A pre-season friendly clash between Real Betis and Como descended into chaos, with ex-Premier League stars throwing punches in a mass brawl.
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Quick hopes says he would have been fit to play if selected for second Test
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2020Mark Wood has been spending his time on the sidelines of England’s Test campaigns against West Indies and Pakistan perfecting a new delivery in an attempt to boost his armoury when he returns to action.Wood has not played since the first Test against West Indies at the Ageas Bowl in early July, when he finished with match figures of 2 for 110.Despite bruising his foot while training in Manchester, scene of the last two Tests against West Indies and the first against Pakistan, Wood said he would have been able to play in ongoing match, back in Southampton, if selected.ALSO READ: England a ‘litle bit disappointed’ not to bowl Pakistan out – Broad“I’m trying to work on some wobble seams at the moment,” Wood told Sky Sports. “When you’re learning something new, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”You feel a million dollars when you get it right, but when you don’t quite get it you keep trying to strive for perfection, I guess, so something I’m working on and something that hope that I can use in a game soon.”Wood may have been keen to experiment in Southampton, with the ball moving plenty under heavy, damp skies. Fellow quick Stuart Broad told Sky after rain had hampered play for a second day in a row on Friday that he had “a clear game plan to try and wobble the ball and hit the stumps as much as possible”.Joe Root said at the toss that Sam Curran had won selection ahead of Wood for the second Test against Pakistan as England looked to boost their batting in Ben Stokes’ absence. He added that Wood would be given another week or so to reach peak fitness ahead of the third and final Test.”It was fine really,” Wood said. “I bruised my foot at Old Trafford because one of the practice pitches, the foot holes were a little bit bad and bit hard. A little bruise underneath my foot but I was training before the game here and fine for the match.”With a long and unfortunate history with injury, Wood credited experience and an understanding coach in Chris Silverwood with helping him to manage his body better.”Three ankle ops, knee surgery, countless injections, I think it does take its toll, ” Wood said. “The hardest thing is obviously when you have to pick yourself back up and think, ‘right, rehab again, get myself back,’ and you’ve got to have that sort of resilience and determination as a fast bowler.”Wood also said he had become more accepting of sitting out games.”I think having Chris Silverwood as a head coach, a fast bowler himself, understanding how you feel, honest conversation with things like maybe, ‘I’m not feeling my best this game’,” Wood said.”There’s been games in the past where I shouldn’t have played and I’ve actually done myself harm, the team harm, but because you don’t want to lose your spot, you end up playing, and you don’t then do yourself justice.”Now I’ve got a much better understanding of myself, my body, and I’m much more mature in the fact that I can go to the head coach and say, ‘I’m not sure my body can stand up to it today’.”
Everton have been handed a major update in their financial fair play assessment, it has emerged this week.
Sean Dyche's Everton have already tasted the consequences of breaching the Premier League's FFP rules once this season, docked six points for their transgression (initially 10 before being reduced on appeal).
Now, they wait for their second verdict, having seen Nottingham Forest docked four points for their own breach last week. However, they are set to be waiting to learn their fate for a while yet.
Update on 777's Everton takeover amid Premier League ownership test
A blow for the Toffees…
By
Tom Cunningham
Mar 13, 2024
Speaking on 5 Live's Monday Night club, Mark Chapman revealed that a decision wasn't expected any time soon.
“The last I had heard is that it will not be before the Premier League resumes, or won’t be before the international fixtures, but the deadline is April 8th. That’s what I was told”, he explained to listeners.
Should it come towards that deadline, Everton will have as few as seven games left to play, with trips to Bournemouth and Newcastle United as well as a home game against Burnley all set to take place before April 8th as things stand.
