A ten point deduction from the Premier League for their alleged breach of Financial Fair Play was akin to a body blow to the stomach in the tenth round from a heavyweight boxer. It was quick, powerful, and something Everton were wholly unprepared for.

In this particular analogy, Everton were the challenger completely out of their depth for the fight they were in and they’ve been punished.

None more so than the fanbase, who it’s fair to say have had a rough few years. Two straight years of close relegation battles, managerial changes including arch enemy Rafa Benitez in the dugout, an owner who has lost interest and soul sapping malaise have worn them down.

Football is supposed to be joyous, a release at the weekend from the working week and the stresses of normal, day to day life. For Everton fans, following their club has just been another worry, another burden to carry. Just as that burden appeared to be lessening, the joy returning, the Premier League struck.

Punishing the fans is unfair, or at least that’s what they told us when six of the Premier League clubs tried to destroy the English game as we know it.

When Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham tried to break away to form the European Super League, it was all about the fans.

Despite a move which would have destroyed the Premier League, left the rest of the clubs in financial ruin and threatened the entire football pyramid in England, it was the fans who we really had to worry about.

Many journalists, media personalities and ex footballers churned out the same decree, “you can’t punish the fans”. Except, it seems what they really meant is “you can’t punish some fans”. The rest are fair game. And they seemingly couldn’t wait to punish Everton fans.

To say the Premier League’s 10 point deduction is disproportionate is putting it lightly. Portsmouth only received nine points for going into administration. Manchester City haven’t received a single deduction or punishment for 115 various charges. They and the rest of the six who tried to break away were given a slap on the wrist and a combined £22m fine. Everton’s punishment is the biggest handed out in the history of the division. Disproportionate doesn’t come close.

Yes, Everton appear to have broken the rules. Even they don’t deny that, and they deserve to be punished for it.

But when the Premier League’s own evidence suggests they were a mere £20m over the allowed spending after being in special measures for several years, with every movement monitored and approved by the Premier League while fully complying with the investigation, the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.

Everton have essentially been punished for being honest, while other clubs with more money continue to obfuscate and dodge the issue, pushing it further and further away until it all blows over. That’s essentially what Manchester City did to dodge UEFA charges.

The feeling at Everton for some time has been that they wanted to make an example of them and they’ve certainly done that. It’s a Premier League publicity stunt.

Some will ask why, but the answer is an obvious one. The Independent Football Regulator. The Premier League have been fighting that for some time, determined to rally against the government’s desire for football to be monitored and controlled by anybody but themselves.

The Premier League don’t want that, and they never will. They want to govern themselves and do as they please with little oversight. They like their world and how they run it and it has to stay that way. Punishing Everton this severely is a sign of strength, a political message to the government that they’re fine as they are.

You see, Everton are an easy target. They’re one of the founder members, sure, but their power is limited. They’re not one of the top six and they won’t kick up a fuss like their neighbours across the park. They don’t have the voice, the media friends, perhaps even the willpower, to really stir the hornets nest. The Premier League have taken advantage of that.

So what if the fans are punished? They’re used to relegation battles by now. Everton and their fans will take it on the chin and get on with it. Like Wolves, or Fulham, or Crystal Palace or the ‘other’ clubs that the Premier League really don’t care about.

“You can’t punish the fans” they told us, again and again and again. The reality is that they can, they have and they probably will again.

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Reports from Brazil have been claiming the Tricky Trees are in advanced talks to sign Nino, the centre-back who captained the Tricolor, and that may be a smart shot from Steve Cooper’s side.

The 26-year-old turned into a solid piece in Fluminense’s defence, strong enough to command their back line, as well as having the ability to start plays with safe ball possession. Centre-backs don’t usually have very unique features to be talked about, but there’s a couple of reasons Nottingham Forest may have become interested.

Nino’s main qualities have a lot to do with the Fernando Diniz’s style of playing with a high defensive line. The centre-back stood out this year by winning important duels in midfield to stop the opposite side’s counter-attacks. He’s also been quite daring to come out of his original position to help fullbacks and midfielders with fast tackles. That was crucial for the Rio de Janeiro club to recover possession as soon as possible.

That daring, however, may end up being a flaw in specific situations, whether that’s him committing dangerous fouls or making mistakes which leave the defence open. So his adaptation to Nottingham Forest and European tactics would be something interesting to see.

Despite recently being sidelined with a knee injury for a couple of weeks, he recovered well right before the Copa Libertadores final. Right now, he has 51 appearances for Fluminense this year, with many more to come, and that only shows how consistent he can be.

In recent interviews, Fluminense president Mario Bittencourt claimed that he’s previously blocked Nino’s departure and promised the player that he’d accept offers after the Copa Libertadores campaign. So this is the time for those who want to sign him, and reports say talks with Nottingham Forest are very much advanced.

