Tag Futebol

After enduring perhaps the most disappointing 2025 season of any team in the league, the Orioles wasted little time this offseason trying to ensure the ’26 campaign is a different story.

A month ago, the team traded the super-talented but oft-injured Grayson Rodriguez for Taylor Ward, then signed two-time All-Star closer Ryan Helsley to a two-year deal over Thanksgiving weekend. Wednesday, though, saw the biggest move yet, as Baltimore has reportedly agreed to a five-year, $155 million deal with former Mets star Pete Alonso.

The move has huge ramifications, of course, for both the Orioles and Alonso’s now former team. For Baltimore, Alonso represents another massive addition to an offense that ranked 24th in runs scored a year ago. He and Ward hit a combined 74 home runs in 2025, and Alonso’s 195 blasts since ’21 rank fourth behind only Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber.

How Alonso’s presence impacts the roles of some of the Orioles’ younger bats remains to be seen. Before his signing, Baltimore projected to use Adley Rutschman, Samuel Basallo and Coby Mayo at catcher, first base and DH. Alonso makes that setup more crowded, and it stands to reason that one of those youngsters (most likely Mayo) could be used as a trade chip for a starting pitcher that the O’s still desperately need. And that’s not the only logjam that needs sorting out, as Baltimore has an abundance of corner outfielders but no obvious solution in center field (your mileage may vary on Colton Cowser’s viability as an everyday option there).

As for the terms of the deal, five years for a player entering his age-31 season who’s quickly approaching DH-only status has very little chance of aging well. For a team that will be making deferred payments to Chris Davis for another 12 years, it’s a bit of a surprise Baltimore jumped back in the saddle on a player with a similar bat-first profile. Then again, as Andrew Friedman once said, “If you’re always rational on every free agent, you will finish third on every free agent.” Consider that fifth year the price for being irrational.

And then, there are the Mets. One day after All-Star closer Edwin Díaz signed with the Dodgers, they now watch another longtime organizational stalwart and fan favorite opt to sign elsewhere. Those developments undoubtedly sting—especially considering the Mets were also a massively disappointing team last season—but it’s not as if those two players are irreplaceable. Under Steve Cohen’s ownership, New York has been linked to basically every big-ticket free agent, and the club will continue to be a possible landing spot for Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger and Munetaka Murakami, among others.

Any of those external options could very well end up working out better than Alonso and Diaz would have over the next handful of years. But the fact that two of the Mets’ most productive and popular players of the last half decade decided to leave town certainly adds to the bad vibe that has clung to the organization for the past six months, and cranks up the urgency to do something——to stop the perceived skid from spiraling into further disaster.

Captain Bavuma and head coach Conrad are happy for curators to prepare the pitches as they would like

Firdose Moonda25-Nov-2024It’s a stereotype as common as they come: go to the subcontinent and expect to be spun out, come to South Africa and watch your head (and all your other belongings – but that’s a different conversation). Except this time.South Africa will not prepare green tops for their four must-win Test matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan this summer.Despite what gut instincts may say about the best way for them to maximise home advantage and even though they are playing Sri Lanka at venues where they lost five years ago, South Africa will leave it to individual ground staff to and hope for fair surfaces for their matches.Related

