The Mumbai selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, named Shreyas Iyer, as Ajinkya Rahane’s deputy. Batsman Prithvi Shaw has also been included
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2018Ajinkya Rahane has been appointed captain of Mumbai for the Vijay Hazare Trophy which begins on September 19 in Bengaluru. With the World Cup only nine months away and India still looking to fill gaps in their middle order, the tournament comes at a good time for the 30-year old batsman who was excluded from the squad picked for the Asia Cup.The former Mumbai captain Aditya Tare keeps his place in the side – and the wicketkeeping gloves – but has not been appointed in any leadership role. The 23-year old Shreyas Iyer has been appointed vice-captain and will also be vying for a place in the Indian one-day side. Batsman Prithvi Shaw, who earned his maiden Test call-up for the fourth and final Tests, has also been included.In the recently concluded five-match Test series in England, Rahane scored 257 runs in ten innings at an average of 25.70. His two half-centuries came in the Nottingham and Southampton Test where he scored a first-innings 81 and a second-innings 51 respectively. In December 2017, Rahane had been unavailable to play for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy knockouts due to national duties for the ODI side during the South Africa tour.Mumbai squad: Ajinkay Rahane (captain), Shreyas Iyer (vice-capt), Prithvi Shaw, Jay Bista, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dubey, Siddhesh Lad, Aditya Tare, Eknath Kerkar, Akash Parkar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shams Mulani, Vijay Gohil, Tushar Deshpande, Roston Dias.
The United States women's team will face Mexico on July 13 in an Olympics warm-up match that will also honour the famous 1999 World Cup winners.
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USMNT to face Mexico on July 13
New York clash penultimate Olympics warm-up
1999 World Cup winners to be honoured
WHAT HAPPENED?
The USWNT announced in a press release on Friday that they will host Mexico in a friendly match at Red Bull Arena, N.J., on July 13, in what will be their penultimate test before the 2024 Paris Olympics. Beyond the practice on the field, though, the legendary World Cup-winning side of 1999 will also be honoured before kick-off.
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That game will mark the 25th anniversary summer of the USWNT's historic run to the World Cup final, where they beat China on a penalties in front of some 90,000 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. That victory helped catapult women's soccer in the states and helped change the course of women's sports globally.
WHAT THE USWNT SAID
Cindy Parlow Cone, who was a key member of that World Cup-winning team and is now U.S. Soccer President, said in a statement: "This will be a fun and inspirational weekend. The fans will get the chance to show their support for the team before they head to France while also celebrating our 1999 Women’s World Cup Team. This is a group of women who did so much for the sport and the impact of that team and tournament is still being felt 25 years later, especially as we bid for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. I can’t wait to see my teammates and friends.”
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DID YOU KNOW?
The friendly in July will be a rematch of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup group stage match against the two nations last month, which Mexico won 2-0. It will also be the third time the two sides will face each other at Red Bull Arena.
Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 campaign as they came down to the second tier alongside Leicester City and Southampton.
Sam Allardyce was not kept on for the Championship season and the Whites opted to bring in German head coach Daniel Farke to bolster their efforts to bounce back at the first attempt.
The former Norwich City head coach was backed over the summer transfer window as nine new recruits were brought in, either on loan or on a permanent basis.
Joel Piroe, Joe Rodon, Glen Kamara, Karl Darlow, Djed Spence, Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, Sam Byram, and Jaidon Anthony were all snapped up by the Yorkshire-based outfit.
Leeds forward Joel Piroe.
These signings have played their part in Leeds being third in the table, with only three defeats on the board, after 14 Championship matches.
However, the drop down to the second tier has also provided an opportunity to players who were already at Elland Road to finally hit their stride in a Whites shirt outside of the pressures of Premier League football and battling against relegation.
One player who has thrived at this level so far this season is talented forward Crysencio Summerville, who has caught the eye at Championship level after an underwhelming top-flight campaign.
Summerville's Premier League season in numbers
The Dutch attacker featured in 28 Premier League games for Leeds throughout the 2022/23 campaign, under Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Allardyce combined.
12 of those appearances came as a starter but he was not able to contribute at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis, with a return of four goals and two assists in total.
His 0.6 key passes per game ranked him ninth within the Leeds squad last season – below the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Adam Forshaw, and Weston McKennie.
rutter-summerville-leeds-opinion
However, there were some promising signs from the 5 foot 9 whiz as he ranked within the top 34% of Premier League wingers during the 2022/23 campaign for non-penalty goals (0.25) per 90, which shows that he was scoring at a respectable rate from a wide position.
