يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة لمواصلة موسمه بعد الفوز على آينتراخت فرانكفورت ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

واستضاف ملعب “كامب نو” مباراة برشلونة وآينتراخت فرانكفورت، في إطار منافسات الجولة السادسة من مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وحقق برشلونة فوزًا مهمًا بنتيجة 2/1 على نظيره فرانكفورت بالمباراة التي جمعتهما مساء اليوم، الثلاثاء.

بتلك النتيجة، رفع برشلونة رصيده إلى 10 نقاط محتلًا المركز الثالث عشر في جدول ترتيب جدول دوري أبطال أوروبا. موعد مباراة برشلونة القادمة بعد الفوز على آينتراخت فرانكفورت في دوري أبطال أوروبا

ومن المقرر أن يواجه برشلونة في مباراته القادمة نظيره أوساسونا ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ 16 من بطولة الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”.

ويستضيف برشلونة نظيره أوساسونا على ملعب سبوتيفاي “كامب نو” مساء يوم السبت المقبل في تمام السابعة ونصف بتوقيت القاهرة، الثامنة ونصف بتوقيت مكة المكرمة.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Coritiba negocia com o lateral-direito Tinga e o zagueiro Willian Machado para a próxima temporada. A dupla caiu para a Série B de 2026 com Fortaleza e Ceará.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalAnálise: Coritiba recalcula rota, conquista título e visa se firmar na Série AFutebol Nacional09/12/2025CoritibaFernando Seabra é anunciado como técnico do CoritibaCoritiba08/12/2025Futebol NacionalCoritiba chega a acordo verbal com artilheiro da Série BFutebol Nacional08/12/2025

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Tinga, 32 anos, tem contrato com o Leão do Pici até dezembro de 2026, e está aberto para a saída após perder espaço. Ele fez 24 partidas, sendo 18 como titular, e disputou 90 minutos pela última vez em 16 de agosto.

O jogador veste a camisa do time cearense desde o início de 2018, com outra passagem em 2015. Em nove temporadas, o lateral fez 26 gols e deu 35 assistências em 389 jogos pelo Fortaleza.

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No período, foi campeão cearense em seis oportunidades, três da Copa do Nordeste e um da Série B, além de ser vice da Sul-Americana e jogar a Libertadores.

Carreira de Tinga, alvo do Coritiba

Criado nas categorias de base do Grêmio, Tinga estreou profissionalmente em 2013 e foi emprestado ao Boa Esporte no ano seguinte. Em 2015, ele teve novo empréstimo ao Fortaleza e foi campeão cearense.

Depois, o lateral teve passagens por Bahia e Juventude até retornar ao Leão do Pici em 2018.

Na posição, o Coritiba conta apenas com o jovem Felipe Guimarães. Alex Silva e Zeca, que se alternaram a titularidade no título da Série B, não renovaram.

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➡️ Veja mais notícias do Coritiba

Carreira de Willian Machado, na mira do Coritiba

Formado na base do Criciúma, Willian Machado se profissionalizou no Fluminense do Itaum-SC em 2017. Depois, passou por Brasil-RS e Maringá, com poucos jogos disputados.

Em 2020 e 2021, o defensor ganhou sequência no Ferroviário-CE e Botafogo-PB, respectivamente. Ele ficou três temporadas no Operário-PR, com 106 partidas, até assinar com o Ceará em 2025.

No setor, o recém-contratado Fernando Seabra tem os zagueiros Jacy, Tiago Cóser e Guilherme Aquino como opções. Rodrigo Moledo e Matías Frachhia não permanecem, enquanto Maicon está sendo avaliado. Confira o balanço

Até o momento, o Coritiba ainda não anunciou reforços. O atacante Pedro Rocha, artilheiro da Série B pelo Remo, tem um acordo verbal.

O elenco coxa-branca se reapresenta em 27 de dezembro, no CT da Graciosa, para iniciar a pré-temporada. O Coritiba estreia no Campeonato Paranaense em 7 de janeiro com um time sub-23, enquanto o grupo principal jogará a partir da terceira rodada.