Race to the WTC final: India back on top after Perth win

Bavuma, Coetzee, Jansen return for South Africa's home Tests against Sri Lanka

Bavuma battles 'mental demons' as he returns from lengthy injury layoff

“We’re not at liberty to instruct the groundsmen to prepare what we’d like. We just try to play on whatever has been prepared,” Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s captain said in Pretoria, where the team held their preparation camp before traveling to Durban for the first Test. “And there’s not a lot of concern from my side where we are playing Sri Lanka. Obviously Sri Lanka will be confident in those two venues because they were successful but we’re not going to ask for specific conditions”Sri Lanka beat South Africa in Durban and Gqeberha in 2019 but lost the next series in 2020-21, when they were beset by a spate of injuries. But that 2019 series was the first time a subcontinent side had beaten South Africa in a home series, which some say makes the decision to go back to those venues curious. Durban, in particular, has been a difficult place for South Africa in the last 15 years. Since March 2009, South Africa have played 10 Tests at Kingsmead and lost seven, including two each to Sri Lanka (their first Test win in the country came in 2011), Australia and England and one to India. Their last outing was in March 2022, when they beat Bangladesh by 220 runs, at the end of the Covid-19 restrictions, with a side that was depleted by the absence of IPL-bound players, which made up most of the first-choice attack.But Test coach Shukri Conrad is not buying into the talk that the coastal venues are more suited to subcontinent teams and wants to reclaim them as places South Africa consider their own. “You can’t play all your cricket at Centurion and the Wanderers,” he said earlier this month, referring to the Highveld venues which do give pace bowlers the edge. “We’ve got a fan base in Durban. We’ve got a fan base in Gqeberha and we’re looking forward to playing Test matches there.”Like Bavuma, he does not expect the groundstaff to prepare anything other than what is usually expected of them. “We just want good cricketing wickets,” he said. “That’s all I can ask for.”Keshav Maharaj is expected to play an important role in South Africa’s upcoming home Tests•AFP/Getty ImagesSo what might that be?First up, at Kingsmead, Durban’s long-serving groundsman Wilson Ngobese will retire at the end of this year and has been handing over the reins to his successor Wonderboy Khanyile. Along with former Newlands and Wanderers groundsman Evan Flint, a prodigy of Ngobese’s, who has been working in Kwa-Zulu Natal as a consultant, they have prepared the Test pitch together. It should be livelier than it is for domestic matches, where the local team, the Dolphins tend to prefer it slower and lower.”I was in conversation with Evan and it’ll be one of the new wickets and Evan guarantees me there’ll be some good pace,” Conrad said. “Domestically, they prepare it to spin because of the strength of their bowlers so I think the Dolphins go out deliberately preparing spinning wickets.”That is in stark contrast to the messaging of five years ago when, under Ottis Gibson, South Africa’s groundstaff were instructed to prepare green-tops, particularly for a 2017-18 series against India. The Wanderers got it so badly wrong that the pitch was rated poor and they were handed three demerit points, which have since expired. Gibson wanted to maximise the advantage an attack of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi could give South Africa, at the expense of their batters. South Africa’s ability to score big runs diminished to the point that between January 2018 and December 2021, only West Indies (among teams in the World Test Championship) had fewer centurions.The second Test at St George’s Park could see plenty of movement off the seam and perhaps even reverse swing come into play. “If you look at the records domestically, [Warriors allrounder] Beyers Swanepoel, for example, takes a host of wickets there,” Conrad said. Swanepoel has 52 first-class wickets from nine matches at the venue at an average of 14.44. “It can be very favourable for seamers as well.”It is also known to take turn later on, and South Africa back their first-choice left-arm spinner, Keshav Maharaj, to take centre stage. “You want spin later on in the game and why we play arguably one of the best spinners in the world in Keshav in our side,” Conrad said.South Africa have also included spin-bowling allrounder Senuran Muthusamy, who took a career-best 4 for 45 in Bangladesh last month, in the squad but have no room for offspinner Dane Piedt or wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi, which suggests that even if there is turn, they’re not expecting it to be that big.All the discussion over home advantage is pressing because of what is at stake for the hosts. South Africa need to win all four of their remaining matches to guarantee a place in the World Test Championship final. They could still get there with three wins but would be dependent on other results. Either way, their fate lies in their own hands and they don’t plan on putting it in conditions.

Things haven't been easy for Manchester United as of late. The Red Devils went into Sunday's clash with West Ham having lost three of their last four games in all competitions, a run that has seen them fall well behind the pace in the Women's Super League title race and weakened their incredibly strong position in the Champions League, ahead of two very tough final games in the league phase, starting with the hosting of eight-time winners Lyon on Wednesday. The return of Phallon Tullis-Joyce, then, could not have been better timed.

It is no coincidence that in three games without the United States international, since she suffered a fractured eye socket at the start of November, United conceded nine goals. Compare that to the team's first 14 games of the season, prior to her absence, when they conceded just seven times. That's no slight on Safia Middleton-Patel, the young academy product who took her place for those three games and impressed at times, particularly given her inexperience. But to expect her to perform to Tullis-Joyce's level at this stage of her career would've been unfair, especially considering she has played limited minutes with those in the defence in front of her, too.

Now, though, the 29-year-old is back, giving United a much-needed boost ahead of a huge end to 2025. Tullis-Joyce wasn't at her busiest as the Red Devils got a necessary win at home to West Ham on Sunday, against a side second-from-bottom in the WSL standings. But she may be over the next week or so as United bid to sign off for the winter break in a successful manner, with qualification for the Champions League knockout stages a huge part of that.

Getty ImagesWelcome return

While Tullis-Joyce didn't have a lot to do on Sunday, bar picking the ball out of the back of her net after Shekiera Martinez's remarkable overhead kick, her presence did feel impactful. The Hammers registered just 14 shot-creating actions in the game, the lowest by any of United's opponents since a 4-1 win over Everton back in mid-October, and had an expected goals statistic of 0.6, also the lowest United have allowed since victory over the Toffees. 

With Tullis-Joyce back between the sticks, it felt like there was more familiarity and, as such, assuredness in the United defence. Those in front of the goalkeeper did an excellent job of stifling the lively Martinez and limiting West Ham, and the shot-stopper herself did what was necessary when called upon. It wasn't a headline-grabbing return but that also felt important, as the American adapts to wearing a mask as she continues to recover from her injury.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesPromising young prospect

Again, none of that should reflect as criticism of Middleton-Patel, the 21-year-old who deputised for Tullis-Joyce during her three-game absence. It said a lot about the Wales international, in fact, that head coach Marc Skinner chose her over Kayla Rendell, who has the actual No.1 shirt on the United books, made 134 senior appearances during her six years with Southampton and has won England call-ups in recent times.

