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O Corinthians venceu o Coritiba por 2 a 0 na noite desta quarta-feira (6), no Couto Pereira, em Curitiba (PR) pela 38ª e última rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Fausto Vera e Ángel Romero marcaram os gols da vitória do Timão, ambos no primeiro tempo.

RelacionadasFora de CampoNeto atualiza situação envolvendo Gabigol, Flamengo e Corinthians: ‘Ele quer vir’Fora de Campo05/12/2023CorinthiansAtacante do Botafogo vira alvo do Corinthians para a próxima temporadaCorinthians05/12/2023CorinthiansMatheus Araújo revela se tem negociação para renovar com o CorinthiansCorinthians03/12/2023

➡️Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Com este resultado, o time comandado por Mano Menezes encerrou o Brasileirão na 13ª colocação, com 50 pontos, conquistando uma vaga na próxima edição da Copa Sul-Americana. Já o Coritiba está rebaixado para a Série B, terminando a temporada na 19ª posição, com 30 pontos, à frente apenas do lanterna América-MG.

CINCO LANCES QUE MARCARAM O DUELO

1️⃣ OLHA A BOCA! Com o estádio completamente vazio devido à punição sofrida pelo Coritiba, foi possível ouvir absolutamente TUDO que os treinadores estavam falando à beira do campo, incluindo os xingamentos…

2️⃣PLACAR ABERTO NO COUTO PEREIRA! Aos 10′, Fausto Vera finalizou de fora da área direto para o fundo da rede do Coxa, marcando seu primeiro gol com a camisa do Corinthians.

3️⃣MAIS UM! O Timão continuou pressionando e conseguiu ampliar a vantagem aos 20′. Após a defesa do Coritiba tirar mal a bola dentro da área, foi a vez de Ángel Romero estufar a rede. O paraguaio contou com o desvio de Thalisson Gabriel, que matou qualquer chance de defesa para o goleiro Pedro Morisco.

4️⃣PERDEEEEEU! Aos 37′, o zagueiro Thiago Dombroski teve uma ótima chance de descontar para o Coxa, mas finalizou para fora.

5️⃣FICOU POR AÍ! O segundo tempo seguiu em ritmo de jogo-treino. Sem grandes emoções, as equipes não criaram grandes chances na etapa final. O Corinthians administrou bem sua vantagem, e o Coritiba não conseguiu tirar o zero do marcador.

⏱Como foi o primeiro tempo?

Uma partida entre duas equipes sem objetivos na temporada não poderia ser diferente: ritmo de treino. No entanto, o Corinthians dominou as principais ações da etapa inicial, chegando com mais perigo no ataque. O Coritiba também teve algumas chances, porém não conseguiu aproveitá-las. Fausto Vera abriu o placar para o Timão com chute de fora da área, aos 10′, e Ángel Romero ampliou aos 20′ contando com o desvio do adversário.

⏱E a etapa final?

O segundo tempo não teve grandes emoções. O Corinthians conseguiu administrar bem a sua vantagem, mas também não se postou tanto ao ataque. O Coritiba, por sua vez, também não teve grande poder ofensivo e não conseguiu descontar no Couto Pereira.

✅O que vem por aí?

As duas equipes encerram a temporada e só voltam a campo em 2024 para a disputa dos campeonatos estaduais.

⚫FICHA TÉCNICA
Campeonato Brasileiro – 38ª rodada
Coritiba 0 x 2 Corinthians

Data e horário:quarta-feira, 6 de dezembro de 2023, às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Local:Couto Pereira, em Curitiba (PR)
Arbitragem: Jonathan Benkenstein Pinheiro (RS) (árbitro), Tiago Augusto Kappes Diel (RS) e Maira Mastella Moreira (RS) (assistentes), Ivan da Silva Guimaraes Junior (AM) (quarto árbitro) e Daniel Nobre Bins (VAR-FIFA-RS) (árbitro de vídeo)
Cartões amarelos: –
Gols: Fausto Vera (0-1) (10’/1T), Ángel Romero (0-2) (20’/1T)

CORITIBA(Técnico: Guto Ferreira)
Pedro Morisco; Natanael, Thalisson, Thiago Dombroski (Maurício Antônio, após o intervalo) e Jamerson; William Farias (Matheus Bianqui, após o intervalo), Andrey (Diogo Batista, aos 20’/2T), Sebastian Gómez e Gabriel Silva (Lucas Ronier, após o intervalo); Kaio e Edu (Éberth, aos 19’/2T).