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoCearáCoritibaFortalezaFutebol NacionalMercado da BolaSérie B

As South Africa’s most experienced specialist batter, his role is multi-fold in the two-Test series. It’s a challenge he’s up to take on

Firdose Moonda13-Nov-20252:04

Bangar: South Africa’s spin-bowling allrounders will be critical

Temba Bavuma had played only four Tests before he first batted in one in India, as the least experienced specialist batter of a side that was already defeated. He opened the batting, which he told ESPNcricinfo today was, “the best thing that could have happened because batting in the middle order was quite tough,” but back then, he called it “the toughest piece of batting I’ve had to do in my life.”If only he knew how much tougher it was going to get.Fast-forward a decade and Bavuma has realised that “Test cricket doesn’t get any easier.” He lists the 2018 sandpapergate series against Australia, when he had just returned from a broken hand, as “quite tough having not played any cricket,” and the 2019 series in India, which South Africa lost 3-0, as “also quite tough,” but arguably his toughest Test knock was most recent one. In the World Test Championship final, chasing the highest score at Lord’s against Australia, Bavuma was nursing a hamstring injury and scored the most important 66 runs of his career.Related

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Interestingly, 66 is also Bavuma’s highest first-class score in the subcontinent, for South Africa A in 2015, where he has only batted 22 times. That innings came a few months before the Test series. This time, Bavuma has been in India before most of his team-mates, again playing for an A side as he makes his return to the longest format. After a first-ball duck against India A, he scored 59 last week in South Africa A’s successful chase of 417. More importantly, he familiarised himself with his subcontinent gameplan after missing South Africa’s series in both Bangladesh last year and Pakistan this year through injury.”Having come off a long layoff from Test cricket, it was just about getting back on the field, proving my fitness to myself and everyone around and spending some time at the crease,” Bavuma said at the pre-match press conference. “I think that was important – to try to make whatever adjustments that I need to with conditions here in the subcontinent. I spent a lot of time on my feet in the field and it was a good exercise.”

“He’s our best player. It’s as simple as that. If you take the last two years maybe, he’s been one of the best players in the world.”SA head coach Conrad on Bavuma

It was also an opportunity to remind himself of what lies ahead. Bavuma is now the most experienced specialist batter in a side that knows success far better than its opposite. South Africa, at full strength, have not lost a series under Bavuma (the 2024 makeshift squad that lost in New Zealand did not include him, nor any of those on this tour). And his stocks continue to rise.”Whenever we go into a series, there’s a lot more of an expectation for us as a team to uphold the world champion status,” Bavuma said. “From a confidence point of view, it’s a case of us kind of walking proudly with that badge, being known as the champions. We have a lovely opportunity now coming up against India in their own conditions. It’s a great opportunity for us to kind of stamp ourselves with that label.”While Bavuma said “not much” can trump winning the WTC, “second to that would be winning in India.” Not England. Not Australia. But India, because, “we haven’t been able to do it for the longest time.”Temba Bavuma checked out the Eden Gardens pitch•Associated PressSouth Africa last won a Test in India in 2010, when none of the current crop were involved in international cricket. They have been on two tours of India since with humbling results as they lost 3-0 on each occasion. They last won a series there in 2000, when Tristan Stubbs and Marco Jansen were not even born. “The longest time” seems a reasonable description, especially considering India’s formidable home record. Never mind South Africa, no team beat them in a home series for a dozen years between England winning in 2012 and New Zealand’s victory last year. That’s 18 successive home series wins for India which puts into perspective the scale of the task. “We understand the magnitude of the challenge,” Bavuma said. “For some of us, there have been moments of hurt having come from India. We know what it’s about. We look forward to the challenge.”Bavuma knows that better than most. His most recent Indian heartbreak is fresher than anyone else’s and didn’t involve Tests. It came at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he captained South Africa to the semi-finals but was the only batter in the top five who did not score a century and played with an injured hamstring in the knockouts. The memes were cruel and included images of Bavuma seeming to fall asleep in the pre-tournament captain’s presser when the camera angle had just caught him awkwardly looking at his hand and being pushed in a wheelchair by the batters who were scoring runs. The experience could either have turned him away from leadership entirely or made him stronger and it seems to have done the latter.”It wasn’t the greatest of World Cups for me from a batting point of view, so I could understand why the criticism would have come but that’s probably more from a player point of view,” he said. “From a captaincy point of view, it always felt as if it’s a process of discovery. You’re always kind of learning a little bit more about yourself. You start off with maybe an understanding as to how you want to go about things but then as time goes by, as things happen, you work with different coaches, that generally comes into your whole idea. Now, I’m a lot more comfortable in my own skin. There’s no case of having to prove to myself, prove to the players or prove to people back home that I’m deserving of the title. The results that we’ve achieved speak for themselves. The type of reaction that I get from the players, also speaks for itself. The criticism, all of that, that’s not going to go away. For as long as you’re in these types of positions, the magnifying glass is always going to be on you. That’s just something that you have to accept. I just try to take it day by day and to enjoy it.”In the South Africa changing room, Bavuma is undisputedly regarded with the utmost respect. “He’s our best player. It’s as simple as that,” South Africa’s coach Shukri Conrad said. “If you take the last two years maybe, he’s been one of the best players in the world.”Bavuma scored 59 in South Africa A’s win over India A in the outskirts of Bengaluru last week•PTI Since February 2023, which is when Conrad took over the Test side, of batters who have scored more than 500 runs in Tests, Bavuma’s average is 56.93, the sixth-highest.Amongst the South African public, the perception of Bavuma has changed from seeing him as a bit-part player to someone who tried hard but couldn’t convert scores into centuries to being regarded as crucial to the operation and that’s largely because of his role in winning the mace. “I feel like there’s been a major shift in mindset towards the Proteas and towards cricket,” Bavuma said. “There’s been a lot more appreciation and love that’s been shown towards the team, but also to individuals within the team. For myself, probably a lot more, appreciation for my presence within the team.”And globally? That’s still to be determined, and Bavuma knows it. He is eyeing at least another two years in the game, both as ODI captain with a home World Cup to prepare for and as Test captain in the current cycle, which is where he believes this team will really be measured. “We have our own goals,” he said. “We know we want to do it as a team, and we know at what point we want to start measuring ourselves. We know that after two years, we can’t consider that a proper legacy. Winning the Test Championship was big in a lot of ways but we’d like to see ourselves after four years. We will continue doing what we set out to do two years ago.”By then, Bavuma will be 37, would have played international cricket for 13 years and will likely be on the cusp of retirement. He probably won’t play another Test series in India between now and then which makes this one crucial to his place in cricket’s pantheon.