Middleton-Patel's performance against Paris Saint-Germain, just her second-ever appearance for the Red Devils, was particularly impressive, with her not daunted by the Old Trafford stage of the magnitude of playing in such an important Champions League fixture. Skinner called her "excellent" after that 2-1 win, noting how well she had "acquitted herself and come into the team" under the circumstances.

Getty ImagesLacking familiarity

But it's never easy when a team has to change goalkeepers, especially moving from one with quite a lot of experience to one with much less, and that would become apparent over the course of the next couple of games. Middleton-Patel endured some tough moments in the losses to Manchester City and Wolfsburg, games which will hopefully prove to be valuable learning curves as her career evolves rather than anything else.

United's defence as a unit was guilty of costly errors, too, something unlikely to have been helped by the absence of the reliability and familiarity of Tullis-Joyce. Combine that with the changes already needed at the back due to an injury to central defender Millie Turner, whose time on the sidelines has had a double impact on the spine of the team because it is holding midfielder Dominique Janssen that has filled her spot, and United have not looked like their usually solid selves in recent weeks.

Those struggles have only served to highlight the lack of depth in this squad, caused only by the club's own inactivity in the window, and the fatigue that small squad is feeling harder as it competes in the Champions League proper for the first time.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportMatch-winner

Tullis-Joyce's return certainly can't resolve the latter issues, with Skinner again making sure to emphasise that he needs signings in the January window after Sunday's win, but she does have the match-winning qualities to bail out defenders when they make mistakes or produce the sort of world-class save that few shot-stoppers can, to earn her side points almost single-handedly in moments.

In the WSL and Champions League proper this term, the expected goals against statistic calculates that Tullis-Joyce should have conceded 11.9 goals, but she has only picked the ball out of the back of her net on seven occasions. That makes for an incredibly impressive positive differential of 4.9 goals prevented across her 11 appearances.

اعترف آشلي كول، أسطورة نادي آرسنال وتشيلسي، أنه كان قاب قوسين أو أدنى من التوقيع لصالح ريال مدريد، موضحًا أن هناك سببًا واحدًا منع إتمام الصفقة.

كول كان قد تألق وبشدة مع آرسنال في مسيرته وحقق معهم لقب الدوري الإنجليزي في مناسبتين، وذلك قبل الرحيل إلى تشيلسي مقابل 7 ملايين يورو.

وتعثرت مفاوضات تجديد عقد كول مع آرسنال، ليوقع الظهير الأيسر مع تشيلسي ويصنع التاريخ مع البلوز.

لكن كول اعترف في تصريحات نقلها ”triballfootball.com”، أن ظروف زواجه حالت دون انتقاله إلى ريال مدريد، موضحًا أن برشلونة رغب في ضمه.

اقرأ أيضًا.. “أصبحنا متحدين”.. رد قاطع من نجم ريال مدريد على شائعات الخلاف مع ألونسو

وقال كول: “شعرت بقليل من عدم الراحة بشأن تجديد عقدي مع آرسنال، لذلك كان هذا هو ما يشغل عقلي وقلبي، كنت أقول لنفسي لقد سلبتموني الأشياء التي أحبها ولم يكن الأمر يستحق ذلك”.

وأضاف: ”مما قيل لي وسمعته كنت سأنتقل إلى ريال مدريد، كنت أجري محادثات مع وكلاء أعمال لأنه في تلك المرحلة كان بإمكاني التوقيع مسبقًا لفريق خارج إنجلترا، لذا كان الخيار هو ريال مدريد وربما برشلونة، لا أعرف مدى عمق هذا الخيار لكن التطورات الشخصية غيرت أولوياتي”.

واختتم كول: “تغيرت الأمور، تزوجت وفي النهاية لم أرد مغادرة البلاد، ثم بعد حوالي عام ونصف، أتذكر أنني جلست في مكتبي مع وكيل أعمالي، ونادى علي قائلاً لن تصدق من هذا، إنه تشيلسي، فقلت حسنًا”.

تحدث أيمن مصطفى، محلل أداء الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي السابق، عن أسباب رحيله عن القلعة الحمراء خلال الأيام الماضية.

وقال أيمن مصطفى في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “أنا سعيد جدًا بالفترة اللي قضيتها في الأهلي، تجربة كانت مثمرة، والأهم في التجربة أن تترك أثرًا جيدًا”.

وتابع: “الحقيقة أنا في تجربتي مع الأهلي تعلمت أمورًا مهمة كثيرة، الكثير تحدثوا عن شخصية الأهلي، لكن هناك أمر لم يذكر وهي الصلابة النفسية، التي تؤثر على الشخص في تجربته مع الأهلي”.