A points deduction would likely leave them in the relegation zone, with the club teetering nervously above the drop zone once more heading into the final part of the campaign.
|
The Premier League relegation battle |
||||||
|
Team |
Played |
Won |
Drawn |
Lost |
Goal Difference |
Points |
|
Everton |
28 |
8 |
7 |
13 |
-10 |
25* |
|
Luton |
29 |
5 |
7 |
17 |
-18 |
22 |
|
Nottingham Forest |
29 |
6 |
7 |
16 |
-16 |
21* |
|
Burnley |
29 |
4 |
5 |
20 |
-34 |
17 |
|
Sheffield United |
28 |
3 |
5 |
20 |
-50 |
14 |
Though Everton have a game in hand on most of the sides below them, that is a Merseyside derby against high-flying Liverpool, which they will have little hope of getting a result in despite the rivalry.
Now, in a surprise twist, it has emerged that Everton are "confident they can avoid a second points deduction" this season, in part because they are "confident that they have acted in good faith and complied with the investigation".
That information comes courtesy of Football Insider, who claim that "the Merseyside club have grown in confidence that their penalty could be reduced to zero following the verdict of Nottingham Forest’s hearing".
It is added that there is a 'growing feeling' on the blue side of Merseyside that "an expected three-point penalty could be reduced down to zero because of mitigating factors and compliance", with Forest having seen an initial six point penalty dropped to four in recognition of their co-operation, something that Everton hope to replicate.
A three point deduction, should it come, would leave the club in the same position in the Premier League, but would see them just a point above the drop zone heading into the last part of the season and, with the Blues struggling to find the back of the net with any sort of regularity in the second half of the campaign, could see them in massive danger of dropping out of England's top flight.
Captain Jason Holder says squad have “a duty to show solidarity”
Matt Roller28-Jun-2020West Indies will wear a Black Lives Matter emblem on the collars of their shirts during July’s Test series against England.Captain Jason Holder hinted in his first press conference of the tour that West Indies would look to support the movement in some way, and said in a statement on Sunday: “We believe we have a duty to show solidarity and also to help raise awareness.”The logo used will be that worn on the shirts of all 20 Premier League football clubs since the sport’s restart earlier this month, designed by Alisha Hosannah, whose partner Troy Deeney is Watford’s captain. Deeney was contacted by CWI for approval, and the ICC gave permission for the emblem to be worn on the teams’ collars.ALSO READ: Holder says ‘world must come together’ as West Indies arrive for historic tour“This is a pivotal moment in history for sports, for the game of cricket and for the West Indies cricket team,” Holder said. “We have come to England to retain the Wisden Trophy but we are very conscious of happenings around the world and the fight for justice and equality.”As a group of young men, we know of the rich and diverse history of West Indies cricket and we know we are guardians of the great game for generation to come.”We did not take our decision lightly. We know what it is for people to make judgments because of the colour of our skin, so we know what it feels like, this goes beyond the boundary. There must be equality and there must be unity. Until we get that as people, we cannot stop.”We have to find some way to have equal rights and people must not be viewed differently because of the colour of their skin or ethnic background.”Jason Holder sports the new West Indies shirt•CWI
Deeney said: “Alisha and I are immensely proud to be asked and take part in a monumental moment in world sport, this amazing decision by the West Indies cricket team to show their support for Black Lives Matter.”Watching cricket with my grandad, and seeing Brian Lara transcend from being a cricketer to a worldwide superstar, shaped my childhood, so it’s great to be able to help West Indies cricket show their support in such a meaningful way.”The shirts are expected to be worn for the first time in this week’s first-class, four-day warm-up match at Emirates Old Trafford, which starts on Monday.The ICC had previously told ESPNcricinfo that they would operate a “common-sense approach to the implementation of regulations” regarding demonstrations of solidarity with the movement, which would be assessed on a “case-by-case basis”.England are also expected to mark their support for the movement during the series following discussions within the squad, and may also wear blue armbands in recognition of the contribution of NHS staff during the Covid-19 pandemic. The ECB announced last week that players would wear the names of cricket-supporting key workers on their training shirts ahead of the first Test.West Indies’ shirts will also be the first to feature a chest sponsor, like those seen in football since the 1970s. The ICC’s chief executives’ committee ratified a change earlier this month to allow a relaxation of rules on apparel logos for the next 12 months, seemingly to help them maintain relations with sponsors during a difficult financial period.Logos on the fronts of players’ shirts will not be permitted to exceed 32 square inches in size, as per the regulations for ODI and T20I kits. England are also expected to release a shirt with a chest sponsor in the next few days.
