Lion Links: 11/27/15

As I write the intro to today's Lion Links, I struggle to see through the food daze I am in. Seriously, Thanksgiving was full of amazing food and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. As we all wake up from our food coma (or, our Black Friday shopping) let's enjoy some tasty Lion Links.

Lewis Neal to Return in Different Role?

While I am absolutely gutted that Lewis Neal will no longer be suiting up in purple, it is reasonable to think that Neal will be returning in a different role as mlssoccer.com's Simon Veness mentions in this piece. As well as discussing Neal's possible future plans, Veness also looks at the other players that will be departing the City Beautiful.

MLS is Tougher Than Premier League

Yes, you read that right. It is 100% fact, non-disputable. Okay, maybe not, but still, Montreal Impact star Didier Drogba recently told Reuters that he believes MLS is a tougher league than the Premier League. Drogba also believes that MLS will be one of the toughest leagues in the world in the coming years. As well as increasing talent, MLS teams face a grueling travel schedule that Drogba says makes it tougher than any other league in the world, and he would be correct. No league faces the tough travel that MLS teams do.

French League Bans Away Fans Until Mid-December

In the wake of the absolutely awful attacks in Paris, the French have banned all away fans from matches in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 until mid-December, according to BBC Sport.

The Interior Ministry has extended the ban due to a "lack of police forces available" during the ongoing state of emergency and upcoming climate summit.

Safety of the fans is the primary concern and this move absolutely makes sense in light of recent world events.

FIFA doing FIFA Things…Again

Now, maybe this is just me, but I will never understand why a team or country can be punished for fans booing an anthem. Hong Kong has been issued a letter from FIFA informing them that they are under investigation after reports of fans booed the anthem and threw a paper cup onto the pitch. Yes, you also read that right, a freaking paper cup. FIFA will be handing down the ruling by the end of December and the most severe punishments would be the docking of World Cup qualifying points, or disqualification from World Cup qualifying. Regardless, I believe punishing them for this is ludicrous, but that may just be me. Feel free to tell me how wrong I am in the comments below.

That's it for today, folks, have a safe Black Friday.