CORINTHIANS (Técnico: Mano Menezes)
Carlos Miguel; Fágner, Gil, Caetano e Matheus Bidu; Cantillo, Fausto Vera (Ruan, aos 22’/2T) (Bruno Méndez, aos 35’/2T), Matheus Araújo e Biro (Giovane, aos 21’/2T); Romero (Felipe Augusto, aos 35’/2T) e Yuri Alberto (Wesley, aos 29’/2T).

كشفت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية التفاصيل الخاصة برحلة نجم فريق إنتر ميامي ومنتخب الأرجنتين، ليونيل ميسي، المفاجئة إلى برشلونة حيث تفاجأ الجميع بالصور التي نشرها صباح يوم الإثنين، حيث تواجد في ملعب “كامب نو” الجديد.

وتسبب ليونيل ميسي في ضجة كبرى وسعادة غامرة لدي مشجعي برشلونة، خاصة وأن تواجده في معقل النادي الكتالوني لم يكن معروفًا لأي من المسؤولين، وهو بنفسه من أعلن عن تلك الزيارة بعدما نشر عبر حساباته الشخصية بمواقع التواصل الاجتماعي (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وذكرت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية أن ليونيل ميسي وصل إلى برشلونة على متن رحلة خاصة من مطار فورت لودرديل، ميامي، حوالي الساعة 2:30 ظهرًا، برفقة أقرب المقربين إليه ومواطنه رودريجو دي بول، حيث استغل كلاهما مشاركتهما المقررة مع المنتخب الأرجنتيني في أليكانتي يوم الإثنين لتقديم رحلتهما يومًا والاستمتاع ببضع ساعات من الاسترخاء في برشلونة.

وأوضحت أنه بعد يوم هادئ، قرر ليونيل ميسي الإقامة في فندق برينسيسا صوفيا مع بيبي كوستا، رفيق دربه في برشلونة لسنوات طويلة، ومن المثير للاهتمام أنه قد مُنح غرفة مطلة على ملعب كامب نو، ولم يره سوى أربعة أو خمسة مشجعين.

وراقب أولئك المنطقة التي يدخل ويخرج منها المشاهير بتكتم، معتقدين أن ميسي سيغادر من هناك، ولكن بدون مبالاة مدهشة، غادر النجم صاحب الـ38 عامًا من المدخل الرئيسي، وظهر واختلط بالناس كأي شخص عادي.

وفي ذلك المساء، تناول ليونيل ميسي العشاء مع دي بول في مطعم شهير في المدينة، معروف بأجوائه الحميمة ومكان شهير للاعبين الذين يزورون برشلونة، ثم لاحقًا سافرا إلى كامب نو.

ونزل ميسي من السيارة أمام تانايتوري دي ليس كورتيس، حيث تفقد الملعب الذي كان موطنه لأكثر من عقدين، وفي تلك اللحظة صادفه أحد مشجعي برشلونة، وهو من رواد المدينة الرياضية، ولم يستطع إلا أن ينادي اسمه.

والتقط الأرجنتيني، الذي كان ودودًا ومبتسمًا طوال الوقت، صورة مع ذلك الشخص، ثم دخل الملعب من نفس المدخل ليخطو مرة أخرى على أرض الملعب حيث كتب بعضًا من أروع فصول تاريخ كرة القدم، حيث مثلت لحظة حافلة بالعاطفة والرمزية كونها أول عودة له إلى “كامب نو” منذ رحيله المفاجئ والمؤلم في صيف 2021.

وأشارت إلى أنه بعد الزيارة، عاد ميسي ودي بول بتكتم إلى الفندق للراحة لبضع ساعات قبل أن يستقلا رحلة خاصة صباح اليوم إلى أليكانتي، حيث انضما بالفعل إلى المنتخب الأرجنتيني.