Liverpool thought they were back, two goals to the good, but these new habits have seeped into the fabric of Arne Slot’s project, and they are proving tough stains to wipe out.

Still jubilant from their win against Chelsea in midweek, Daniel Farke’s Whites met Liverpool with the expected passion and combativeness, fuelled by a raucous home support, and while the champions weathered that early storm and struck twice through Hugo Ekitike, back in the starting line-up, they succumbed to more defensive disaster, drawing the game 3-3.

The Frenchman has been a shining light throughout a dreary campaign for the Redmen, overshadowing record signing Alexander Isak, but Liverpool’s frontline still lacks balance and connectivity, and that’s why FSG are gearing up for a winter raid on Bournemouth for Antoine Semenyo.

The latest on Semenyo to Liverpool

It has emerged that Semenyo, who has been Bournemouth’s talisman this season, has a £65m release clause in his contract that becomes active during the winter transfer window.

Cue the circling sharks.

Liverpool are joined by Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in their vested interest, but the Reds have been reported to be leading the race for a player earmarked as the perfect successor to Luis Diaz, who joined Bayern Munich in August.

A big-game player with so much dynamism, the Ghana international, 26, has been declared the “best winger in the country” by Chris Waddle, and you would sense that he would only go from strength to strength in a leading role on Merseyside.

Ibrahima Konate’s latest blunder illustrated the desperate need for new defenders, but Slot will feel that Semenyo’s signature is equally important for the Anfield side, whose balance is all wrong in the final third.

And there’s one man in particular who is flattering to deceive.

Liverpool star must be replaced by Semenyo

Liverpool have been in a rut this season, and Cody Gakpo has been carried along in the stream, popping up with some moments in front of goal but lacking the multifacetedness that a winger like Semenyo would bring to the table.

Against Leeds, Gakpo failed with all six of his attempted crosses and lost the ball 13 times. He created only one chance for his teammates (data via Sofascore).

There is a pointed lack of nuance to the Dutchman’s game. Oh, he’s talented, to be sure, and dynamic enough, but Semenyo far outstrips him in such areas, so powerful and athletic and clever with his movements and decisions.

Matches (starts)

14 (12)

14 (14)

Goals

4

6

Assists

3

3

Touches*

42.2

48.9

Shots (on target)*

2.4 (0.4)

2.4 (1.4)

Accurate passes*

19.1 (79%)

19.7 (78%)

Chances created*

1.8

1.3

Dribbles*

1.1

1.6

Recoveries*

2.7

5.0

Tackles + interceptions*

1.1

2.0

Duels won*

4.9

6.5

Gakpo knows where the back of the net is, and he is skilled in playmaking too, but Semenyo is the talk of the town and rightly so, standing out in a Bournemouth team that might have lost their way in regard to three-point hauls, but remain one of the most interesting attacking outfits in the country.

Conversely, Liverpool are a structural mess, and their Netherlands winger is failing to provide the width and energy and solutions that were presented with a regularity that led to the Premier League title last season.

As analyst Josh Williams put it, it was an “annoying” display from Gakpo, and the 26-year-old needs a contrasting profile down the left if Liverpool are to restore their presence as superstars.

