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LONDON: Egypt and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has called out UEFA for omitting the circumstances surrounding the killing in Gaza of a footballer known as the “Palestinian Pele.”
swww a former Palestine national team star, was killed on Wednesday when Israeli forces opened fire on a group of people waiting to access humanitarian aid in southern Gaza, the Palestinian Football Association said.
On Friday, European football’s governing body posted a two-sentence tribute to the midfielder on X that said: “Farewell to Suleiman Al-Obeid, the ‘Palestinian Pele.’ A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.”
Salah replied to UEFA’s post on Saturday saying: “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”

Al-Obeid played 24 international matches for Palestine, scoring more than 100 goals. The PFA said his long career, which included playing for Khadamat Al-Shati club in Gaza and Al-Amari Youth Center Club in the occupied West Bank, made him one of the brightest stars of Palestinian football.
UEFA’s post sparked a largely angry reaction, with many among the 12,000 comments questioning why the tribute appeared to play down Israel’s role in Al-Obeid’s death.
The BBC’s former “Match of the Day” presenter Gary Lineker shared Salah’s message and said: “We can’t hear you UEFA.”

Salah has made large financial donations toward aid efforts in Gaza, and in 2023 urged world leaders to ensure enough aid could reach the Palestinian territory.
Speaking shortly after Israel began its devastating military campaign, Salah said: “All lives are sacred and must be protected. The massacres need to stop. Families are being torn apart.”

Al-Obeid, who was born in Gaza City, was married and had five children, AFP reported. The midfielder was among the more than 1,300 Palestinians killed near aid distribution points since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is backed by the US and Israel, took over aid operations in the territory earlier this year.
Israel’s invasion has killed more than 61,000 people in Gaza, including more than 600 from the sport and scouting sector, the PFA said.
 

MADRID: Barcelona say Marc-Andre ter Stegen will return as first-team captain after announcing on Friday that the goalkeeper had authorized the club to send his medical report to the Spanish league.

The announcement came as Ter Stegen talked of how “especially difficult” the past few months have been, and he criticized suggestions he was to blame for Barcelona’s inability to register new players, insisting that his back surgery and recovery timeline were fully approved by the club.

The disagreement led to the 33-year-old Ter Stegen being stripped of the club’s captaincy on Thursday. But that changed Friday.

“The club announces that the player Marc-Andre ter Stegen has signed the authorization necessary for the club to send La Liga the medical report relating to his surgery,” Barcelona said in a statement. “The disciplinary case has been closed and the player is captain of the first team once again with immediate effect.”

The club had opened a disciplinary proceeding against the goalkeeper on Tuesday after discrepancies about the recovery time for the lower back surgery that Ter Stegen successfully underwent last week.

Barcelona needed him to sign the injury report so it could be sent to the Spanish league in order to clear some salary-cap space and allow the club to more easily register other players without breaching financial fair play rules.

“These past few months have been especially difficult for me, both physically and personally,” Ter Stegen said in a statement on social media. “Like any player, after suffering an injury, my only priority has always been to return to the field as soon as possible, motivated solely by the desire to help the team and do what I love most: compete.”

He added that “completely unfounded” things were said about him in recent weeks, so he felt it was “necessary to express my version of events with respect, but also with clarity.”

“The decision to undergo surgery was made after consulting with medical professionals and was fully approved by the club,” he said. “I publicly announced the estimated recovery period, which was given to me by top medical experts and always in coordination with the club.”

Ter Stegen said ahead of the surgery that the recovery time would be about three months. The club did not give an official timetable for the recovery process, saying only that the operation was “successful” and that “his recovery will determine when he can return.”

“At no point could I have thought that my unfortunate situation — having to undergo another operation — was necessary to register other teammates whom I deeply respect and am looking forward to sharing the locker room with for many seasons,” he said. “Any other interpretation seems to me both unfair and inaccurate.”

The club signed Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García in June. Their other goalkeepers are veteran Wojciech Szczęsny and Iñaki Peña.

“Throughout my career, I have always tried to conduct myself with professionalism, respect, and commitment to the crests I’ve represented,” he said. “I have deep affection for FC Barcelona, this city, and its people, who have supported me over so many years. My commitment to these colors remains absolute.”

Ter Stegen missed nearly all of last season because of a ruptured tendon in his knee, and in 2023 he missed about two months because of another back operation. Peña and the 35-year-old Szczęsny started in place of Ter Stegen last season.

Barcelona, the defending Spanish league champion, arrived back in Spain on Tuesday after completing a preseason tour in Asia. They will face Italian club Como in their final preseason match on Sunday in Barcelona. Their league debut is at Mallorca next Saturday.