He replaces Shanto and will take over the reins from the Sri Lanka series next month

Mohammad Isam12-Jun-2025

Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been appointed Bangladesh’s ODI captain for the next 12 months. He will take over from the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka next month.Mehidy’s ODI appointment means Bangladesh now have three different captains in the three formats. Mehidy took over from Najmul Hossain Shanto, who remains the Test captain, while Litton Das is the T20I captain.”It is a huge honour for me to be entrusted with this responsibility by the board,” Mehidy said. “Leading the country is a dream for any cricketer and I am grateful for the confidence the board has shown in me. I have every faith in this team. We have the talent and the belief to play fearless cricket. I want us to perform with confidence, play without inhibition, and continue giving our best for the country.”Related

Shanto reinstated as Bangladesh Test captain until end of WTC cycle

Rebuild, resurrect, recalibrate – Mehidy has an unenviable task as ODI captain

Mehidy wants to bring hope back in ODIs for Bangladesh

Shanto banks on Bangladesh's away form, squad flexibility for fresh WTC campaign

Mehidy led Bangladesh in four ODIs last year when Shanto was injured, first against Afghanistan and then in the West Indies. Bangladesh lost all four games. Mehidy also stood in as Test captain in the series against West Indies, helping Bangladesh draw the second Test in Jamaica after they lost the first Test. He has played 105 ODIs and is the fourth Bangladesh player to do the double of 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in the format.”The board felt that Miraz’s consistent performances with the bat and ball, his ability to fight and inspire the team, and his energetic presence on and off the field make him an ideal candidate to lead the ODI side during a transitional time,” BCB’s cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedeen said. “We believe he has the temperament and maturity to take Bangladesh forward in this format.”Abedeen said that Shanto, who was appointed Bangladesh captain in all three formats in February last year, would continue to be in the leadership group.”We take this opportunity to thank Shanto for the positivity and character he has demonstrated as captain,” he said. “He remains very much a part of the leadership group and we know how important his batting is to the team.”Shanto led Bangladesh to four wins in 13 ODIs since 2023. Bangladesh won the ODI series against Sri Lanka last year but lost to New Zealand and Afghanistan. Bangladesh also exited the Champions Trophy in the first round earlier this year.Mehidy’s appointment also comes with the 2027 ODI World Cup not far away. Bangladesh are currently ranked No. 10 in the format. They need to be among the top-eight teams to earn automatic qualification for the World Cup.

Islamabad United produced a vintage performance to barnstorm into the top two, relegating Karachi Kings to the Eliminator in the process. Needing to beat Kings by about 49 runs to guarantee two bites at qualification for the final, they managed it with consummate ease as Sahibzada Farhan and Alex Hales combined for a 153-run opening stand in 69 balls to post 251 for 5. Kings’ response was restricted to a flash in the pan for the top two before United’s spinners triggered a collapse, Kings slumping from 80 for 1 to 114 for 8 as United sealed a 79-run win.United were put in to bat, and made their intentions plain from the outset. Farhan struck three fours in the opening over, with Hales going one better with two fours and a six off Khushdil Shah in the second. The two were in competition with each other more than they were with Kings’ bowlers, taking turns to flay them around the Pindi ground. The pair signed off the powerplay with 17 off Abbas Afridi to surge to 76, and if two quiet overs post powerplay gave Kings hope they were dragging the game back, the following three disabused them of that notion severely.Hales hoicked Hasan Ali over long-off for six before Farhan – having reached a 28-ball fifty – smeared him over square leg. The tenth over saw Aamer Jamal cop even worse punishment from Hales, who battered him for three sixes and a four in an over which fetched 24. United had reached 130 at the halfway mark, well on their way to the imposing total they required for a top two finish.There would be no respite as Khushdil’s third over went for a further 20 before a miscued lap from Farhan ballooned to short fine leg off Mir Hamza. He departed for 73 off 41, but Hales would motor along; by the time he ran down the stumps and yorked himself, he had blitzed his way to 88 off 35. United had enough wickets in the tank to keep slogging away, and benefitted from Kings’ largesse as they put down at least six chances amid one of the more egregious fielding displays of a tournament which has seen its fair share. Shadab Khan played the most active role in maximising United’s target towards the end, three fours and as many sixes decorating a 19-ball 42.Karachi needed 204 to secure a second place finish, and that’s what they seemed to be shaping up for at the outset. David Warner and Tim Seifert took an over to settle before they starting finding their shots, picking up a pair of boundaries each over to keep them on track. A whip off Tymal Mills at the end of the fifth over brought up the fifty stand, and though Salman Irshad yorked Seifert just before the end of the powerplay, James Vince and Warner tried to continue with the controlled aggression that marked their innings until then.But Imad Wasim, who had bowled a tight first over, dangled a carrot by dropping a quick long hop in front of Vince, who didn’t quite get the power on the heave to long-on. Salman Agha made no mistake, and thereafter the fall of wickets was a procession as Kings’ charge melted away in a wisp of smoke.A wild swing from Saad Baig brought United the third wicket before all realistic Kings hopes ended when Warner was cleaned up by Imad, who was growing into another superb spell. Shadab, meanwhile, would end up becoming the pick, taking two wickets each in two consecutive overs as he sliced through Kings’ middle order; Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Irfan Khan and Hasan Ali all neutralised within ten balls from the United captain.The victory could have been even more emphatic but United let their guard down, Shadab having his figures sullied as Abbas Afridi plundered an astonishing 24 off his final over. When Ben Dwarshuis was launched for another 15, there were brief fears United might throw away the top two finish, but they had built enough of a cushion. Irshad arrowed one into Jamal’s toes, bringing him to his knees as the umpire raised the finger. As a metaphor for how the night had gone, it was a fitting way to finish.