Liverpool ace who's fallen off a cliff looks like "Fabinho in his final year"

Liverpool’s draw against Sunderland illustrated a litany of problems Slot is still dealing with.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 4, 2025

Tottenham have been given some encouragement over the prospect of signing a Brazil international as his agents work to find him a new club.

Tottenham targeting new attacker in January amid creativity issue

Thomas Frank faces mounting pressure at Tottenham just six months into his tenure, with serious questions surrounding the Dane’s future.

Spurs sit 11th in the table with just 19 points from 13 games, and their home record tells a catastrophic story.

With only one Premier League win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium all season, not to mention 10 home defeats this calendar year, they currently boast the joint-worst record in that regard in the club’s history.

Winless in five matches across all competitions, including losses to Arsenal, PSG and Fulham, their controversial 2-2 draw at Newcastle on Monday evening prevented a fourth straight defeat.

Premier League home form table

Team

Wins

Draws

Losses

Points

GD

16. Burnley

2

1

4

7

-2

17. Nottingham Forest

2

1

4

7

-5

18. West Ham

2

0

5

6

-9

19. Tottenham

1

2

4

5

-1

20. Wolves

0

1

6

1

-11

Cristian Romero rescued Frank with a dramatic stoppage-time overhead kick. The Argentine scored twice at St James’ Park, his header and acrobatic finish earning a vital point, and his heroics seriously spared Frank’s blushes.

Dressing room unrest is reportedly growing, with reports suggesting players are confused by Frank’s constant tactical tinkering.

Related Fabrizio Romano shares Thomas Frank update amid mounting Tottenham pressure

The reliable journalist has some information.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Dec 4, 2025

Summer signing Xavi Simons symbolises Frank’s struggles. The £55 million playmaker has started just six league games, relegated to the bench for crucial fixtures despite Spurs’ creative drought, and former defender Ramon Vega has accused Frank of “changing his mind every two seconds.”

Frank apparently retains board backing until at least new year, but improvement must arrive quickly.

January reinforcements remain crucial, with FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa heavily linked alongside Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo, who has a tantalising £65 million release clause in his contract which will be active next month.

If Spurs cannot win the race for Semenyo amid interest from Man City, then RB Leizpig’s Yan Diomande is believed to be an alternative, with Sky Switzerland’s Sacha Tavolieri reporting they’ve already held advanced discussions on the player’s side.

Tottenham given Rodrygo boost as agents work on Real Madrid exit

Now, according to TEAMtalk and journalist Graeme Bailey, the north Londoners have been given a boost in their pursuit of Real Madrid star Rodrygo.

It is believed that Tottenham have emerged among the Premier League clubs that Rodrygo would consider joining, with his representatives actively working to secure a January departure from the Bernabeu.

The Brazilian has seen his situation deteriorate dramatically since Xabi Alonso replaced Carlo Ancelotti over the summer, becoming the most high-profile casualty.

Only four of his 15 appearances this season have exceeded 45 minutes, with Rodrygo regularly deployed as an impact substitute and falling behind Arda Güler in the pecking order.

Intermediaries representing the 24-year-old are working diligently to identify potential destinations, with Arsenal and Liverpool already engaged in discussions.

Rodrygo himself has made clear he would welcome moves to Man City, Man United, Chelsea or Tottenham too, though currently only Arsenal, Liverpool, City and Spurs are actively monitoring his availability.

Real value him between £70-79 million, and the Spanish giants ideally want to retain Rodrygo until the summer, when Nico Paz’s expected return will likely accelerate his departure.

It isn’t an easy deal to do by any means, with Spurs potentially needing to break their transfer record whilst fending off elite competition from their rivals.

However, there is little doubt this would be a statement move by the Lewis family as they look to usher in a new era post-Daniel Levy.

Rain took away Pakistan’s chances on what might have been their biggest night at the World Cup, but Fatima Sana, their captain, wrote her name on the game in indelible letters

Andrew Fidel Fernando16-Oct-2025

Fatima Sana picked up three wickets in her first five overs•ICC/Getty Images

Chapters have been written on captains and their trials in Pakistan men’s cricket, countless talk show and podcast hours have been devoted to the topic, and few positions in the game invoke so much mythology. Pakistan women’s captains know not to expect such things, of course. But if there is a shortage of attention paid, this is not because they have a shortage of stories to tell.In this World Cup alone, Fatima Sana has borne significant burdens. First, there is the inescapable, oppressive geopolitical heft of it all: that there is a Colombo wing to this tournament is down almost totally to Pakistan’s presence in it. In the approach to the tournament, there were also the expected questions about the tension surrounding the fixture with India, and then the entire drama over handshakes, which Sana – a 23-year-old – deserved least of all to be caught up in. She was distinctly uneasy in both instances, approaching these challenges as she might a pair of boulders that required rolling up a hill.But put a ball in the woman’s hand, set her down at the top of her mark, and she is transformed. Who is this person with the hairband and a look of intense determination? In this role, Sana plays in an even richer bloodline – Pakistan fast bowling. This World Cup, her performances have ranged from fierce to fearsome.Related