Paul Pogba encountered a familiar face during pre-season in Warren Joyce, hailing the former Manchester United U21 coach's role in his development.
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Leeds United look set to fight it out with some of the Premier League's top clubs for one signing this summer, it has been reported.
Though it was a tough final season in the Premier League, Leeds are on course to bounce straight back up to give it another go next season, with the club in the automatic promotion spots for the final run in of the Championship season.
The highest points tallies in Championship history
Leeds and Burnley recently made second-tier history.
By
Charlie Smith
May 17, 2025
Under new boss Daniel Farke, they have enjoyed a swift turnaround and now play attractive football while also boasting the meanest defence in the Championship, something that could serve them well should they end up back in the top flight. However, there could be changes to that backline.
Now, reports suggest that Farke is looking to upgrade his side should they be promoted come the end of the season, and is looking specifically at left-back as an area which needs attention.
Ex-Barcelona man Junior Firpo has done a solid job in the Championship when called upon, with five assists to his name in 17 outings. However, he never truly looked comfortable when Leeds were in the top flight, and his performances flattered to deceive on the left flank in both the season before their relegation and the year in which they ultimately went down.
|
Junior Firpo in the Premier League |
|
|
Appearances |
43 |
|
Losses |
25 |
|
Loss % |
58.2% |
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Assists |
3 |
|
Fouls per 90 |
1.84 |
|
Yellow Cards |
17 |
|
Red Cards |
1 |
As a result, it is no real surprise to see an upgrade touted for Leeds. What is a surprise, however, is the calibre of player that they are reportedly targeting. According to GiveMeSport, the Yorkshire outfit are looking at a move for Borussia Monchengladbach left-back Luca Netz should they find themselves playing Premier League football again next season, and have now sent scouts to watch him in action.
The young German has been in impressive form this season, with four assists to his name in just 22 Bundesliga outings, and he is beginning to grow into the player he always threatened to be.
Back in 2022, then-Gladbach boss Adi Hutter predicted his rise to stardom.
"Luca is a boy and has to become a man before he can reach his full potential. But it's fun to watch such a great talent develop," Hütter told Bild.
"He's totally carefree, but also cheeky. Luca will become quite important for Gladbach in the future."
However, Leeds won't be the only one chasing the 20-year-old full-back. According to the report, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are all following the youngster with interest.
The Red Devils in particular could scupper Leeds' plans for the German, with Man Utd planning to sign a new left-back this summer in a bid to mitigate the issues that have seen them lose Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia for large chunks of the season.
Netz, however, has already turned down Manchester City interest previously and seems keen to continue on his path of regular first-team football. With those in Manchester possibly unable to offer that, Leeds might just have the edge over their age-old rivals.
Christian Pulisic opened the scoring for AC Milan, but it was nowhere near enough to save the Rossoneri in a 3-1 Champions League loss to Liverpool.
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Chelsea have not been afraid to make a signing or two since the takeover of Todd Boehly in May 2022, as they have splashed the cash on a host of new additions.
The new Blues owner has spent over £1bn on transfers as they aim to close the gap to the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool to fight for a first Premier League title since the 2016/2017 season.
Players such as Enzo Fernández and Moises Caicedo have both joined the Blues for fees, breaking the English transfer record – with the latter joining for £115m from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 2023.
It would be harsh to question Boehly's ambition with his spending since the takeover. However, one thing that can be questioned is the erratic nature of the spending – with many players failing to match up with the hefty fees spent on them.
Mykhalio Mudryk and Roméo Lavia both joined the club for fees combining nearly £150m, with the pair unable to yet to properly showcase their talent with limited minutes and injuries affecting their start to life at Stamford Bridge.
Despite Mudryk and Lavia's unsuccessful time at the club so far, another player has failed to live up to expectations after his big-money move to Stamford Bridge back in 2022.
During his nearly two-year stint at Stamford Bridge, 23-year-old centre-back Wesley Fofana has only made 20 appearances for the club, after multiple injury struggles.