Tottenham have joined the list of teams keen on signing Brentford attacker Kevin Schade, with the Bees’ former boss lining up a potential switch. Frank signed Schade from Freiburg in 2023 and now wants to reunite with the Germany international.

• Rapid rise from Bundesliga to Premier League

  Schade's rise has been an impressive one. He began his career in the youth ranks at Energie Cottbus and then Freiburg, making his Bundesliga debut in August 2021. Schade then moved to Brentford in January 2023, initially on loan before making the move permanent for a club-record fee reportedly around £22 million ($29.3m), in a deal which runs until 2028. He has faced injury setbacks during his time at Brentford, including a significant abdomen injury in September 2023 which sidelined him for several months. Despite this, he has shown promising form, particularly last season where he scored 11 goals. He also earned his first call-up to the senior German national team in March 2023. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Why the clamour for the young German?

  Schade has been hugely impressive since arriving in west London, demonstrating impressive talent and potential in attacking areas. His blistering pace is a significant strength, allowing him to exploit spaces behind defences and stretch opposing teams. Schade's athleticism is further highlighted by his strength in the air, making him a valuable target man and contributing to Brentford's set-piece threat. He recorded a top speed of 22.6mph while playing for Freiburg, marking him as one of the fastest players in Bundesliga history. Schade's growing goal contributions reflect his development. Beyond his attacking contributions, Schade is known for his relentless work rate and defensive intensity, a valuable attribute for Brentford's high-pressing style of play.

• High praise from Frank

  Speaking after Schade scored a brace against Manchester United last season, Frank said: "He’s grown a lot this season. Scoring 10 goals – not many players have scored 10 goals in the Premier League in their career – and he’ll most likely become even better next year. That’s the plan. With his pace going in behind, his threat in the box on headers – two fantastic headers (against United), the first one is an incredible header, the second one is just top class – but also if we go longer he’s one that can win a flick-on and, with set pieces in both boxes, he’s working hard."

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• AFP
  

  Spending spree for Spurs?

  Tottenham Hotspur have received a £100 million cash injection from their billionaire owners, the Lewis family, in what the club is calling a “statement of intent” – and could pave the way for Schade’s switch across London. In a powerful club statement released on Thursday, Tottenham confirmed the fresh equity boost was designed to “strengthen the club’s financial position” and “equip the leadership team with resources for long-term sporting success.” It read: "We are pleased to announce that our majority shareholder, the Lewis family trust, has, through ENIC Sports & Development Holdings Ltd (“ENIC”), injected £100 million of new capital into the Club. "This equity injection will further strengthen the Club’s financial position and equip the Club’s leadership team with additional resources to continue the focus on driving long-term sporting success. This additional capital is part of the Lewis family’s ongoing commitment to the Club and its future."

  Peter Charrington, Non-Executive Chairman, Tottenham added: "As I stated a few weeks ago, our focus is on stability and empowering the management team to deliver on the Club’s ambitions. I know the Lewis family are also ambitious for the future. Today’s capital commitment reflects that ambition and I would like to thank them for their ongoing support. We will continue to do all we can to ensure that Vinai Ventakesham and his team are supported in the best way possible to take this Club forward."