His performances were not convincing enough, though, to warrant a regular place in the starting XI and, as such, there was not strong enough interest to tempt him or Leeds into a transfer back to the top-flight over the summer.
Instead, he watched on as senior forwards Jack Harrison and Rodrigo moved on, with the former going to Everton on loan, and their respective exits opened the door for him to step into the limelight as a star player for the club.
Why Summerville is like Kaoru Mitoma
Such has been the impressive nature of his performances at Championship level this season, Voetbal International journalist Suleyman Özturk compared him to Brighton & Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma.
The reporter claimed that Summerville reminds him of the Japan international as they are both "complete" left-wingers, and went as far to say that the Dutch gem may be the best player in the second tier at this moment in time.
Özturk also stated that the league is like a "playground" for the Leeds sensation, who has been able to enjoy himself on the pitch throughout the season so far.
The comparison to Mitoma is an interesting one as, like Summerville, he is a right-footed left winger who has the quality to score and create goals whilst also being an exciting dribbler who can commit defenders and get supporters up off their seats.
In the Premier League, the 26-year-old maestro has produced three goals and three assists in nine starts for the Seagulls during the 2023/24 campaign.
This comes after the Japanese whiz managed seven goals and five assists in 24 top-flight starts during his debut season in English football last term.
Mitoma also ranks within the top 4% of wingers across the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for progressive carries (5.79) per 90. This shows that he is one of the top forwards in Europe at progressing the ball up the pitch with his dribbling ability.
The statistics that show why Summerville is like Mitoma
The statistics also show that Summerville is like Farke's own version of the Brighton star at Championship level as he has been in phenomenal form this term.
In 11 league appearances, the 22-year-old phenomenon has contributed with an outstanding six goals and four assists – starting nine of those matches.
He is currently the club's top scorer with those six strikes, with Piroe behind him on five, and only Georgino Rutter (five) has registered more league assists than him.
In fact, the Dutch whiz ranks within the top 3% of wingers in the league for non-penalty goals (0.67) per 90 and the top 1% for shot-creating actions (7.49) per 90.
This shows that the Whites magician has been one of the best forwards within the division in terms of the quality end product that he can produce with regularity to score goals and create chances for his team.
Like Mitoma, Summerville is an exceptional ball carrier who can progress his team up the pitch. This season, the right-footed ace ranks within the top 5% of his Championship positional peers for progressive carries (5.92) per 90.
Sofascore rating
10
Goals
Two
Assists
Two
Chances created
Three
Dribbles completed
Two
Summerville's most recent Leeds performance (via Sofascore)
His display against Huddersfield, as shown in the table above, was the perfect demonstration of the full force of his immense power at this level.
Summerville has the quality to tear teams to shreds with his quick feet, exceptional passing, and impressive finishing, and the Terriers fell to his sword last weekend.
The young wizard is thriving at Championship level and has become one of the shining lights of this Leeds team as they look to win promotion back to the Premier League.
His next step is to remain consistent throughout the remainder of the campaign and then the goal should be for him to follow in Mitoma's footsteps to become an excellent top-flight winger who can contribute with goals and assists on a regular basis at that level.