• New Zealand look to stay in semi-final hunt against winless Pakistan

• From bowler to blazer: Nilakshika Silva's 26-ball statement to the world

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• England's lucky break masks deeper batting issues

• Rain saves England after Sana and Co leave them in tatters

Before the match against England on Wednesday, Sana already had five wickets from three matches at an average of 23.4.At a venue best known for the turn it offers spinners, Sana was doing what Pakistan captains are often asked to do – make the best of less-than-ideal situations. Also the rain. It practically forced Sana to put England – a team that had won all three matches so far – in to bat on a track notoriously unkind to chasing teams. So she produced one of the seam-bowling spells of the tournament.Sana’s first wicket was the most aesthetically pleasing, wobble seam outside off, darting back off the surface, shooting between Amy Jones’ bat and pad and into the stumps. The wobble seam was crucial to this spell – some balls held their line, creating doubt in the batters’ minds, and gaps between their bats and pads. Sana bowled Nat Sciver-Brunt off her inside edge with another wickedly jagging ball and then, later in that same seventh over, pinned Heather Knight in front of the stumps.Fatima Sana’s new-ball spell that had set Pakistan on course for a rousing performance•ICC/Getty ImagesSana would get to throw her right fist into the air a fourth time, later in the match, when she had Charlie Dean caught at short fine-leg, after the first stretch of rain. But it had been the new-ball spell that had set Pakistan on course for a rousing performance. After she left England 39 for 4, even the Pakistan outfielders seemed to feed on Sana’s ferocity, running balls down more efficiently than they have all tournament.That rain returned following an excellent start to the chase from Pakistan’s openers felt especially cruel, given the good a victory could have done Pakistan. This could have turned out to be their most famous victory. They had never beaten England in any ODI, let alone in a World Cup.A win for Pakistan would also have been the first serious upset in what has been a tournament short of drama so far. Twice in two nights in Colombo, rain has ruined results that might have opened the tournament up – Sri Lanka also having been the likelier victor when the rains came on Tuesday in their game against New Zealand.With luck, this match will not be remembered long as a great miss for Pakistan women’s cricket. They have three matches left in this tournament, against three oppositions who will perhaps expect to beat them – New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka. But it should be remembered for Pakistan’s fast-bowling captain, as a match on which she wrote her name.

ECB announce fixtures for men’s and women’s competitions in 2026, in new two-month window

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2025Warwickshire have retired their Birmingham Bears moniker for T20 Blast matches, and will instead revert to being called Warwickshire Bears when the rebooted men’s and women’s competition gets underway in 2026.The club won their sole T20 title as Birmingham Bears in 2014, but have reverted to their county name after more than a decade, following feedback from members and in recognition of the women’s county competition that got underway this season.”Warwickshire has and always will be at the heart of who we are,” Stuart Cain, the county’s chief executive, said. “It’s our identity and has been for well over a century.”Over a decade ago, the club decided to be bold with a city-based name for our T20 team and it saw attendances grow to record levels and attract new fans to the Bears. But with our long-term future in mind, and following feedback from members through the members committee, now is the right time for change.”We represent the county and that’s what returning to Warwickshire Bears is about.”The announcement came ahead of the ECB’s unveiling of next year’s Blast fixtures – which, for the 14th consecutive year, will be hosted at Warwickshire’s home ground of Edgbaston (or EdgBLASTon, as per the club’s “bold and electrifying move” to rebrand the stadium for the duration of the tournament).The Blast schedule has been compromised in recent years, following the introduction of the Hundred in a mid-summer block in July and August. This year’s event featured a final on September 13, almost two months after the conclusion of the group stage in July, meaning that each of the four teams were missing key players – a situation described by Lancashire’s captain, Keaton Jennings, as “ludicrous”.The new-look tournament will take place in a tightened two-month window. The group stage for men and women will run from May 22 to July 12, with the men’s quarter-finals taking place three days later on July 15 and Men’s Finals Day on July 18. Women’s Finals Day will take place 24 hours earlier, on a Friday, at the Kia Oval.Related