  Spurs face Aston Villa after the international break, before taking on Monaco in the Champions League. Brentford, by comparison, play West Ham prior to a clash with champions Liverpool.

“They have been doing that in the nets in the last seven to eight days to all our bowlers,” says Smriti Mandhana of Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja after record chase

Srinidhi Ramanujam14-Feb-2025

It wasn’t a perfect opening night for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, so captain Smriti Mandhana was “really happy” to be on the winning side. Her team, the defending champions, conceded what was the fourth-highest total in the WPL, then went one better, chasing down 202 in exhilarating fashion. They chiefly had Richa Ghosh, Kanika Ahuja and Ellyse Perry to thank for this, and Mandhana heaped praise on her middle order for delivering after an early wobble.”It was brilliant to watch,” Mandhana, who was out for 9 in the second over of the chase, said after the game. “They [Ahuja and Ghosh] have been doing that in the nets in the last seven to eight days to all our bowlers. So, really happy that things clicked on. But yeah, I think after the first innings we knew with the dew coming, it was going to be tough to bowl. So we always thought that we were in the game.”The way Richa batted and Pez [Perry] batted was amazing to watch.”Related

Blow by brutal blow, Ghosh slays Giants on WPL opening night

Ghosh, Ahuja script stunning comeback as RCB complete WPL's biggest chase

Stats – RCB kick off WPL 2025 with the tournament's highest-ever chase

RCB had been up against it after Ashleigh Gardner dented the visitors with the bat first, smashing a 37-ball 79, and then with the ball, removing Mandhana and Danni Wyatt-Hodge in the second over. But from thereon Giants had an awful time in the field with dropped catches, misfields, a missed run-out chance, overthrows and a flurry of full tosses. Perry, who was out in the 13th over, had done a repair job with 57 off 34, before Ghosh (64 not out off 27) and Ahuja (30 not out off 13) proceeded to snatch the game away.Ghosh took her time initially – she scored just 15 off her first 12 balls. A lot of match simulation before the tournament helped her deal with the high-pressure situation, she said later.”The plan was to take some time, and see how the pitch is reacting,” Ghosh said. “I wanted to take it deep, and I focused on my game. We [Ahuja and I] thought we could get to the total, and that we would play a positive game.”The preparation we did with sir [head coach Luke Williams] really helped us. We had a lot of match situation during practice matches. We kept targets that if the situation is so and so then what should we be doing. That helped me a lot.””Yes, the boundaries were uneven, but I didn’t have that in mind. I knew I could clear [the boundaries] so I was just reacting as the ball came.”Ahuja, who missed the last edition due to injury, was elated. In addition to her match-turning knock, she had returned 1 for 19 from three overs with her offspin.”It feels great. I’m really happy as I’m playing after a year,” Ahuja said. “All the visualisations and the rehab that I did seemed to have helped me mentally. I tried to become a better player.”I thought I’ll go for whatever is in my reach. We were looking at a [required] run rate of 10 or 12 runs an over, and that worked out. Thankfully, we won.”RCB had lost key players like Sophie Devine (unavailable), Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana and Sophie Molineux (all injured) ahead of the season, so they had to dig deep into their squad here. This resulted in three debutants: Prema Rawat, VJ Joshitha and Raghvi Bist. The inexperience in the bowling unit showed, and sloppiness in the field did not help. Mandhana backed her young players but said there remained “a lot of things to work on” if they are to defend their title.”I think we lost pretty much the top-three wicket-takers of last year,” Mandhana said. “And we had to start, but luckily we had good options. And whoever came in for the injured people, I think they were all brilliant replacements.”[But] I think definitely a lot of things to work on as a bowling unit and fielding unit. And we have two days off before the next match, so we’ll have good discussions around it.”

Rangers’ busy transfer window activity continues.

Over the weekend, the Light Blues confirmed the signing of teenage left-back Jayden Meghoma, arriving on a season-long loan from Brentford.

He is the tenth new player recruited by Russell Martin, with more expected to follow, as he seeks to completely overhaul the Rangers squad he inherited.