Shai Hope’s blistering 88 powered Tridents to 185, before Reifer snared five wickets, including three in his last over, as Barbados opened their CPL campaign with a win
The Report by Peter Della Penna13-Aug-2018Raymon Reifer prepares to bowl•Randy Brookes/CPL T20/Getty Images
After missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, Barbados Tridents got their CPL 2018 campaign off to a winning start by easily defending the highest-ever CPL total made in Guyana, in a 30-run win over the Amazon Warriors. At a ground where the average first-innings score in the CPL has been 126, Tridents overcame a shaky start of 11 for 2 to post 185 for 4, following a brilliant 88 off 45 balls by Shai Hope, before Raymon Reifer’s five-wicket haul derailed the Amazon Warriors chase.Tri-dented in the PowerplayTridents’ opening combo of Martin Guptill and Dwayne Smith were both dismissed in the first two overs, and there was little to indicate that a record total was imminent. Rayad Emrit emulated his Trinidad pal Dwayne Bravo’s incredible effort 24 hours earlier, with a one-handed catch to claim Guptill at mid-off. Smith fell at the end of the next over, driving Chris Green’s offspin to extra cover, and Tridents were reduced to 11 for 2 in two overs.Hope-ful partnershipHope and Steven Smith came together to steer the Tridents back into the match with a 105-run stand for the third wicket. Smith played the classy shots early, including a delightful straight drive off Green for four, to keep the scoreboard moving. However, the partnership could have been halved had Hope been runout on 31, with the score 64 for 2, in the last ball of the ninth over. Smith turned down a run to backward point as Hope hared from the non-striker’s end, but Sherfane Rutherford’s rushed throw missed the stumps after Hope had given up getting back in.The 24-year-old turned belligerent at the end of the 11th over, heaving Imran Tahir against the turn over long-on and straight down the ground for consecutive sixes. It spurred Smith to come out of his shell at the start of the 12th over, guiding a pair of cuts behind point for four off Keemo Paul, as Tridents produced 20 runs in a four-ball sequence across the two overs. Hope ended the 12th over by gliding two to third man to bring up a 30-ball half-century. He then took Sohail Tanvir apart for two sixes over long-on and a four through extra cover in the 13th over to bring up the 100-run partnership, putting Tridents in a commanding position with seven overs left.Pooran powerThe departure of Smith, who played around a straight ball from Tahir, allowed Hope to take the innings into high gear with Nicholas Pooran. Hope’s six assault continued off Paul in the 18th, driving over the extra cover boundary for the shot of the innings. But he fell two balls later, just 12 short of what would have been his maiden CPL ton.Pooran took the opportunity to remind everyone of his devastating ball-striking ability by swatting 21 runs off the final over, bowled by Paul, to put the chase out of reach for the host side. He began with a flat six over long-off, before collecting a scampered two. The third ball was smashed magnificently into the second-tier over long-off, and nearly landed on the roof. It took him to 38, six more than his best innings from a lackluster 2017 campaign. A helicopter whip for six over long-on two balls later showed Pooran’s style to match his strength, and he finished unbeaten on 45 off 27 balls.Reifer madnessDespite the fall of Chadwick Walton at the end of the second over, the Warriors had progressed confidently to reach 40 for 1 in the fifth over of the chase, when Reifer started to ruin the host side’s pursuit with his canny left-arm medium pace. Extra bounce resulted in a top-edged pull by Luke Ronchi that landed in Ashley Nurse’s hands at midwicket, before Shimron Hetmyer fell next ball, yanking Reifer to one of the two men out on the boundary during the Powerplay, Guptill covering good ground at deep midwicket to put Reifer on a hat-trick.Rutherford joined captain Shoaib Malik for an 84-run stand as Warriors kept themselves in the hunt. Legspinner Imran Khan didn’t bowl a single over on the night, with dew making it difficult for spinners to grip the ball. But Tridents captain Jason Holder’s gamble to bring back Nurse to bowl offspin in the 16th over paid off. One ball after Malik smashed him for six over long-on, the Guyana captain misjudged the length while trying to guide Nurse with an open face to third man, and wound up chopping onto his stumps for 38.As the required run rate continued to climb following Malik’s departure, Reifer exploited the breach with three wickets in the 19th to kill off the chase. With 39 required off the last two overs to win, Green scythed a Reifer full toss behind point for four, but perished off the next ball, with a tame drive to Holder at extra cover. Jason Mohammed sliced Reifer to the cover sweeper two balls later, before a slower bouncer next ball to Rutherford resulted in a gloved catch to Pooran to put Reifer on a hat-trick for the second time in the night. Reifer once again didn’t get the hat-trick, Paul this time punching a full toss down the ground for a single, but the efforts were enough to bag the Man-of-the-Match award.
Spanish prosecutors have requested a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for Luis Rubiales as punishment for kissing Jenni Hermoso without consent.
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Prosecutor requests jail time for RubialesEx-president charged with sexual assault & coercionThree other individuals also face prison sentenceWHAT HAPPENED?
The former Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president grabbed and kissed Hermoso following Spain's Women's World Cup final win against England last year. Hermoso denied giving Rubiales consent and he was subsequently suspended by FIFA and was replaced at the head of the governing body, despite protesting his innocence and refusing to step down.
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The prosecutors' office in Spain has now requested he serve one year in prison for sexual assault and another 18 months for a charge of coercion. The request also calls for him to be prohibited from contacting Hermoso or coming within a 200-metre radius of her for four years.
DID YOU KNOW?
