Southampton could be excluded from the playoff for espionage

Issa Diop already has a new team in the Premier League. The 29-year-old Moroccan defender joined Ipswich, a club that has just been promoted to the English top flight.

The center back arrives from Fulham. Ipswich announced this Wednesday the signing of a four-year contract. The amount of the transfer was not revealed, but press reports put it at 8.5 million pounds ($11.4 million).

Return from the World Cup for a new challenge

Diop was part of the Moroccan team that reached the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He played five of the six games in the tournament, until losing 2-0 to France.

His highlight was a header goal in added time against the Netherlands in the round of 16, forcing a tie which Morocco later won on penalties.

The defenseman changed his national eligibility last March. Born in France, he chose to represent Morocco thanks to his family ties, according to FIFA rules.

Career in the Premier

Ipswich will be his third club in the English league. Previously, Diop spent four seasons at Fulham and another four at West Ham. Now, with the promotion, he will seek to consolidate himself in his new team.

The Scottish Football Association handed a four-match ban to Derek McInnes, now Rangers manager, for his critical comments about a controversial penalty that benefited Celtic last season.

Why was he suspended?

McInnes, then in charge of Hearts, described the injury-time refereeing decision as “actually quite disgusting”. Celtic beat Motherwell 3-2 in the penultimate match and were on course for their record 56th Scottish league title.

The suspension comes amid growing tension between Celtic and Rangers, two clubs where refereeing decisions generate public debate.

Impact on Scottish football

The sanction could affect Rangers’ performance and the perception of fairness in Scottish football. McInnes will not be able to lead his team for four official matches.

Isaac del Toro’s strategy in the Alps

Isaac del Toro crossed the finish line of stage 17 in 52nd place, but he achieved his objective: to defend third place in the general classification. The UAE Emirates XRG rider finished 8:46 minutes behind the winner, the Belgian Jasper Philipsen, who won a sprint from the breakaway. The difference did not alter the position of the Mexican, who also wears the white jersey as the best young man on the Tour.

Del Toro remains 2:19 minutes behind second place, Remco Evenepoel, and maintains a 20-second advantage over Frenchman Paul Seixas, his immediate pursuer. With the alpine stages ahead, the man from Ensenada made it clear that he is still looking for more.

“I’m fine, I’m starting the third week with great enthusiasm after the time trial. Now I’m looking forward to getting to Paris and enjoying the last week,” he declared. “I’m like the first week, enjoying and trying my best every day.”

Asked if he will attack on the mountain, he replied: “Ready to attack? Yes, why not?”

Philipsen celebrated his first stage victory in this edition, thanks to the work of Alpecin-Premier Tech. In the general classification, Tadej Pogacar retains the lead with more than four minutes of advantage over Evenepoel, before the decisive days in the Alps.