When Premier League clubs shop in Brazil, they usually go for young skilled midfielders and attackers carrying the prospects of South American talent. Nottingham Forest seem to be betting on something different this time, and that may end up as a bargain for them.

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The midfielder had been linked with a big move to Europe since the summer, and the Craven Cottage side seemed to show up all of a sudden to take the lead for him.

André has been drawing big attention from top leagues after showing his potential at Fluminense for a couple of years now. He came from the club’s academy and became one of the main stars in their campaign to win their first Copa Libertadores this year. His form is the reason why, earlier this year, he made his debut for the Brazilian national team, where he has two caps so far.

The 22-year-old is a complete midfielder who’s been of big help in Fluminense’s defence, and especially in the first phase of creation.

Regarding his defensive duties, he’s a fast player who can often arrive as a surprise to help with a tackle or interception before the centre-backs are under real threat.

In attack, manager Fernando Diniz uses a scheme which very much relies on ball possession starting from the defensive sector.

That means that once the ball gets to him, many teams will be putting high pressure on already, and what he does very well is to find solutions for the Tricolor to keep the ball. Whether that be with dribbling, short passes or long and accurate passes. His quick thinking in those situations may be his biggest quality.

Now, if you ask what could harm his chances in English football, one of his best characteristics could also be a problem in the Premier League.

That’s because André is a light player, and even though that helps his acceleration and speed, that may be an issue once he starts facing the physicality shown by midfielders in England. Brazilians often struggle with that, and recent reports said his physical situation is one of the reasons Liverpool gave up on him.

His fitness shouldn’t be an issue, though, as he basically didn’t get injured this season. Despite being spared in a few league games, he’s made 54 appearances this year already, while there are still many games to go in the league and the Club World Cup. What should maybe concern Fulham is that he was booked 16 times this season, with 10 yellows in 25 league games.

In the 2022 season, he was elected the best defensive midfielder in the league. With Fluminense staying more focused on the Copa Libertadores this season, he probably won’t get the same prize this year, but every player would swap that individual award for a continental trophy any day of the week.

Marco Silva has been using many solutions for Fulham’s midfield this season, but we’d say he’d compete for a place with Harrison Reed and Pepe Mata Saar, besides being a potential replacement for João Palhinha in case the Portuguese player leaves.

André is one of the Fluminense players who had a promise from club president Mario Bittencourt that he could leave at the end of the year, following their Copa Libertadores campaign. The summer window in Europe makes it quite complicated for Brazilian clubs to negotiate at that time, since that’s the middle of the South American season.

That’s why those negotiations are often delayed until December, ahead of the January window.

We’re still to see whether it’s Fulham who’ll win the battle for his signing, but it’s nearly certain that André will soon be in Europe. Other clubs such as Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham have also reportedly scouted him in the Libertadores final, and more offers should arrive soon.

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At the first it was about the big security operation being launched to prevent any trouble, and then it was about Celtic fans being friendly. Near enough every time a curious Spaniard wanted to take a picture of the Celtic masses, so they wanted to do the reverse also, and that was quite endearing.

Of course, from an Atletico Madrid perspective, Celtic presenting Los Rojiblancos with the opportunity of a 6-0 victory was also welcomed.

One would expect the reaction of the Spanish newspapers, when it comes to Brendan Rodgers’ men, to be largely about them not really being very good on Tuesday evening, but a journalist for AS newspaper has it differently.

He’s compared Celtic’s players to the fighting spirit of William Wallace. Sure, there may be criticism elsewhere in Spain – and we can come to that later, but this AS column by P. Fuentenebro, says Celtic players never gave up, they never lowered their arms and they kept on fighting.

William Wallace is explained for a Spanish audience, with the assistance of Mel Gibson and Braveheart, and the column ends by saying ‘Celtic said goodbye to Europe like a warrior’.

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On Saturday, Fluminense and Boca Juniors will be playing the Copa Libertadores final in Rio de Janeiro. That’s the good old Brazil-Argentina rivalry once again deciding the continent’s most important club tournament.

Besides all the factors that make this a big match, we have the completely different scenarios which took each of those clubs to the final.

Fluminense have never won a Copa Libertadores before, and their anxiety for the unprecedented title is huge. The Tricolor is led by manager Fernando Diniz, a Bielsa-style coach who’d been heavily criticised for his tactics through his entire career and finally has the chance to prove himself by winning such a great title. With Conmebol holding the game in Rio de Janeiro, they’ll have the chance of playing in their own city.

Experienced players such as Marcelo, Paulo Henrique Ganso and German Cano are those who usually have the spotlight in Fluminense’s games, although European clubs will certainly be watching André, who’s been linked to Liverpool, as well as talented winger Jhon Arias.