Rubiales is not the only figure facing jail time. RFEF directors Albert Luque and Ruben Rivera and then-Spain women head coach Jorge Vilda are also facing a year-and-a-half in prison for coercion, having allegedly attempted to convince Hermoso to calm tensions around the president. Furthermore, Rubiales must compensate Hermoso with €50,000 for the alleged crime of sexual assault, while he and the other three individuals will also have to pay her another €50,000 for coercion.
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The charge related to the Hermoso incident is not the only legal trouble Rubiales currently faces. A warrant for his arrest has been issued following allegations of corruption regarding a deal with Saudi Arabia.
Watching Newcastle United's eventual Saudi takeover via social media was strange. It didn't quite feel real. You can imagine that sensation transferred to the fans too; as more money, pull, and steady progress under Eddie Howe has been rewarded with an already-dramatic Champions League journey.
Although the Magpies have found themselves as media darlings, it's not been the typical aspects that have caught my eye. It's not been Jason Tindall popping up like a gormless, grinning 'Where's Wally?', or big Dan Burn dancing like an arm flailing inflatable on a car dealership forecourt. It's been in the midfield that attention has strayed. Amidst the furore, it's always been about Sandro Tonali.
Where did Sandro Tonali come from?
Since the very early knockings of his career, it's seemed that Tonali was destined for Italian midfield greatness. After starting at the same club that maestro Andrea Pirlo began life at in Brescia – Tonali kicked off his career a fresh-faced 17-year-old with a tenacious skill beyond his years.
A regista, the long-haired deep lying controller drew comparisons to Pirlo quickly, especially after presenting a standout 2019-20 campaign. Brescia ultimately got relegated from Serie A, yet one of few bright spots, Tonali amassed a goal and seven assists – taking on the weight that perhaps a more senior player should've carried.
Tonali stayed true to Brescia until his inner boyhood fan couldn't resist. AC Milan came calling and signed Tonali on a fruitful loan spell in 2020/21 before making the permanent €14.5m (£12.5m) switch the season after. The midfielder even took a pay cut to sign for the team he supported, as he wanted to fulfil a fantasy akin to his childhood idol, Gennaro Gattuso.
Soccer Football – Serie A – Hellas Verona v AC Milan – Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi, Verona, Italy – May 8, 2022 AC Milan’s Sandro Tonali celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
How good was Sandro Tonali at AC Milan?
In an overall three seasons at Milan, Tonali developed into a leader on the pitch. A deep-lying threat who could both put the graft in as well as pop with an important goal, debatably without him in the system – the Rossoneri would've missed out on a lot of goals. In 97 Serie A games, Tonali provided 10 assists and scored seven times.
Notably in Milan's Scudetto winning season of 2021/22, the midfielder bagged a crucial goal against Lazio to seal a late 2-1 comeback win. The goal featured below signalled a huge three points that sent San Siro's residents to the Serie A summit with just four games to go. It was some highlight to ultimately bow out on after the following season's Napoli resurgence.
What's gone wrong at Newcastle?
After consistent Milanese heroics, Tonali was linked heavily to a move to England as Arsenal, Newcastle and even Chelsea were involved. Ultimately, freshly-moneyed Newcastle prevailed in July 2023 as the Italian signed a £120k-per-week five-year-deal for a huge €70m (£60.4m) fee.
He was, yet again, a landmark signing in his young career and some followers pointed parallels to cult icons of the past. Newcastle content creator and fan, Peter Davey suggested Tonali showed similarities to a certain French midfielder.
When comparing Yohan Cabaye and Sandro Tonali, via Fbref, it's an intriguing prospect to look at their most impactful seasons before Newcastle. Do the Magpies have another influential midfielder in the works? You'd hope so considering what they paid…
In the left column, sits Cabaye's stats from Lille's Ligue 1 title victory (2010-11). On the right, is Tonali's title-winning term for Milan (2021-22).
Key stats
Yohan Cabaye 2010-11 LOSC Lille
Sandro Tonali 2021-22 AC Milan
Goals
2
5
Assists
9
2
90s played
34.2
28.9
Mins per match
86
72
Clearly, Tonali was a sign of Newcastle's Premier League and continental intentions and with a strong profile in comparison to a midfielder that would've typically played further forward, Newcastle could yet get the best out of him. However, as the English top tier is often deemed the pinnacle of world football, Tonali has struggled to adapt at times.
In a recent interview, the Italian international underlined the harsh reality of Premier League life. As Tonali has negotiated the struggles, his time on Tyneside is sure to improve. Getting a draw at San Siro against his old club in the Champions League before rampantly destroying Kylian Mbappé's PSG must serve as more than enough worthy inspiration.