Now though, the Gers are seeking to bolster their backline even further, targeting another exciting talent…

Rangers' search for a new left-back

Ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League play-off first leg against Club Brugge, Rangers submitted a squad to UEFA that featured no out-and-out left-backs.

Rıdvan Yılmaz has not featured at all under Martin, with Beşiktaş attempting to re-sign him, while Jefté, who did start both legs against Viktoria Plzeň in the previous round, has now also been excluded, reportedly close to a £6m move to Palmeiras.

Thus, Max Aarons is expected to once again fill-in at left-back, as he did for both legs against Panathinaikos, and on the opening day of the Premiership campaign at Motherwell, but this is a far from ideal solution.

Thus, according to Il Messaggero, via the Daily Record, Rangers have revived their interest in signing Anass Salah-Eddine from Roma, with the Light Blues said to be ready to make contact regarding a potential move.

They add that newly-promoted La Liga outfit Elche are among the 23-year-old’s other suitors, with the Giallorossi willing to sell.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Salah-Eddine only joined Roma from FC Twente in January for a reported fee of €8.5m plus €2m in add-ons, around £9m, but the full-back is not in new manager Gian Piero Gasperini’s plans, so could he soon swap the Eternal City for Ibrox?

What Anass Salah-Eddine would bring to Rangers

Born in Amsterdam, Salah-Eddine came through Ajax’s academy, representing the Dutch giants at multiple youth levels, before making just ten appearances for their first team.

He was loaned out to FC Twente for the 2022/23 season, before making the move to Enschede permanent, featuring 53 times for them overall.

His big breakthrough came this time last year, finally establishing himself as Twente’s first-choice left-back, notably starting all eight of their Europa League league phase fixtures, doing so against such high-calibre opponents as Manchester United, Lazio and others.

As already referenced, this earned him a move to Roma in January, the Giallorossi splashing up to £9m to secure his signature, but this certainly has not gone to plan.

Salah-Eddine featured in three of the first five Serie A fixtures following his arrival, starting against Parma and Empoli, but has not been seen since, an unused substitute for the final ten league matches, while a summer change of management at the Olimpico hasn’t improved his standing either.

While he was still in the Eredivisie, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labelled him a “technically gifted” full-back, adding that he was one of “the most talented” young Dutch talents at the time.

So, let’s assess his statistics from last season’s Europa League.

Minutes

709

6th

Assists per 90

0.25

2nd

Expected assists

2

1st

Completed passes

310

3rd

Key passes

8

4th

Shot-creating actions

23

4rd

Goal-creating actions

2

2nd

Tackles

23

2nd

Interceptions

14

1st

Ball recoveries

47

2nd

Attempted take-ons

23

2nd

Progressive carries

21

2nd

Touches

493

3rd

Average Sofascore rating

7.01

2nd

As the table outlines, when compared to his former Twente teammates in last season’s Europa League, Salah-Eddine ranks very highly for a wide variety of metrics.

The left-back was a key chance creator, as well as completing a lot of passes and accumulating a high number of touches, while also being solid defensively, ranked in the top two for tackles, interceptions, ball recoveries and more, despite having been sold by the time they faced Bodø/Glimt in the knockout stages, thereby featuring in two fewer fixtures.

So, why would he be a better signing than Meghoma?

Well, the Brentford loanee is very inexperienced, making just four appearances for the Bees, totalling 174 minutes, spending the second half of last season on loan at Preston North End, but only featuring 14 times for them, an unused substitute eight times.

Salah-Eddine, on the other hand, has vastly more experience, especially at European level, so would be better equipped to come in and make an instant impact, which is what Martin surely needs, while Meghoma is more of a developmental project.

Even worse than Jefte: Euro club set for talks with Rangers to sign £4m dud

Rangers are reportedly set to hold talks with a European club over a potential deal for one of their players.

ByDan Emery Aug 19, 2025

La Liga giants Real Madrid are expected to boycott the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday for the second year in a row. Los Blancos famously failed to attend in 2024 after learning that star man Vinicius Jr had been pipped to the prestigious Golden Ball by Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri. Tensions between Real Madrid and UEFA still linger in the wake of the snub as the club feel they have been unfairly treated.