وواصل: “نتعرض لضغوط رهيبة جدًا، وكم تفاصيل في العمل لم أرها في أي نادٍ، وتستطيع التعامل مع الضغوط طوال الوقت، فالعمل يكون 12 ساعة في اليوم، وممكن تصل لـ14 ساعة في بعض الأحيان حال ضغط المباريات”.

طالع.. الأهلي يعلن سبب استبعاد عبد القادر وشكري من مباراة شبيبة القبائل

وأكمل: “هذا هو السر الذي يجعل الفريق يمتلك الإيمان حتى في أحلك وأصعب الظروف، ممكن تسجل في الدقيقة 90، أو إنك تفوز ببطولات رغم صعوبة الموقف”.

استطرد: “عملت في الأهلي لمدة 7 أشهر، جئت بعد رحيل مارسل كولر، وكنت في فريقي السابق حرس الحدود، وتلقيت مكالمة وأنا متجه للمحاضرة قبل مباراة بيراميدز وقتها، كابتن محمد يوسف اختارني لأنني عملت معه في وقت سابق وبدأت المشوار فورًا، مع عماد النحاس، ثم خوسيه ريبيرو، ثم عماد النحاس مرة أخرى، ثم ييس توروب”.

واسترسل: “هناك عوامل كثيرة في فشل تجربة ريبيرو لكني لأ أريد الدخول في تفاصيل كثيرة، لن أتحدث عن الشق البدني لأن هناك ناس متخصصين أكثر، لكن ممكن نقول أن الفريق أنهى الدوري ثم دخل في كأس العالم للأندية”.

وأضاف: “النتائج في كأس العالم للأندية والحلم الكبير بوصول الأهلي للدور الثاني لم يتحقق بسبب وجود مشاكل أخرى، لأن الرجل كان يحاول تطبيق نظام جديد، والأهلي لم يكن محظوظًا خاصة أمام إنتر ميامي”.

وقال: “من وجهة نظري، الأهلي لا يتحمل عددًا كبيرًا من التجارب التي قد تؤدي في النهاية إلى عدم الوصول للبطولات بالطريقة المعتاد عليها، الأهلي يحتاج إلى مدرب أكثر مباشرة، صحيح أنه كان مدربًا هجوميًا جدًا، لكن ريبيرو كان يعتمد أكثر على المساحات ومحاولة الاختراق من العمق حتى عندما كنا نتحدث معه في تلك الفترة، كنا نؤكد له أن هناك أمورًا معينة في الدوري المصري يمكن أن تساعده على تطوير أسلوبه بشكل أو بآخر، وتمنحه قدرة أكبر على خلق الفرص بشكل مريح وطريقته كانت تحتاج إلى تطوير بسيط لتناسب أسلوب الأهلي”.

وتابع عن الفرق بين ريبيرو وتوروب: “توروب مباشر أكثر على المرمى، ويهتم بتفاصيل خاصة بالتنظيم الدفاعي أثناء عملية الهجوم، لا يمتلك فكرة المجازفة بإلقاء كل الأوراق الهجومية دفعة واحدة، بل يسعى دائمًا إلى تحقيق التوازن وهو دائمًا يتحدث معنا عن أن العقلية الهجومية مهمة جدًا، لكن الحفاظ على الدفاع هو ما يسمح لك بالوصول إلى البطولات”.

وأكمل بشأن بداية الدوري: “الأهلي دائمًا يلعب على المركز الأول، ومع وجود مارسل كولر قبل أن يأتي كابتن عماد النحاس، كان الأهلي متأخرًا بفارق أربع نقاط عن بيراميدز ومع تبقي ست مباريات فقط، ورغم ذلك أنهى الأهلي المسابقة بطلًا للدوري بفارق نقطتين عن بيراميدز”.

واستمر: “وبالتالي، أنت دائمًا تلعب من أجل البطولة مشوارك يكون طويلًا، وهناك أخطاء من الطبيعي أن تحدث، ومن واجبك أن تصلحها، أنت لعبت بنظام مختلف مع ريبيرو، ثم مع كابتن عماد، والآن تلعب بنظام مختلف أيضًا”.

واسترسل: “أشرف بن شرقي مثلًا، حتى آخر مباراة في السوبر كان قد سجل هدفًا وقدم مباريات ممتازة جدًا، وقبلها سجل أمام الاتحاد السكندري الهدف الأول، ويلعب في الجناحين الأيمن والأيسر، وأنا أراه يقدم مستوى رائعًا”.

واستطرد: “تريزيجيه كذلك، في فترة من الفترات، سجل أربعة أهداف في خمس مباريات مع كابتن عماد، منها ركلتي جزاء أمام الزمالك وحرس الحدود، وهدف ممتاز أمام سيراميكا، وهدف أمام إنبي، اللاعب يسجل ويحاول صناعة الفرص”.