Batsmen Prithvi Shaw and Hanuma Vihari have been called up to India’s Test squad for the final two matches in England. Opening batsman M Vijay, who was out for a pair at Lord’s and then dropped from the XI at Trent Bridge, and left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav, whose selection in the second Test had raised eyebrows, have been dropped.It is understood that Vijay’s poor form – six single-digit scores in his last 11 innings – has prompted the team management to think about grooming a younger opener. At 34, Vijay’s international future now looks uncertain.Kuldeep has been sent back home to play for the India A team in two four-day matches against Australia A in Visakhapatnam. The decision is believed to be made because of the conditions in England, where one spinner in the XI has usually sufficed. India coach Ravi Shastri told the media at the end of the Trent Bridge Test that offspinner R Ashwin, who was suffering from a hip injury, would be fit in time for the next Test in Southampton starting August 30. There is also left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja in the squad.”Ashwin will be okay,” Shastri said. “The fact that he bowled 20-25 overs clearly suggests it [the hip injury] is not that bad. This break will be ideal for him. If there was a Test match starting in three days’ time, then it would have been a problem.”1:39
The Prithvi Shaw story
The 18-year old Shaw captained India to the Under-19 World Cup title in February and has since been part of India’s A teams. He also has an IPL contract with Delhi Daredevils. Vihari, meanwhile, has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket, and the 24-year old averages 59.79 from 63 first-class matches. No one currently playing first-class cricket has a has a better average.Both men are in good form as well, having each struck centuries against South Africa A in Bengaluru at the start of August. They were also part of the A team in England last month, when Shaw was especially effective as an opening batsman, scoring 188 in a four-day game against West Indies A. That is his highest score – he has seven centuries in all – in 14 first-class games since making his debut for Mumbai in January 2017. Vihari began his career with Hyderabad but has now moved to Andhra, a team he now captains. Among his 5142 runs are 15 hundreds and 24 fifties, including a highest score of 302 not out.Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was ruled out of the first three Tests with a lower-back issue, was absent from this squad as well. Having aggravated the injury while playing the third ODI against England in July, he has been undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. BCCI’s release announcing the squad did not contain any updates on the fast bowler’s fitness.India squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Karun Nair, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hanuma VihariIndia A squad for four-day matches against Australia A: Shreyas Iyer (capt), Mayank Agarwal, R Samarth, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ankit Bawne, Shubman Gill, KS Bharat (wk), Shahbaz Nadeem, Kuldeep Yadav, K Gowtham, Rajneesh Gurbani, Navdeep Saini, Ankit Rajpoot, Mohammed Siraj
Dois jogos logo no início da tarde, pela Champions, vão abrir a quarta-feira agitada do futebol, mas os principais confrontos serão no segundo horário da competição, às 17h. Manchester United, PSG, Juventus e Barcelona são alguns gigantes em campo.
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No fim do dia, dois brasileiros entram em campo pela Libertadores. O Palmeiras pega o Delfín às 19h15, em São Paulo, e o Internacional duela com o Boca Juniors às 21h30, em Porto Alegre. A quarta-feira ainda reserva Fortaleza x Corinthians pelo Brasileirão, e o clássico mineiro entre América-MG e Cruzeiro, pela Série B.
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Confira abaixo os confrontos do dia e a programação de transmissão
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17h – Manchester United x PSG Liga dos Campeões Onde assistir: Facebook Esporte Interativo e EI Plus
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17h – Dortmund x Lazio Liga dos Campeões Onde assistir: EI Plus
17h – Brugge x Zenit Liga dos Campeões Onde assistir: EI Plus
19h15 – Palmeiras x Delfín Libertadores Onde assistir: Fox Sports
21h30 – Internacional x Boca Juniors Libertadores Onde assistir: Conmebol TV
21h30 – Fortaleza x Corinthians Brasileirão Onde assistir: Premiere e Rede Globo (Menos RJ e MG)
21h30 – América-MG x Cruzeiro Série B Onde assistir: Sportv, Premiere e Rede Globo (Minas Gerais)
Newcastle United are believed to be in competition with some high-profile suitors to sign a midfielder who has been compared to Kevin De Bruyne, according to reports.
According to a worrying Newcastle United transfer update, Bruno Guimaraes is said to have a release clause in his new contract at St James' Park that could see Barcelona sign the Brazil international for a fee around the £60 million mark. Despite his incredible consistency at the heart of Eddie Howe's engine room during the Englishman's tenure in the North East, any £60 million departure would mean that the Magpies would only actually benefit from a profit margin of £20 million for his services if he was to swap Tyneside for Catalonia.
