Ligue 1 strugglers Angers have parted company with coach Abdel Bouhazama after he seemingly downplayed the seriousness of sexual assault.
Angers are languishing at the bottom of Ligue 1, having taken just 10 points from 26 games this season.
They are 10 points from safety and have failed to win a top-flight game since September, losing 16 of their 18 games since then.
While Angers stated Bouhazama had left due to the poor results, he also departs under the shadow of damning comments made during a pre-match team talk ahead of Sunday's 5-0 defeat to Montpellier.
Bouhazama is said to have told his players "It's not that serious, we have all touched girls", as he aimed to justify Ilyes Chetti's inclusion in his starting XI.
Chetti has been charged with the sexual assault of a woman in a nightclub last year. He will appear in court in April.
On Tuesday, Angers confirmed they had agreed to Bouhazama's resignation.
"The decision to resign was taken by him at the end of February after several disappointments on the sporting front," a club statement read. "In addition, a controversy arose on Monday after comments, taken out of context, made during the pre-match talk, were leaked to the local and national press.
"Faced with media pressure and in order to preserve the club's image and the serenity of the dressing room, Abdel Bouhazama announced to president Said Chabane that he had decided to leave his position as coach of the professional team. The president accepted the coach's decision.
"Angers unreservedly condemn the words spoken during the talk, even if they seem to be more clumsy than intended to trivialise a sexist remark.
"Moreover, the club does not accept any form of discrimination and condemns sexism and misogyny.
"Abdel Bouhazama has apologised to his colleagues, particularly female ones, and has therefore preferred to draw the consequences of both his record and his blunders."
Bouhazama took charge of Angers on an initial interim basis in November and was handed the job permanently during the World Cup break.
Solanke earns England recall, Foden, Palmer and Bellingham return
Lee Carsley has recalled Dominic Solanke to the England squad for their upcoming Nations League matches against Greece and Finland.
Solanke's only previous call-up came when he was at Liverpool back in 2017, earning his sole cap as a substitute against Brazil.
Despite missing the start of the season through injury, he has made a fine start to life at Tottenham and has scored in each of his last three matches in all competitions.
"Dom's a player I'm fully aware of having worked with him in the past," said Carsley.
"He was really close to being in the last squad but got injured just before selection. He did so well at Bournemouth, and now he's taken that form into Spurs. He's extremely talented, and it's good that we've got him."
Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham are also back in the squad after missing the September fixtures through illness and injury respectively.
Should Bellingham feature for the Three Lions this international break, he would move outright second for most England appearances before turning 22 (currently 36, level with Marcus Rashford), after Wayne Rooney (40).
Kyle Walker is also back in the fold having been left out of the last squad due to a lack of playing time, and could move into the top five for most England appearances made at Wembley Stadium (37) if he plays against Greece.
Meanwhile, Harry Maguire, James Maddison and Eberechi Eze all drop out.
England squad in full:
Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle United), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Rico Lewis (Manchester City), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Angel Gomes (Lille), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).
Fit-again Mbappe not selected by France
Kylian Mbappe has been left out of France's squad for their Nations League games against Israel and Belgium.
Mbappe, who sustained a muscular injury while in action for Real Madrid last month, returned to action for Los Blancos on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old was a substitute but could not help Madrid avoid falling to a 1-0 defeat at Lille in the Champions League.
However, Didier Deschamps has made the call to rest Mbappe for this month's fixtures.
"He has a problem that is not serious. I'm not here to take risks, which is why Kylian isn't on the list," Deschamps told reporters.
Bayern Munich's Michael Olise, meanwhile, was called up, while Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku has also been selected for the first time since June 2023.
Lucas Digne, who was called up as an injury replacement for the last squad, has kept his place after some impressive displays for Aston Villa.
Mbappe's Madrid team-mate Eduardo Camavinga has also been called up after recovering from a knee injury.
France lost to Italy in their Nations League opener, but bounced back by beating Belgium 2-0.
France squad in full:
Alphonse Areola (West Ham), Mike Maignan (Milan), Brice Samba (Lens); Jonathan Clauss (Nice), Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Wesley Fofana (Chelsea), Theo Hernandez (Milan), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich); Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Youssouf Fofana (Milan), Matteo Guendouzi (Lazio), Manu Kone (Roma), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG); Bradley Barcola (PSG), Ousmane Dembele (PSG), Randal Kolo Muani (PSG), Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Marcus Thuram (Inter).
Szoboszlai 'loving' midfield unity with Mac Allister and Gravenberch
Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai "loves" playing alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch in Arne Slot's new-look midfield.
Szoboszlai had an up and down first season at Liverpool following a big-money switch from RB Leipzig.
The Hungary international has started eight of Liverpool's nine matches this season, including Wednesday's 2-0 win over Bologna in the Champions League.
Szoboszlai has formed a strong midfield trio alongside Mac Allister and Gravenberch, and he is revelling excelling in the unit.
He told Liverpool's official website: "I love to play with them. I said it before, a lot of qualities what these two have – but the whole team [as well].
"The midfield is not enough. Of course it's an important role but we need everybody, we need the bench as well, we need the whole squad because there's going to be times where it's going to be hard and I think there are still 60 games to come!"
Slot has been shortlisted for the Premier League's Manager of the Month award in September.
Liverpool sit top of the standings with 15 points, having won all but one of their league matches under Slot, losing 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in September.
"If you take the Nottingham Forest game away then it's a perfect start," added Szoboszlai.
"We are top of the league and we have to continue like this."
The Reds take on Crystal Palace in Saturday's early kick-off in the Premier League.
Slot is looking to become just the fourth manager in Premier League history to win each of his first four away games in the competition after Felipe Scolari (first eight), John Gregory (five) and Bobby Gould (four).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Crystal Palace - Jean-Philippe Mateta
Mateta has scored 15 goals in his last 11 home games for Palace in all competitions, netting multiple goals in five of these 11 appearances (four braces, one hat-trick).
Liverpool - Mohamed Salah
Salah has scored in all three of Liverpool’s Premier League away games so far this season.
There have been nine previous occasions of a player scoring in his side's first four on the road in a single campaign – Salah could be the first player to do so twice (also in 2021-22).
MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN
Liverpool have won all three of their Premier League away games this season – only in 1990-91 and 2019-20 have they ever won their opening four away games in a league campaign.
Palace, on the other hand, remain winless in their six Premier League games so far this season (D3 L3). Only in 1992-93 (eight), 1994-95 (seven), 2004-05 (seven) and 2017-18 (seven) have they gone longer without a win from the start of a top-flight campaign, being relegated at the end of the first three of those.
In 30 previous Premier League meetings between Palace and Liverpool, 14 have been won by the away side (47%). This is the highest away win ratio of any of the 109 fixtures to be played 30+ times in the competition's history.
Palace have conceded more Premier League goals against Liverpool than they have against any other opponent both overall (69) and at home (38). Indeed, the Reds are responsible for the Eagles' two biggest home defeats in the competition’s history (6-1 in August 1994, 7-0 in December 2020).
Each of Liverpool's last four Premier League defeats against Crystal Palace have come at Anfield – they are unbeaten in their last nine at Selhurst Park (W8 D1) since a 3-1 loss in November 2014.
Palace have lost 11 of their last 14 Premier League meetings with Liverpool (W1 D2), though that sole victory was in their last such meeting at Anfield in April.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Crystal Palace - 18.5%
Liverpool - 60%
Draw - 21.6%
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