Dembele and Yamal favourites for Ballon d'Or

The winner of the Ballon d'Or will be announced on Monday at a glitzy ceremony in Paris. Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal and Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele are the two favourites for the prestigious prize which was won last year by Rodri. The Manchester City star was named in the best male player in the world in 2024, ahead of Vinicius Jr, which prompted outrage back in the Spanish capital and saw Los Blancos boycott the ceremony in protest at the decision.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportReal Madrid set for second Ballon d'Or boycott

Real Madrid are set to boycott the awards ceremony again as their rift with UEFA after last year's snub has still not healed, according to AS. There were feelings of disbelief and "shock and anger" at Vinicius Jr missing out on the top prize and a belief the club had been disrespected. Real Madrid players do have permission to attend but nominated players such as Kylian Mbappe, Thibaut Courtois, Dean Huijsen and Jude Bellingham are not expected to attend. Xabi Alonso's side are also due to play away at Levante in La Liga on Tuesday night which has also played a part in the club's decision.

Seven Real Madrid players nominated

Los Blancos do have seven players nominated for awards at the 2025 ceremony. Bellingham, Mbappe and Vinicius are up for the main award, while Caroline Weir has been nominated for the women's Ballon d'Or.  Courtois has been shortlisted for the Yashin Trophy, while Huijsen and Linda Caicedo are in contention for the best young player awards. 

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AFPBig week for Real Madrid in La Liga

Real Madrid will instead be focused on La Liga and games against Levante and Atletico Madrid. Alonso's side take on Levante on Tuesday and then head to the Metropolitano on Saturday for the first Madrid derby of the new season.

The India batter revealed her Brisbane Heat team-mates encouraged her to take a positive approach

Sruthi Ravindranath11-Nov-20242:16

Rodrigues welcomes ICC’s initiative to tackle social media abuse

India batter Jemimah Rodrigues is hoping to apply the Australian “mindset” she has picked up from her WBBL team-mates in her game.Rodrigues, who’s back in the tournament for her third stint having last played in 2022 for Melbourne Stars, has played four games so far for Brisbane Heat. She scored a 40-ball 61 in a match-winning effort against Adelaide Strikers after scores of 13 and 5 in the previous two games, crediting the turnaround to her Heat team-mates’ encouragement to play “positively”.Related

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“I think the last two innings of mine [in the WBBL] didn’t go that well,” Rodrigues said. “Grace Harris and Laura Harris both of them texted me and said, ‘Jemi, your over extra cover drive is the best. Don’t stop yourself from playing that. Even if you get out, it’s fine. But just keep dominating’. So I think that really helped me in [the Strikers] knock just to have that kind of backing firstly from your team that the team still believes in you and at the same time, just they’re like, ‘No, we’re still going to take the positive route. We’re still going to play positive cricket and bat with intent’.”So 100%, that mindset – just to learn from them [Australians]. There’s a saying always that if there are two options, always take the positive one. So I think that is something I have also been really working on in my game and just to have people around you after two failures, I had those doubts – ‘should I still play with this mindset or should I not?’. They were like ‘just go all out’ and that really helped me. This is something that I will take with me 100% hopefully bring it out with the Aussies and just continue to do well.”Rodrigues feels facing other international bowlers in leagues around the world is good for her confidence, especially with the ODI World Cup scheduled in less than a year.”Playing these foreign leagues and playing the WPL, it does help because you play against the best in the world in all these leagues and at the same time you get to play in different conditions,” she said. “Every ground is so different to the other and I think that is one of the best parts of playing franchise cricket that you get used to the conditions and you get to play the top bowlers in women ‘s cricket.Jemimah Rodrigues’ innings at the Gabba proved to be a match-winning one•Getty Images