On the other side, we have the six-time winners Boca Juniors, who have the chance of finally tying with Independiente as the club with the most wins.

The Xeneize know the way to the final pretty well, as they’ve been there 11 times, and that history certainly helped their way in this specific campaign. Believe it or not, they haven’t won a single game in the knock-out stage this year, having qualified in penalty shoot-outs in the round-of-16, quarter-finals and semifinals.

That’s where we talk about their main star in this campaign… Sergio Romero.

The former Manchester United goalkeeper has been a hero, giving the team some big experience alongside his former Red Devils teammates Marcos Rojo and Edinson Cavani.

Boca Juniors do have a strong young core as well. We’ve recently seen the likes of Valentin Barco and Ezequiel Fernandez being linked to the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, and those are the youngsters to keep an eye on, along with Cristian Medina and Luca Langoni.

This will be the first time the mythical Maracanã Stadium will be packed for a Copa Libertadores final played in a single game. That was supposed to happen in 2020, but the stands were empty due to Covid restrictions.

We can never promise a final will be beautiful, but given the talent and the competitiveness the clubs have been showing, it should be an entertaining game to watch on Saturday night.

Many Argentine fans are already in Rio de Janeiro for the weekend, and whoever wins, the Copacabana Beach will be buzzing.

The match, which kicks off at 8pm GMT, is being shown on BBC3 and iPlayer.

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At least three reports from Brazil claimed that Eddie Howe’s side have made contact for the signing, and could soon make a bid for the youngster.

Even though that story came out of nothing, it makes a lot of sense. And we’re here to explain why Marcos Leonardo is a reasonable target for Newcastle and any other Premier League clubs.

Just like most of Santos’ home-grown talents, the striker made his debut quite early, at the age of 17. That’s why now, despite being just 20, he already has some decent experience and that shows in his game.

Over the past couple of years, Marcos Leonardo has been showing how much of a goalscorer he is. First with 21 goals in 2022, now with another 21 in 2023 so far.

The reason why he isn’t in Europe yet is simply because of Santos’ strategy. He had been heavily linked to AS Roma and Lazio last summer, but since the club had already sold Deivid Washington and Angelo to Chelsea, they couldn’t lose another attacker, even though they had promised him he’d be sold in that window.

That was a tense situation because Marcos Leonardo could well have rebelled against the Brazilian side, but he didn’t. He not only stayed and committed himself, but is also saving them from relegation, because despite how bad the team is doing, currently standing 16th in a league of 20 clubs, he’s the league’s second top goalscorer.

The striker also impressed at the U-20 World Cup this year, with five goals in five appearances, and there he definitely drew interest from many European sides.

What impresses in Marcos Leonardo the most is that he isn’t just a goalscorer. His speed and strength make him a dangerous weapon in counter-attacks, even though his height and age may fool some who won’t think he’s that strong.

There’s obviously a lot to be polished, especially in terms of finishing. But if we’re talking about the big talents in Brazil, he’s definitely one of the most promising players coming through, and Newcastle investing in him could be wise, especially with Santos reportedly demanding less than €25m.

The Magpies seem fine with their attacking options for now, and it would be good for the Brazilian to arrive with time to adapt and develop before he’s urged to deliver.

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He and his representatives had reached a type of plea bargain with the Italian authorities after charges relating to gambling on illegal websites.

The ban was a total of 12 months, but with five passed over to alternative punishment.

Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali wasn’t thought to be set to get as harsh a punishment unless he bet on his own clubs, AC Milan or Newcastle United.

Wednesday’s edition of Gazzetta della Sport unfortunately brings bad news in that regard, saying the Newcastle player bet on Milan matches. However, it’s stated those bets didn’t have an influence on the outcome of matches so it’s unlikely a sporting fraud case will be brought.

The bets were for Milan to win or on matches in which Tonali didn’t play.

According to the Italian newspaper, Tonali has confessed everything, wanting to get it all out there, and it’s thought he’s facing a 12 month ban.

That’s only because he’s cooperating, otherwise it’s stated the Newcastle man could have received three to fours years.

To be clear, it’s thought Tonali’s ban could be longer than the seven months (12, of which 5 suspended/alternative) given to Fagioli, with Gazzetta stating: ‘The starting sanction will be higher than the three years (minimum sentence for those who bet on football) requested for Fagioli and therefore the 7 months of disqualification plus 5 of alternative punishment cannot be achieved.’

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An own goal from Cristian Romero gave Mikel Arteta’s side the lead, before Son Heung-min equalised for the away side. Bukayo Saka then put Arsenal ahead again, thanks to a penalty conceded by Romero, before Spurs’ South Korean star again came to the rescue.