Newcastle United defender Kieran Tripper captained England for a period in their 1-0 victory over Australia last Friday and he has spoken about the togetherness and quality he feels is currently present in the Three Lions squad, saying:
"We lost in the Euros final, but the most important thing is we're progressing, we're doing very well. We've got players who can change games, we've got goals from all over the pitch."
"Jude, Madders (James Maddison), obviously Bukayo (Saka), Phil (Foden), they can change games in certain moments. They're still young. Representing England is a big thing but these guys are playing at the top level."
Meanwhile, one recent report of Newcastle transfer news on Corinthians striker Wesley claims that the Magpies are now 'in the picture' to sign the 18-year-old, who is believed to have a release clause of his own amounting to around €100m (£86m) which is set to run for the next four years.
Newcastle United's upcoming fixtures – all competitions
Competition
Opponent
Venue
Premier League
Crystal Palace (H)
St James' Park
Champions League
Borussia Dortmund (H)
St James' Park
Premier League
Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)
Molineux
EFL Cup
Manchester United (A)
Old Trafford
Premier League
Arsenal (H)
St James' Park
Newcastle transfer update; Eduard Spertsyan
According to a Newcastle transfer update on Krasnodar midfielder Eduard Spertsyan, who has the same agent as Nick Pope in the form of CAA Stellar, it is believed that the Magpies are battling with Manchester City to sign the 23-year-old, who has also previously courted interest from Ajax, Feyenoord, Lyon and Inter Milan.
In his time at Krasnodar, Spertsyan has racked up 27 goals and 21 assists in 88 appearances for the Russian outfit, which is a hefty return from the middle of the park (Spertsyan statistics – Transfermarkt)
Eduard Spertsyan
Former Ajax director Sven Mislintat previously compared Spertsyan to Manchester City star De Bruyne due to his exploits on the field, however, he couldn't get a deal over the line to bring the Armenia international to the Dutch giants due to the complex procedures involved in buying players from Russia at present. Spertsyan has also been called a "generational talent" in the Armenian media.
Therefore, Newcastle could land themselves a gem in the form of Spertsyan, who may add some ingenuity and a keen eye for goal from midfield, making this one to keep an eye on.
Leicester have confirmed losses of £89.7 million for the 2022-23 season, as the threat of a points deduction from the Premier League grows stronger.
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Leicester record £89.7m losses for 2022-23
Takes tally for last three years to £215m
Foxes face points deduction from Premier League
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Foxes were charged by the Premier League last month over breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), with the figures of those alleged breaches released by the Championship club on Tuesday. Leicester's £89.7m ($112.7m) losses account for the 2022-23 season and take their losses over the last three seasons, all of which were in the English top flight, to £215m ($270.2m). The Premier League permits £105m ($132m) in losses over a three-year period.
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Leicester's figures come despite almost £110m ($138.3m) raised in player sales in 2022-23, from the £70m ($88m) transfer of Wesley Fofana to Chelsea and James Maddison's £40m ($50.3m) move to Tottenham. However, it is thought that these sales were offset by the sacking of Brendan Rodgers and his coaching staff in April 2023. Furthermore, the club references a "disappointing and unanticipated decline" from the top flight as an explanation for their financial struggles. Leicester recorded league finishes of fifth, fifth and eighth before being relegated to the Championship last term.
WHAT LEICESTER SAID
In a club statement, chief executive Susan Whelan said: "After a sustained period of growth and success for the club during the last decade, the 2022-23 season was a significant setback, the consequences of which will be felt for some time. We must now focus on rebuilding and seeking to return to and re-establishing ourselves in the Premier League. Having achieved finishing positions in the Premier League of fifth, fifth and eighth in the three preceding seasons, our targets and associated budgets for 2022-23 were entirely reasonable.
"However, for a club such as ours, whose sustained sporting achievements have justified the levels of investment required to compete with the most established clubs and pursue our ambition, a season of such significant under-performance on the pitch presents financial challenges, particularly from the perspective of the game's current Profitability and Sustainability rules."
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WHAT NEXT FOR LEICESTER?
A points deduction from the Premier League looms. Everton and Nottingham Forest were deducted six (from ten on appeal) and four, respectively, for their breaches of PSR. Any sanction from the Premier League would come into play from next season, after the process – including any necessary appeals from the Foxes – has run its course.