“Imagine just going out there and doing well, how much confidence you’ll get coming back into the Indian team when you’ve taken on these bowlers. So I think it’s a good preparation leading into the World Cup. At the same time, it’s just good games because the more matches we play, the better we become. I think that’s the best part about having WBBL, the WPL, the Hundred, the Caribbean Premier League, all the leagues.”India started their preparation for the World Cup with three ODIs against New Zealand at home recently, which they won 2-1. Their next assignment is against Australia in December when they will play three ODIs in Brisbane and Perth. Rodrigues believes playing in the WBBL will be good preparation for the ODIs despite the format being different.”For me, nothing much changes in my technique,” Rodrigues said. “Nothing much will even change in my mindset. I think I will still back myself to play positive cricket, but at the same time being more sensible because it’s a longer format and trying to extend this innings even longer, scoring more and more runs for India. So I think that’s the similar mindset. Again, it’s about how I assess the conditions and assess the situation.”Recently, the ICC successfully trialled an AI tool to eliminate social media abuse in the women’s game. Rodrigues welcomed the move, saying she was glad the players don’t have to deal with it anymore and focus just on playing.”I think that was a very good initiative by the ICC. I remember when I had gone in that line because sometimes social media can be harsh. At the end we all are humans, we all are we here doing our best, trying to do whatever we can. Some ways we are great. Some ways we are not. So it’s just harsh when we see people just commenting all sorts of things on social media. But it was such a nice thing from ICC just to protect us and just to keep the game so pure. We [needed to] just go out there and play cricket and enjoy cricket than dealing with all these things. So it was, it was really nice from ICC.”

Newcastle United’s transfer activity is really starting to heat up.

As has been widely reported, the Magpies are close to signing Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for a whopping £55m, a deal that truly kickstarts their business this summer.

The Swedish international scored six goals and registered 11 assists in the Premier League last season, meaning only Mohamed Salah and future teammate Jacob Murphy accumulated more of the latter.

The £55m fee means Elanga will become the second-most expensive signing in Newcastle’s history, behind only compatriot Alexander Isak.

Now though, could Eddie Howe convince a Premier League-proven striker, who is available as a free agent, to make the move to Tyneside?

Newcastle's search for a striker

It was confirmed on Monday that Callum Wilson had departed Newcastle, following the expiration of his contract.

The England international scored 49 goals in 130 appearances for the Magpies, 18 of which came during the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, as they finished fourth, but the 33 year old saw just 458 minutes of action last season, starting only two league fixtures due to injury issues, so will depart as a free agent.

Thus, to fill his spot in the squad, Luke Edwards of the Telegraph is reporting that Newcastle are ‘contemplating’ a move to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who himself is currently without a club, after leaving Everton.

Having missed out on Arsenal-bound Viktor Gyökeres, Mark Critchley and Laurie Whitwell of the Athletic believe that Calvert-Lewin is also a target for Manchester United, but the Red Devils will ‘only advance if they do not get any of their top targets’, so could Newcastle swoop in sooner?

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

How Dominic Calvert-Lewin would improve Newcastle

First and foremost, the 28-year-old has scored more Premier League goals against Newcastle than any other team, so signing him would, at the very least, prevent that tally from rising.

Newcastle

15

6

Crystal Palace

13

5

Burnley

11

4

Brighton

15

3

West Ham

12

3

Bournemouth

10

3

West Brom

4

3

More importantly, Calvert-Lewin could be an excellent fit for Newcastle.

The main question marks surrounding the England international pertain to his injury record, racking up just 1,613 minutes on the pitch this season due to a hamstring injury.

At Newcastle though, with Isak already there, Calvert-Lewin would not need to be an every-game starter, so his minutes could be managed, and, when fit and firing, he’s difficult to stop.

During the 2020/21 season, one of the best of his career, scout Jacek Kulig heralded him as a “monster.”

Meantime, Harshal Patel of Total Football Analysis has praised Calvert-Lewin’s ‘ability to hold up the ball’ and ‘intelligent movement’, with Patrick Boyland of the Athletic adding that he is an ‘elite-level striker’ in terms of ‘heading ability’, concluding there are few better in that regard than the ‘demon of the skies’.

So, should they sign Elanga and Calvert Lewin, could Newcastle become a crossing team that are impossible to stop?

Well, last season, the Magpies ranked 13th in the Premier League for completed crosses into the penalty area, according to FBref.com, but could Elanga change that?

Assists

11

3rd

Completed crosses

8

52nd

Shot-creating actions

102

30th

Goal-creating actions

18

6th

Big chances created

9

38th

Progressive carries

102

25th

As the table outlines, Elanga ranked, generally, very highly for all creative metrics in the Premier League last season, so the Swede and Calvert-Lewin could work as an excellent attacking duo, similar to his partnership with Chris Wood at Forest.

Thus, given that they already have Isak, and that Calvert-Lewin is available for free, this appears to be a no-brainer, low-risk move for Newcastle, that could only prove to be a smart addition.

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