FSG DECISION IN BORDEAUX, Klopp WANTED and REDS RELAXED with Van Dijk

Here’s all the Liverpool news for Tuesday 16 July, with key updates on Fenway Sports Group’s bid to buy Bordeaux and Virgil van Dijk’s future.

FSG WILL NOT BUY FRENCH CLUB BORDEAUX

Girondins de Bordeaux have announced that FSG will no buy the club despite negotiations having progressed significantly last week.

The French club made these talks public as it appeared the American investment group was close to completing a takeover. But things fell apart with Bordeaux claiming it was because of stadium fees and the uncertain finances of French football.

TV deals – or the lack thereof – risk the future of several Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs. Bordeaux aren’t even one of them – their own disastrous finances have seen them relegated to the third tier next season.

A statement from Bordeaux said: “FC Girondins de Bordeaux and its shareholders have been informed by Fenway Sports Group of its desire not to pursue discussions initiated in recent weeks with a view to purchasing the club.

“This decision is explained in particular by the significant cost of the stadium in the coming years, but also by the general economic context of French football.

“FC Girondins de Bordeaux and Gérard Lopez would like to thank Fenway Sports Group for the interest shown in the club, as well as its teams for travelling to meet with its stakeholders.”

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GARY LINEKER WANTS JURGEN KLOPP FOR ENGLAND

Former England international turned BBC presenter Gary Lineker has suggested the Three Lions should hire Jurgen Klopp as Gareth Southgate’s replacement.

Following England’s 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday, Southgate announced his decision to step down as England manager.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast before Southgate’s decision was confirmed, Lineker said: “I think he (Southgate) was the right person to bring the nation together in terms of the football team.

“And now, maybe it’s time for someone with a more modern, attacking style of football. Because I think the game is no longer successful if you’re really defensive.

“Wouldn’t you give anything for Jurgen Klopp? Klopp is kind of out of a job. He must have had a bit of a rest.”

Klopp has already rejected an offer from the United States national team and it seems extremely unlikely that he would be willing to take up the England job so quickly following his departure from Liverpool at the end of last season.

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LIVERPOOL ‘RELAXED’ ABOUT VIRGIL VAN DIJK’S FUTURE

Liverpool are reportedly relaxed about Virgil van Dijk’s future despite his recent comments following Euro 2024.

Virgil van Dijk was “emotional” last week as the Netherlands were knocked out of Euro 2024. The Dutch captain admitted he is unsure what his next step will be – at club or international level.

“I have no idea right now,” Van Dijk said, according to Reuters, as reported by the Daily Mail.

“I will think carefully this summer about what I want at club level and as an international player. Then we will try again, but first we will recover from this.

“After a season like this, where all sorts of things have happened, it gets emotional at the end because you know it’s over.”

But it appears the club are not worried. Athletic claim they are “relaxed about the situation” at Liverpool after hearing the captain’s remarks.

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FANS APOLOGIZE AFTER HILLSBOROUGH SLANDER

Fans have apologized to the Associated Press (AP) and ABC News after their reporting on the troubles surrounding Sunday’s Copa America final contained incorrect information about the Hillsborough disaster.

The AP published an article Tuesday morning about the crowd trouble during the Copa America final between Colombia and Argentina.

At Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, the venue for the final, there were chaotic scenes, with fans reportedly trying to enter the stadium without tickets.

Australia’s ABC News then published an article about the Copa America final, repeating misinformation provided by the AP, which claimed that the Hillsborough disaster was caused by soccer fans forcing their way into the stadium.

Despite retracting the information in their articles, the AP and ABC News have not apologized for their error at the time of writing. Fans are calling for them to issue an apology immediately.

Speaking about the incident, the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance said on social media: “@abcnews please could someone please contact us (email protected). You really need to apologize for your article referencing Hillsborough. 35 years and we still have to defend the 97 and ourselves against people who are not educated in the TRUTH.”

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ALEXIS MAC ALLISTER’S MOTHER REACTS TO COPA AMERICA CHAOS

Alexis Mac Allister’s mother has reacted to the shocking scenes at the Copa America final on Sunday. She was in the middle of it all.

The 2024 Copa America final was a disaster for CONMEBOL organisers. Thousands entered the stadium without tickets – including some who snuck in through the ventilation system – and this forced the suspension of fan entry.

It was chaos and practically everyone on the field was involved in it. This included the families of certain players, of which Alexis Mac Allister was one.

“Alexis had to come out of the locker room to help us get in because he was worried,” she said via ESPN.

“I thought (the game) could not continue. I thought the game would not be played because if the players thought they could solve this, it would be impossible for it to be played. It was inhumane. We are fine.”