وأتم: “ورغم كل ذلك، هناك نقطة مهمة لا ينتبه إليها كثيرون، هؤلاء اللاعبون لم يلعبوا كثيرًا معًا، فمثلًا عدد المباريات التي لعبها جراديشار مع تريزيجيه ليس كبيرًا؛ لأن في البداية كان لديك محمد شريف، ثم جاء جراديشار بعده أي فريق في العالم يحتاج إلى وقت للوصول إلى الانسجام، وهذا يحدث في كل الفرق، وليس الأهلي فقط”.

Danny Rohl is close to being named as the new Rangers boss, and Sky Sports have shared a live update from outside Ibrox after an “11th hour and 59th minute” twist.

Rangers on brink of Rohl announcement after late breakdown in talks

“Let’s start with the huge developments in the last half hour,” said a Sky Sports presenter live on TV on Monday afternoon. “Danny Rohl looks set to be named as the new head coach at Rangers.”

The 36-year-old former Sheffield Wednesday head coach had ruled himself out of the race to become Russell Martin’s successor last week when Kevin Muscat appeared to be front runner.

However, it emerged on Sunday night that no agreement could be reached with Muscat, which threw the Ibrox club into managerial limbo ahead of the Thursday night’s Europa League clash with Brann in Norway.

Sky’s Adam Binnie has now reported live from outside Ibrox, shedding some light on just how close they were to appointing Muscat: “The club continued into advanced talks with Kevin Muscat which fell through at the 11th hour, or the 11th hour and 59th minute.

“After all that falling out, that meant that Rohl was back in contention… now he is the leading candidate and is expected to take over.”

Rohl, who Binnie confirms was third choice after Steven Gerrard and Muscat, led The Owls to a 12th-place league finish in his only full season as a manager before leaving the troubled Yorkshire club in July.

Rangers’ Under-19 boss Stevie Smith was in interim charge for the 2-2 draw with Dundee United at Ibrox on Saturday. Former Gers defender Smith took over first-team training along with B team coach Brian Gilmour, goalkeeping coach Sal Bibbo and head of performance Rhys Owen, on Martin’s departure.

The Ibrox club sit sixth in the William Hill Premiership with nine points from eight fixtures and are 13 points behind leaders Hearts.

Gers fans disgruntled by the failure of Martin, the start to the season where Rangers were also bounced out of the Champions League play-off on a 9-1 aggregate defeat by Belgian side Club Brugge, and latterly the new boss recruitment process, have turned against chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell.

A banner was held up at half-time during the Dundee United game which read: ‘Stewart, Thelwell pack your bags and go before we pack them for you’.

Heading into Leeds United’s Premier League clash against West Ham United on Friday night, Daniel Farke was under some pressure in the Elland Road dug-out to pick up a positive result.

There had been reports, in the build-up to this must-win contest against the Hammers, that the top-flight newcomers had RC Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior on their radar as a potential replacement for the German.

Thankfully for Farke, his team hit back by collecting a 2-1 win over Nuno Espirito Santo’s strugglers, with the ex-Norwich City boss able to survive another day in the pressurised Leeds’ hot-seat, subsequently.

Brenden Aaronson really did step up when he was needed to during this tight win, with the American also able to respond to his critics emphatically with a man-of-the-match worthy display against the visitors from East London.

How Aaronson has turned around his Leeds career

Much like Farke has had to fight back against accusations that he isn’t cut out for the bright lights of the Premier League all across his managerial career to date, Aaronson has also had to deal with his fair share of critics deeming him not capable of being a top-flight level talent.

There had been some weight behind these comments, too, with Aaronson being deemed a “lightweight” presence that’s not “good enough” to pull on Leeds white by former Elland Road defender Jon Newsome, off the back of him only firing home one Premier League goal during his side’s disastrous 2022/23 season, which ended in relegation.

He hadn’t started this campaign in the best light, either, leading to the 25-year-old dropping in and out of Farke’s first-team plans. However, he was a force to be reckoned with against West Ham, perhaps saving his up-and-down career in West Yorkshire in the process.

Indeed, away from being the crucial individual who fired Leeds in front after just three minutes, Aaronson also constantly burst forward with purpose across the full match, with one of his three successful dribbles forward nearly resulting in one of the most memorable solo strikes of the season to date.

To his dismay, the resulting shot – after all his hard work had seemingly paid off – shaved the crossbar, with the ex-Red Bull Salzburg attacker also being praised at the full-time whistle for being a presence that “works his socks off” by his relieved manager, when winning a high eight ground duels.

He wasn’t the only presence in Farke’s XI who turned around their ongoing narrative in West Yorkshire, though, against West Ham, as one of Aaronson’s teammates on the night also breathed life back into their own stop-start tale.

The "monstrous" star who also saved his career

A lot of Leeds’ summer recruits have instantly hit the ground running, with Sean Longstaff already becoming an integral part of Farke’s starting lineup, with five big chances created in league action.

Noah Okafor has also seamlessly slotted into his new environment with two league goals already next to his name, but while those named have found adjusting to life in West Yorkshire to be straightforward, Jaka Bijol has struggled, on the other hand.