He made his debut in the 2-1 win against West Ham United back in September 2022, before suffering a knee injury in his second outing against Crystal Palace.
The Frenchman was out until February, with Fofana making his return during the 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton. He enjoyed a good run in the Blues side before the end of the 2022/23 campaign, before another injury setback during pre-season back in August.
He didn't travel with the squad for the pre-season tour in the USA, as he underwent surgery on his ruptured ACL.
Fofana hasn't featured at all this campaign, with the defender still recovering from his latest injury setback. Boss Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that the 23-year-old won't feature between now and the end of the season, with the former Leicester City defender working to return ahead of the start of the 2024/25 season in August.
The club brought Fofana from Leicester for a fee in the region of £75m back in August 2022 – with Fofana penning a seven-year deal at Stamford Bridge.
23-year-old Fofana currently earns £200k-per-week – a figure that is £25k-per-week more than Levi Colwill and Cole Palmer combined, with the defender the third-highest-paid player in the Chelsea squad and his wages contributing to a whopping 6.8% of the club's total wage bill.
|
Chelsea's highest earners |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Weekly wage |
|
|
#1 Raheem Sterling |
£325k |
|
|
#2 Reece James |
£250k |
|
|
#3 Wesley Fofana |
£200k |
|
|
#4 Ben Chilwell |
£200k |
|
|
#5 Christopher Nkunku |
£195k |
|
|
#6 Enzo Fernandez |
£180k |
|
|
Data via Capology. |
||
Fofana's weekly wage of £200k-p/w, sees him take home £10.4m every season, with the Frenchman set to earn another £62.4m should he finish the remaining six years on his current deal, and that is £50k more per week than Caicedo (£150k-per-week) earns.
Although he joined the club with real potential, the centre-back, unfortunately, hasn't hit the levels expected due to injury, with the 23-year-old's market value taking a huge hit, with Fofana now only valued at £30m – a decrease of 60% on the figure the club paid for him less than two years ago.
Whilst you could argue that it is harsh to blame Chelsea for his injury issues, Fofana missed a staggering 72 matches through injury during his time with Leicester, which shows that the warning signs were there.
Therefore, Boehly and the Blues had a shocker with the signing of the injury-prone defender, who has been far from value for money – given that he earns £50k more per week than Caicedo, who has already played 34 games for the club – 14 more than Fofana in 12 fewer months.
Jaffer finished fifth on the list of most first-class runs among Indians, behind Gavaskar, Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman
Nagraj Gollapudi07-Mar-2020Domestic cricket giant Wasim Jaffer, the former India, Mumbai and Vidarbha opener, has retired at the age of 42. Jaffer made his first-class debut in 1996-97 season to play domestic cricket for over 20 years and finished as the most-capped player in the Ranji Trophy.His rich legacy of Ranji Trophy records includes the most caps (156), the most runs (12,038), the most centuries (40), the most catches (200), along with being the highest run-scorer in the Duleep Trophy (2545) and the Irani Cup (1294). He was also the only batsman to have breached the 1000-runs per Ranji season twice, in 2008-09 and 2018-19).Jaffer also played 31 Tests and two ODIs for India. He finished as the fifth-highest run-scorer in Indian first-class cricket along with 10 Ranji Trophy titles and numerous other records.Despite having played his last Test in 2008, against South Africa in Kanpur, Jaffer, a technically sound right-hand batsman, brought the same passion to the domestic circuit with which he played at the international level. Virtually every domestic season, Jaffer held some sort of record and soon he established himself as a stalwart. Even in Tests, Jaffer left a strong impression as he opened against some of the best bowling attacks around the world. His 116 in Cape Town is the only instance of an India opener scoring a century in South Africa; Jaffer is also part of a small set of Indian Test openers to have recorded multiple double-centuries: he scored 212 against West Indies in Antigua in 2006 and then two years later came his 202 against Pakistan in Kolkata.Those two knocks meant Jaffer is only one of five Indians – Virender Sehwag (six), Sunil Gavaskar (three), Mayank Agarwal, Vinoo Mankad the others – to achieve that feat. At the beginning of the 2019-20 Ranji season, Jaffer needed 853 runs to reach 20,000 first-class runs. However, he finished with 19,410 runs, which meant he is now fifth in the all-time list of highest run-scorers in Indian first-class cricket behind Gavaskar (25,834), Sachin Tendulkar (25,396), Rahul Dravid (23,794) and VVS Laxman (19,730).