• PCA reiterates fatigue concerns ahead of county domestic review

• 'Wanted six sixes more' – Lynn makes history with first Finals Day hundred

• Smeed 94 powers Somerset to Blast glory in record 195-run chase

• Smeed delivers his knock-out blow as Somerset seal record chase

• 'Ludicrous' scheduling leaves T20 Finals Day shorn of star billing

The men’s groups have been rejigged, with three groups of six teams replacing the long-standing North and South Groups, albeit with a retention of many of the more traditional rivalries – including Yorkshire versus Lancashire in Lancashire in Group A, Gloucestershire versus Somerset in Group B, and Surrey versus Middlesex in Group C.Each team will now play 12 group-stage matches instead of 14, which has allowed the schedulers to place 80% of these fixtures in fan-friendly slots on a Friday, Sunday or a Bank Holiday. Following feedback from the PCA, which warned of the dangers of player fatigue in a recent survey, the total number of back-to-back matches in the men’s competition has been reduced to six – which is down from more than 50 two years ago – while there is just one in the women’s competition.”The changes to the men’s and women’s Vitality Blast competitions for 2026 have been made in order to benefit fans and players alike,” Neil Snowball, ECB managing director, competitions and major events, said. “Every county will host a men’s and women’s double header, with 61 double-headers in total, while the significant reduction in back-to-back games gives players more opportunity to perform at their very best throughout the competition.Surrey’s Grace Harris poses with the Women’s T20 Blast trophy•ECB via Getty Images

“The narrative of both competitions will also be easier to follow with the knockout stages following on immediately after the group stages, culminating in a true celebration of T20 cricket with the women’s and men’s Vitality Blast Finals Days being hosted at the Kia Oval and Edgbaston on consecutive days.”PCA Chief Executive, Daryl Mitchell, said: “Throughout the past 12 months, the PCA has worked tirelessly alongside the professional game to improve standards for players across all formats. The Vitality Blast competitions for 2026 highlight considerable improvements with a real energy injected into them.”Players want to be at their optimum levels to perform at their best in county cricket’s flagship T20 competition and a significant reduction of back-to-back fixtures across the men’s and women’s Blast, alongside more men’s and women’s double headers and reduced travel in the men’s game will allow this.”The tournaments will begin with 16 men’s and women’s double-headers across the May Bank Holiday Weekend. Somerset, the men’s defending champions, will face Hampshire Hawks in a rematch of last year’s final at Taunton, while Surrey – the women’s winners – will face Lancashire.Yorkshire’s women, who will be embarking on their maiden Tier 1 season, will take part in their first Roses double-header at Old Trafford on 10 July.

Vitality Blast Men’s Competition

Group A: Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Notts Outlaws, Yorkshire

Group B: Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Somerset, Warwickshire Bears, Worcestershire Rapids

Group C: Essex, Kent Spitfires, Hampshire Hawks, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex Sharks

In one of the most pivotal scenes during the hit movie 'Moneyball', which tells the story of the Oakland Athletics' ground-breaking, data-led approach in baseball – later copied by the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) at both the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool – the club's general manager Billy Beane has a candid discussion with veteran player David Justice over his role.

"David, you're 37. How about you and I be honest about what each of us wants out of this? I want to milk the last ounce of baseball you got in you, and you want to stay in the show," Beane, played by Brad Pitt, says after interrupting Justice in the middle of a batting practice. "Let's do that. Now, I'm not paying you for the player you used to be – I'm paying you for the player you are right now. You're smart, you get what we're trying to do here. Make an example for the younger guys, be a leader. Can you do that?"

Justice, whose body language switches from dismissive and defensive to fully engaged during Beane's speech, accepts that challenge and subsequently helps to revive the A's fortunes. It's easy to imagine Arne Slot pulling Mohamed Salah aside and delivering some similar home truths amid Liverpool's struggles for consistency on the football pitch this season, only to be met with a far more hostile response.

Salah signed a new contract at Anfield back in April that guaranteed him another two years in the Premier League "show". But the 33-year-old has since failed to set a shining example as the highest-paid player in the Liverpool squad, or seemingly take on board any constructive criticism.

Instead of stepping forward as a leader in times of trouble, Salah has become a destructive force, putting himself above the team. No one can take away the 'Egyptian King's' status as a Reds icon after so many years of brilliance and tangible success, but his decision to publicly speak out against Slot after being dropped to the bench has permanently tainted his legacy.

Getty Images SportFrom talisman to complete liability

Salah finished fourth in the final vote for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, which was a fair reflection of his stellar contribution to Liverpool's Premier League title success in 2024-25. Ever-present under Slot in the Dutchman's first year at the helm, Salah racked up a combined total of 47 goals and assists, the most ever recorded in a 38-game season.