Before being handed a start against West Ham, Bijol had found himself rooted to the substitutes bench with zero league appearances to shout about, which was a surprise, considering the 6-foot-4 Slovenian didn’t leave Udinese behind for cheap this summer, having cost the Premier League newcomers a substantial £15m.

Thankfully, he made up for lost time with his commanding showing against the relegation-threatened visitors, with six duels won in total, seeing him already live up to his “monstrous” billing that was handed his way by analyst Ben Mattinson in Serie A.

Minutes played

90

Touches

75

Accurate passes

53/57 (93%)

Interceptions

2

Clearances

10

Ball recoveries

5

Tackles won

2/2

Total duels won

6/10

Joe Rodon would steal his thunder by standing out more in the heart of the Leeds backline, considering the Welshman popped up with a header to gift the hosts a 2-0 lead, but Bijol is also deserving of plenty of praise himself, having won all 100% of his tackles come the full-time whistle.

The “aggressive” number 15 – as he was also lauded by ex-Leeds defender Aidy White after the win was secured – further demonstrated a calmness on the ball under pressure with 53 accurate passes amassed, with Farke surely now ready to hand him even more league opportunities moving forward, considering that he’s finally off the mark.

Bijol’s playing days in England so far have been a slow burner, with the ex-Serie A titan now hopeful of even more minutes heading his way, as more wins are also picked by Farke and Co.

Forget Longstaff: £10m star is now Leeds' best signing since Bielsa left

This Leeds United star could now be considered the best signing the Whites have made since Marcelo Bielsa left.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 28, 2025

The last time Leeds United sealed promotion to the Premier League courtesy of former Elland Road icon Marcelo Bielsa, there was a lot of promise in the air that the Uruguayan would be the transformative figure to make the West Yorkshire side a top-flight staple once more.

In all fairness, for a brief moment in time, he looked to be just the radical figure they needed, with a ninth-place finish in the Premier League coming right after the Championship title had been triumphantly lifted.

Unfortunately, it all unravelled from this point onwards, with relegation at the end of the 2022/23 season coming about with Sam Allardyce at the helm, long after the South American’s sad exit.

Can Daniel Farke be the manager to finally establish Leeds as a superpower in the top league? The German has already collected two early wins to guide the Whites to a promising 11th spot, after all.

It appears as if Leeds have really strengthened their options after lifting the second-tier title on a mammoth 100 points, with Farke already in love with a vast portion of his new personnel.

Ranking Leeds' best summer signings

Farke will be desperate to steer Leeds to safety having already tasted the bitterness of relegation from the top-flight when managing Norwich City.

The early signs show that the Whites won’t be basement dwellers, with new signings such as Gabriel Gudmundsson, surely too good to be sucked into a relegation battle.

Minus scoring an own-goal away at Fulham, the energetic Swede has stood out as a very competent replacement for Junior Firpo in the infancy of this season so far, with his determination to keep the ball in play last time out against AFC Bournemouth culminating in Leeds taking the lead.

While he couldn’t follow up on his goal away at Wolverhampton Wanderers versus the Cherries, Noah Okafor also shone as a bright attacking spark against Andoni Iraola’s men.

He will likely be viewed as another sterling summer pick-up, with a tricky three successful dribbles being registered, keeping the South Coast visitors on their toes.

There is also Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He won’t be the best signing Leeds ever make but Premier League-proven, he has shown flashes of his quality at this level already when expertly heading an effort home at Molineux.

But, Anton Stach has a convincing case to be viewed as Leeds’ top bit of business overall, with the £17m forked out to land the German already looking like money well spent.

Why Stach has become so important for Leeds

Stach had impressed early on at Elland Road, but he truly arrived on the scene in some style when hammering home a stunning free kick away at Vitor Pereira’s Old Gold.

Away from just this audacious effort – which was heralded as a “beauty” by Gary Lineker – Stach has also stood out as a well-rounded, aggressive presence in the middle of the park for Leeds in a similar build to fan favourite, Yorkshire Pirlo, Kalvin Phillips.

Of course, when Phillips was at the heart of the Bielsa operation, Leeds managed to finish in that aforementioned ninth spot in the challenging division.

History could well repeat itself with a similarly robust, yet skilful figure now in Farke’s XI, with 3.7 ball recoveries averaged per game this season in Premier League action, followed up by the former Hoffenheim ace also winning a high 5.3 duels per clash.

Former Watford striker turned pundit Troy Deeney has also waxed lyrical about Stach since his arrival, labelling the number 18 as “very impressive”.

But, he isn’t the only midfielder who has been on the receiving end of some glowing comments.

Why bargain Leeds star is a better signing than Stach

While Stach instantly bedding in will, of course, raised a few smiles in West Yorkshire, it would have been seen as a big disappointment if the German didn’t come in and hit the ground running from the get-go, having cost £17m to obtain.