After the match, Pedro Porro spoke to the Spanish media and the first question was whether he was happy with the point against Arsenal.

Plaza Deportivo quote the defender as saying: “We came to play our game, to do what we had been doing since the season began. We wanted to win, we got a point which is also good and now it’s time to continue next week when we have another important game.”

Tottenham face Liverpool at the weekend in what will be another tough task for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Porro was asked about the manager’s impact, with it put to him that fans and players both seem especially happy this season.

To that, he responded: “It looks like we are happy. When you have happy players, it shows differently on the pitch. Ange is a great coach, in the time we have worked with him, he has that mentality that the players also have. Together we are on a good path.”

Postecoglou should therefore be able to help Porro prove his doubters wrong, something which seems important to the player.

Asked about his recent comments on criticism from pundits, Porro said: “You focus more on playing. Criticism bothers you, because for me it is the first time I play here, it is a very different league, the best league in the world. You try to accept the criticism and move on. Working in silence, showing that I am a player who can give a lot and being humble. Make those people who have criticised you wrong.”

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Sure, 0-0 isn’t so exciting on the face of it, but taking a point away from home in the first match, against such an illustrious club as AC Milan, is positive.

On top of that, it’s not unfair to say Newcastle were somewhat fortunate that Milan were so wasteful in front of goal, having dominated for nearly the entire match.

Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport are the two main sport newspapers in Italy, and both have rated the performances they saw.

For each team in each big match, Gazzetta pick out ‘Il migliore – The best’ and ‘Il peggiore – The worst’.

It’s no surprise that Nick Pope is Il migliore. Gazzetta and Corriere both give him 7/10, which is a good mark in Italy. The former say of his performance: ‘He saves everything he has to: on Pobega, Giroud, Theo. When he doesn’t get there, Murphy saves him on the line. Pope with a halo.’

Kieran Tripper got 6/10 from Corriere, and 7/10 from Gazzetta, who thought he could have done more: ‘He starts proactively, extending his attack in the first few minutes. Then he hides away, like everyone else, on the barricades.’

Fabian Schar got 6/10 from Corriere and 6.5/10 from Gazzetta: ‘Tough performance, like a fighter. He rejects Giroud and everything that happens. Among the first creators of the point that made the Magpies happy. The wall held up well.’

Sven Botman got 6.5/10 from both, with Gazzetta making sure to leave a little dig in after the Dutchman moved to Newcastle instead of Milan: ‘Another armoured door in front of Pope. Maldini had tried to bring him to Milan. He was needed, but yesterday Tomori swept their regrets into the stands. The Rossoneri is better.’

Those four were considered the best of the bunch for Newcastle, with Gazzetta rating the rest as follows.

Dan Burn 6/10

Sean Longstaff 6/10

Bruno Guimarães 5.5/10

Sandro Tonali 5.5/10

Jacob Murphy 6/10

Anthony Gordon 5/10

Callum Wilson 5.5/10

Elliot Anderson 6/10

The one missing is Alexander Isak, who Gazzetta decided was Il peggiore, giving 5/10 and saying: ‘In front of Ibra, his former national teammate, he doesn’t enchant. He tries to move backwards to find the ball, but Tomori always tears him apart.’

If you think that’s harsh, they gave Rafael Leão 4.5/10.

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The 18-year-old currently plays for Athletico Paranaense but in July of this year, Barcelona announced they’ve agreed a deal to sign him. He’s expected to arrive physically next summer, although the January window hasn’t been ruled out.

In good goalscoring form, there’s Catalan anger that the youngster wasn’t picked for the last break… potentially ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s Richarlison.

Indeed, Sport go for the jugular with Richarlison and their comments are distasteful to say the least.

About the Tottenham player, Sport state: ‘Richarlison, who started both games, came out crying in the first, as a result of frustration; and, in the second, he said in a mixed zone that he would go seek psychological help to work on his anxiety. He stated that he had off-field problems (which sounded like an alibi and a public distraction due to his poor performance).’

That’s quite a nasty way of framing things and seems to distort the truth to fit the Barcelona agenda.

Richarlison has 20 goals and eight assists in 46 matches for Brazil, a very good return on the international level. He hasn’t scored in his last five matches for Brazil, but before that he was flying and he was unlucky in the last match when VAR took an age to rule out a goal for offside.

The Tottenham player returned to the scoresheet for Tottenham at the weekend, with a crucial late performance to help Spurs turn the game around against Sheffield United.

Sport say Deco, Barcelona’s football director, ‘was not amused’ by Diniz’s decision to omit Vitor Roque from his last squad. That requires quite some level of cheek, given Deco, born in Brazil, decided to represent Portugal at international level.

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