His ruthless finishing and dazzling playmaking skills made the difference week in, week out, and in August, he deservedly became the first man to ever win the PFA Players' Player of the Year award three times. But Salah hasn't come close to matching those heights in the first half of the current campaign.

In fact, it could easily be argued that he has become a liability. The former Roma and Chelsea forward has only scored five goals in 19 appearances across all competitions, and even more worryingly, has been almost completely anonymous in Liverpool's build-up play and defensive phases. 

There are two key reasons for that. The first is that Trent Alexander-Arnold's summer move to Real Madrid has hit Salah harder than anyone could have predicted. Without a constant supply of world-class service down the right flank from the England international, Salah has looked completely lost.

Secondly, Liverpool have also been unable to cover for Salah's refusal to track back without pressing monsters Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota. The club's decision to sell Diaz to Bayern Munich in the summer window has aged poorly, and the tragic death of Jota has left a void that new additions such as Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike have yet to fill.

AdvertisementAFPLoyalty all used up

There have been widespread calls for Salah to be taken out of the team throughout the season, which Slot largely resisted initially. He was restricted to late Champions League cameos against Galatasaray and Eintracht Frankfurt, but started all of Liverpool's first 12 Premier League games.

Slot showed Salah a great deal of loyalty based on the mutual trust they had built up last term, especially as results took a major turn for the worse. The Reds endured a run of nine defeats in 12 games across all competitions, with a 3-0 home loss to struggling Nottingham Forest marking the lowest point.

Liverpool dropped to 11th in the table after that result, 11 points behind leaders Arsenal after just 12 matches. Their title defence ended that day, and Slot was, in the eyes of many, hanging on to his job by a thread. Shoring up the weak right side that opponents had been exploiting at will was the first obvious step towards steadying the ship, and that meant taking Salah out of the firing line, which Slot did for the trip to West Ham on November 30.

Sure enough, the Reds produced a much-improved display to win 2-0, and Salah didn't even get off the bench. He did get a full 45 minutes as a half-time substitute in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland at Anfield three days later, but found himself back in the dugout for the duration of Liverpool's 3-3 thriller against Leeds on Saturday.

There was nothing much wrong with the attack at Elland Road; it was a series of familiar defensive mistakes that cost Slot's side. Liverpool may well have lost the game had Salah been on and in the same half-hearted mood he has been all season. So when he accused Slot of throwing him "under the bus" after the game, it was impossible to feel any sympathy towards the Egypt international.

Getty Images SportNo right to claim special treatment

After the humiliating loss to Forest, Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher urged Salah to front up to the media as one of the most experienced and respected figures in the dressing room. “On the back of all these Liverpool defeats, it's always Virgil van Dijk who comes out,” Carragher told . “I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets man of the match or he needs a new contract. I'd like to see Mo Salah come out as one of the leaders, one of the legends of Liverpool, come out and speak for the team. It shouldn't always be the captain.”

Salah finally came out at the weekend, but only for self-serving reasons, and couldn't resist signing off with a petty swipe at Carragher.

"I couldn't believe that I'm sitting on the bench for 90 minutes! The third time on the bench, I think for the first time in my career. I'm very, very disappointed to be fair,” he said. “I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I'm sitting on the bench and I don't know why. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far, I am on the bench for three games, so I can't say they keep the promise. After what I have done for the club, it really hurts. Tomorrow, Carragher is going to go for me again and again, and that’s fine.”

Carragher was only asking Salah to take a bit of responsibility and issue a rallying cry, which would have meant a lot to the Liverpool faithful and Slot. But Salah clearly doesn't care about the club's current plight. That 'woe is me' attitude smacks of arrogance and a lack of self-awareness. The board may have promised that Salah would remain their main man during contract talks, but it had to have been conditional on him maintaining his standards. Now that they have plummeted, he has no right to claim any special treatment.

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Getty/GOALBigger than the club

Salah also committed the unforgivable crime of disrespecting his manager. “I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don't have any relationship,” he said of Slot. “I don't know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club. I don't think I am the problem. I have done so much for this club. I don't have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it. I am not bigger than anyone but I earned my position. If I am somewhere else, everybody would go to the media and defend the players. I am the only one in this situation.”

The only one who has been thrown under the bus is Slot. Salah must have the memory of a goldfish, because Slot was his most fierce ally amid a barrage of criticism between August and November, and snapped back angrily when presenter Lynsey Hipgrave pressed him on Salah's importance before Liverpool's 3-2 loss at Brentford: “Should I have to explain or do his numbers speak for themselves? Mo has been so influential for this club since he’s been here and since I’ve been here.”