Whereas, in the case of Sean Longstaff, Leeds fans would have known all about his Premier League credentials, but might well have erred on the side of caution over whether he’d be an instant success story, having arrived at Elland Road off the back of starting just eight league games last season for Newcastle United.

There needn’t have been any worries, however, with Nedem Onuoha’s prediction of Longstaff joining for just £12m being a “sneaky good” signing ringing very much true, with the former Magpies midfielder pretty much faultless last time out versus Bournemouth.

During that clash, he looked like one “one of the best signings in the Premier League” full stop – as was boldly declared by journalist Daniel Storey.

Staggeringly, away from firing home a superb effort and collecting an assist, the well-rounded 27-year-old also won a mammoth ten duels to ensure his side at least collected a share of the points against the Cherries.

His wider numbers make for some unbelievable reading, too, with Opta statistician Jonny Cooper revealing – after his impactful showing against Bournemouth – that Longstaff has covered a staggering 12km per league clash so far this season.

Also averaging more tackles per 90 minutes this season than Chelsea ace Moises Caicedo as per Fotmob – who once cost a staggering £115m – on top of also averaging more accurate passes than the likes of Crystal Palace favourite Adam Wharton, it’s already abundantly clear that Farke and Co have pulled off a major steal landing the Newcastle-born battler for just £12m.

Weighing up his modest fee next to Leeds’ other notable summer signings further reinforces the bargain Leeds have managed to seal, with injury-stricken goalkeeper Lucas Perri even costing a higher fee at the £15.6m mark.

Therefore, there is plenty of logic behind Storey’s claims, with Longstaff once even receiving praise from Pep Guardiola back in 2019 during the early days of his St James’ Park senior career.

While his time on Tyneside did unfortunately fizzle out, the “outstanding” 27-year-old – as he has already been labelled by his new manager – has undoubtedly already found a new lease of life away from his hometown side.

Longstaff is just one cog in Farke’s machine who can certainly play a key role in Leeds becoming top-flight regulars again.

Leeds had the original Gudmundsson & they let him leave for just £1m

Leeds must regret cashing in on this star who was the original Gabriel Gudmundsson at Elland Road.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 2, 2025

Bangladesh’s first Test centurion assumes the BCB president’s role at a difficult time

Mohammad Isam30-May-2025Aminul Islam has been elected president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) after a board meeting in Dhaka on Friday, following the removal of Faruque Ahmed by the sports ministry. Aminul is a former Bangladesh captain who led the side at the 1999 World Cup, and was their first Test centurion in 2000.Aminul’s ascent comes less than 24 hours after Faruque lost his place as the sports ministry’s representative on the board of directors, effectively ending his reign as the board president.The sports ministry said in a statement that it took the decision after eight BCB directors tabled a no-confidence motion against Faruque. It also based the decision on a fact-finding committee’s report on corruption within the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).Related

Anatomy of a fall: How the BCB presidency changed hands

'It is totally performance-based' – Bangladesh's sports adviser on Faruque's removal

Aminul is BCB president for a 'quick T20 innings'

Hathurusinghe questions BCB's motives after sacking

BCB director Fahim threatens to quit over fallout with Faruque

The sports ministry made Faruque one of its two directors on the BCB board on August 21, 2024, following the resignation of Nazmul Hassan, who was also the country’s sports minister during the Awami League regime. On the same day, the directors elected Faruque as the BCB president.Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, one of the signatories to the no-confidence letter, was the other sports ministry representative in the board. Aminul made his way into the BCB through the same path. The sports ministry added Aminul as one of its representatives in the board, making him a director first. Then the nine other directors elected him board president.ESPNcricinfo understands that Aminul will continue until the next BCB election, which is likely to take place by October this year. He has taken leave from his work as an ICC development manager based in Melbourne.Faruque Ahmed’s tenure lasted nine months and eight days•BCBAminul assumes the BCB president’s role at a difficult time. There were several controversies during Faruque’s nine months as the board chief. On his first day in charge, Faruque questioned head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe’s position, before sacking him two months later. The BCB directors, in their letter to the sports ministry, said Faruque had ignored the BCB constitution, which expects the president to inform the board directors on decisions such as hiring or firing a coach.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Faruque’s handling of BPL 2025 was a key reason behind his losing his job. Bangladesh’s interim government head Dr Muhammad Yunus had taken a keen interest in the BPL, but the controversy surrounding the Durbar Rajshahi franchise marred the tournament. The government had to intervene when the Rajshahi owner failed to pay players on time, even ignoring to pay their hotel bills in Chattogram and Dhaka. It led to a player revolt.Faruque also clashed with an assistant of the sports adviser, and his fallout with board director Nazmul Abedeen Fahim also became public. Dr Yunus didn’t attend the BPL’s final match as planned, which many believed was viewed negatively by the sports adviser Asif Mahmud.The BCB has continued to be mired in controversy since. The Dhaka cricket clubs were angered when the BCB was in the process of amending its constitution, before questions began to emerge about certain Dhaka Premier League (DPL) matches. The situation came to a head after a stumping incident in the Shinepukur-Gulshan club match. The start of the investigation process was also criticised after the BCB’s head of anti-corruption asked the same players to enact the incident publicly at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on the following day.Last month, Faruque said in an interview on YouTube that he would contest the upcoming board elections. Some board directors told ESPNcricinfo that his focus on the upcoming elections alienated him from the other directors. In all, Faruque lasted nine months and eight days on the hot seat.