‘There was not much to play for’At the outset of this season, Jaffer was aware of the record and was further motivated by the challenge of Vidarbha achieving the treble: winning three successive Ranji titles. But a recurring injury to his left knee bothered him throughout the season eventually forcing him to call stumps on his career.Known for his insatiable appetite for big runs, Jaffer failed to get a century in seven matches this Ranji season for Vidarbha. “I decided actually midway through the season because I was getting a lot of trouble with my knee,” Jaffer told ESPNcricinfo. “I was actually not enjoying a long time in the field because of my knee pain. I had problems with my knee for long but this time it was troubling me more. But there was not much to play for, to be honest. I only played this season because this was the hat-trick year for Vidarbha. Me and Chandrakant Pandit (Vidarbha coach) actually thought to get to the hattrick if possible, let’s try for that. Once the season finished and I thought this it So I thought, you know, my time under the sun is over, so let’s move on.”Jaffer agreed it was a very difficult decision to arrive at after having played for nearly 25 years. “I was fortunate enough to have played this long. The passion to just play more than anything even though I was dropped from the Indian side, but the passion to just play, to get better, improve my batting (kept me going). Even though a lot of people actually give up when they don’t play for India, but I had the passion and I enjoyed playing. I even enjoyed playing in Ranji Trophy and helping the youngsters and that kept me going.””One moment just in cricket is obviously getting the India cap. My father, my brother, my family, and I, we work so hard. Coming from such humble background and then getting to play for India, getting the Test cap, you work so hard for that moment. And there are not many cricketers in India that have been able to achieve that, so I feel I was fortunate enough to get that Test cap. That will always remain special no matter what.”‘Winning Ranji Trophy against Karnataka as captain was one of the best‘Jaffer won the Ranji Trophy eight times for Mumbai including twice as captain, followed by two more Ranji titles for Vidarbha where he had moved as professional from 2015-16 season. Which crown was the most memorable?Jaffer readily said the 106-run victory against hosts Karnataka in Mysore the 2010 Ranji Trophy which hung in balance till the very last minute was the one. Jaffer lifted the trophy for Mumbai though he had single-digit contributions with the bat in both innings. “Winning that Ranji Trophy final by five (six) runs against Karnataka when I was captain, that was probably one of the best finals that I played.”At Vidarbha, Jaffer joined ranks with is former Mumbai captain and coach Pandit. He was hired as a mentor and Jaffer instilled the winners’ mentality at Vidarbha, who won their first Ranji Trophy in their maiden final, against Delhi, in the 2017-18 season. Jaffer counted that title as a special one, too.”That was a rollercoaster ride, I don’t think anybody, including myself, thought Vidarbha would win the Ranji Trophy. They never had played semi-final before. When I moved to Vidarbha I never thought I did get a chance to play another Ranji title. And (then) we went on to win Ranji and Irani twice. The first season created history for Vidarbha.”He once said: “I don’t know anything other than playing cricket.” He will be in close touch with the sport even after his retirement: he has been hired as the assistant coach at Kings XI Punjab in the IPL where former India captain Anil Kumble is the team director and head coach.Even as he looks forward to honing the techniques and mindsets of the players half his age, Jaffer will look back at his proud achievements with a smile. “Getting a double hundred in West Indies, getting a double hundred against Pakistan in a Test match, getting a hundred against South Africa in South Africa, I think no Indian opener has achieved that (in Tests). So that is always going to remain special.”
Federico Chiesa joined the Liverpool Under-21s squad as the ÂŁ12.5m ($16.5m) summer signing aims to build up his fitness ahead of his Anfield debut.
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