are currently on four yellow cards and could miss the next if they pick up a booking against Levante.
That means they could be ruled out against Villarreal, which is a key tie for Barcelona in the context of the league title.
Jules Kounde must tread with caution against Levante. (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)
De Jong, for one, has been a key midfield outlet for Barcelona. Now that Pedri has also returned, the Dutchman’s performances are likely to improve as well.
Kounde, meanwhile, has been an ever-present figure in the right-back position. Although Hansi Flick has Joao Cancelo as a backup, he would ideally like to have Kounde continue at right-back against Villarreal.
Gerard Martin is the other player at risk, having produced impressive performances at centre-back in recent weeks.
Martin has been a useful rotation option for Flick in central defence. His potential absence could be a blow for the Blaugrana, so he, too, will likely approach this game with utmost caution.
Fortunately for Barcelona, the club seem to have proper alternatives in place in case they do get suspended for the Villarreal game.
The 16-year-old refereeing adult football matches
Being a football referee comes with many challenges, from managing intense emotions, making split decisions and dealing with constant criticism.
But none of this bothers 16-year-old RJ, from Taunton in Somerset.
After developing a passion for refereeing at a young age, he started officiating matches at 14 and now regularly officiates both youth and adult football matches across the county.
He was named Somerset Youth Referee of the year for his "outstanding" contribution to youth football.
"It felt really special," said RJ. "After doing it for only two years, I didn't expect to get anything like that."
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A keen football player, RJ said he started refereeing because he wanted to get more involved in the game.
"I've just loved it ever since then," said RJ. "I like having the role of responsibility."
RJ said he had learned to take difficulties faced on the pitch in his stride, after having to hand out a red card on his first game.
"I did freeze a little bit, but then I kind of regained [the reason] why I do it and took full responsibility."
Since starting his role, RJ said refereeing had helped him in all areas of his life.
Daniel Chalk, PE teacher at Monkton Wood Academy, described him as a "confident" pupil who helped to coach and referee football games at the school.
"It's brilliant for us. He helps with the key stage three football sessions after school and he's done countless amounts of refereeing for us."
Martin Peters, Somerset FA referee development officer, said it was "unusual" to find a 16-year-old refereeing for adult games.
"We have loads of 16-year-old referees, but not a lot of them want to go into the adult game," he said.
"And that's what makes this so unique with RJ that he's probably very much a minority 16-year-old that's gone into adult football."
Somerset FA is trying to encourage more young people to train to become referees.
"The big problem we have is trying to get them into the adult game," Peters explained.
"It's about coming into the game with discipline – being strong and confident in every decision that you make."
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