Regardless of the result in Seville last night, Nottingham Forest supporters will have endured a night full of memories – one that would’ve been unthinkable just a handful of years ago.

Ange Postecoglou’s side claimed a 2-2 draw against Spanish side Real Betis, but some form of disappointment will be felt after failing to hold onto the victory.

Cedric Bakambu put the hosts ahead, but Igor Jesus’ quick-fire double within a couple of minutes put the Reds 2-1 up heading into the half-time break.

It looked as though Forest could hold on for an iconic first game back in Europe for 30 years, but it wasn’t to be as Antony fired in a late equaliser to steal a point.

Whilst the Reds were unable to claim all three points, the first 45-minute showing was one of the club’s best in many years, with numerous players catching the eye during such a period.

Douglas Luiz’s stats for Forest against Real Betis

After starting back-to-back games for the first time, Douglas Luiz was handed a third start in a row for Forest last night – once again producing a sensational display at the heart of the side.

The Brazilian operated alongside Elliot Anderson and Ibrahim Sangare in the middle of the park, with the trio dominating the Spanish outfit during the first half of the meeting.

The 27-year-old completed 88% of the passes he attempted, whilst also achieving a 100% cross completion rate – showcasing the impressive nature he produced with the ball at his feet.

His cross came in the 23rd minute, with his perfectly placed cross landing on the head of Jesus, who managed to double his tally just five minutes after netting his first.

Without the ball, Luiz was just as impressive for Postecoglou’s side, making two recoveries and winning two ground duels – in what was a superb all-round showing.

However, to the surprise of many, the former Aston Villa star was replaced at halftime, subsequently being replaced by winger Dilane Bakwa for the second half of the clash with Manuel Pellegrini’s side.

It was confirmed after the game that the midfielder was replaced as a precaution, but the decision to sub on one player was arguably a bigger mistake than taking the Brazilian off.

The Forest player who failed to impress against Real Betis

The clash against Betis last night has given a generation of supporters the chance to experience the European days that will have been spoken about by loved ones before them.

For years, the club have been languishing in the Championship, but the rise has been remarkable, with huge credit needing to go in the direction of owner Evangelos Marinakis for his constant funding and ambition.

Such ambition was highlighted during the summer transfer window, with the Greek businessman dropping over £200m on new additions to help create a squad capable of competing in the Europa League.

Squad depth is something that is huge for European competition, not to mention the Premier League – with the Reds desperately needing to be competitive on all fronts in 2025/26.

Such rapid success has seen big money being spent by the board, subsequently completing the £26m transfer of French forward Arnaud Kalimuendo late on in the window.

The 23-year-old is yet to start a single game for the Reds, but has made numerous substitute appearances – even coming off the bench in the 64th minute last night.

However, after replacing goalscorer Jesus, he was always going to have a huge task on his hands, something which he ultimately failed to live up to in Seville.

Minutes played

26

Touches

13

Passes completed

5

Possession lost

6x

Duels lost

100%

Shots taken

0

Touches in opposition box

2

Fouls committed

1

Kalimuendo featured for just 26 minutes, only registering 13 touches of the ball, but ironically, it was his failure to bring the ball under his spell which saw him squander a key chance to kill the game off.

He also only completed a total of five passes, losing possession six times – showcasing his lack of positive impact after having the trust shown in him by Ange to add the finishing touches to the performance.

The Frenchman also got dominated by the Spanish backline, subsequently losing 100% of the duels he entered, with Ange making a huge mistake in not keeping Jesus on the pitch.

To top off Kalimuendo’s dismal outing, he was subsequently handed a 6/10 match rating by Nottingham Post journalist Sarah Clapson – further highlighting his lack of impact.

There’s no denying he’s a hugely talented player with a huge future, but ultimately it was the wrong decision to bring the youngster on – with a more bruising focal point needed to see out the narrow win.

However, he will still have a huge role to play in the months ahead, with the Reds having to negotiate a contested fixture schedule in Europe and domestically heading into the new year.

The main focus will be on Luiz, with real hope that the Brazilian’s injury isn’t too serious to allow him to continue his excellent form against Sunderland on Saturday night.

Weekly wages: Nottingham Forest FC 2025/26 highest-paid players

Football FanCast take a look at Nottingham Forest’s top ten biggest earners for the 2024/25 season.

ByCharlie Smith Sep 24, 2025