Slot had also been pleased with Salah's reaction to being dropped, describing him as a "top professional", but will surely now be re-evaluating that assessment. Despite his pleas to the contrary, Salah obviously thinks he's bigger than the club. He's shown his true colours, undermining Slot in the process, and the Liverpool boss now has to affirm his authority.

So many players have been guilty of underperforming, from Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate to Alexis Mac Allister and £116 million ($155m) man Florian Wirtz, while Isak and Milos Kerkez currently fall into the bracket of major transfer flops, and Slot has been forced to shuffle his pack consistently. But Salah is the only one who has thrown his toys out of the pram. He hasn't been the only problem, but he is now main one.

Former Arsenal and Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre has revealed that he abandoned a near-completed move to Manchester City to sign for Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal back in 2008. The Frenchman, who spent nearly a decade at Old Trafford and won five Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson, says he was "halfway through his medical" at City when the opportunity to join Wenger emerged, prompting him to walk away from negotiations altogether.

• Silvestre lifts the lid on his Arsenal transfer

  Silvestre’s reputation in English football was built at Manchester United, where he arrived in September 1999 from Internazionale and went on to clock up 249 Premier League appearances. Over nine years in Manchester, he collected a haul of major honours, including the Champions League, the FA Cup and five league titles. His final season at United, however, was derailed by a significant knee ligament injury, which kept him out for much of the campaign. He returned to action in April but found himself facing uncertainty, with one year remaining on his contract and limited clarity about how he would fit into the United squad. At 31, Silvestre was drawing attention from several clubs. Paris Saint-Germain were keen. Bordeaux made enquiries. City were deep in negotiations and, according to Silvestre, had already reached a provisional agreement with him. Sunderland were also in talks. But everything changed when Arsene Wenger made his interest known.

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  Wenger's phone call changed everything

  Silvestre, speaking to , recounted the extraordinary moment his transfer took a sharp detour. 

  "I almost signed for Manchester City in 2008, believe it or not," he said. "I was halfway through my medical in Manchester and was very close to finalising a move to the club. However, Arsene Wenger reached out to me through a friend to try and get me to sign for Arsenal during the medical."

  Within 24 hours, he had apologised to City officials and travelled to London to complete a two-year contract at the Emirates. He added: "I couldn’t turn that offer down, and I signed for the club the very next day!"

  Wenger said at that time: "We have a strong squad, but a young squad and Mikael's versatility, experience and calibre will provide the extra depth we need to reinforce our challenge for honours. His defensive adaptability will serve us well, and it's a big plus that Mikael has top-level experience and a great understanding of football in the Premier League."

• Silvestre's split allegiance between United & Arsenal

  Earlier in 2025, Silvestre looked back fondly on his time in north London, acknowledging the warmth he received from Arsenal supporters and the respect he gained within the club. But he does not disguise where his heart lies.

  During an interview on last year, he said: "When you have been travelling as much as I did, you still look back and support the clubs you played for. But, as you know, nine years at United is a long time in one career. If you asked me to pick, it would be more United, but I had a great time at Arsenal."

  However, given the current circumstances at United, he revealed that he would now prefer a transfer to north London. "I would go to Arsenal right now. I am not a patient guy!" he laughed. 

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  Silvestre has elite company in a small club

  Arsenal’s acquisition of Silvestre for a reported fee of around £750,000 was one of the most surprising moves of the 2008 summer window. United’s long history of avoiding direct transfers to rival clubs made the signing almost unthinkable at the time. The last player to make the same journey had been Brian Kidd in 1974. He belongs to a surprisingly small and illustrious group of footballers who have worn both Arsenal and United colours. Alexis Sanchez is perhaps the most famous modern example, with his blockbuster move to Old Trafford. Robin van Persie made the opposite journey, leaving Arsenal for United in 2012 and famously firing Ferguson’s side to the league title. Danny Welbeck, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Andy Cole also crossed the divide at various points, each with differing levels of success.

The NZ allrounder followed figures of 2 for 16 with 46 off 24 balls

AAP27-Nov-2025Alice Capsey’s four wickets – including three in an over – were not enough as Sophie Devine led Perth Scorchers to a WBBL win over Melbourne Renegades.Scorchers survived a dramatic collapse to beat Renegades by four wickets and deny the home side a share of top spot on the WBBL ladder.Chasing 150 on Thursday at Junction Oval, Scorchers were cruising at 116 for 2 in the 13th over.After taking two wickets, Sophie Devine had been promoted to open and her blazing innings had put Scorchers in what appeared to be an impregnable position.But first Georgia Wareham bowled Maddy Darke for 15 and two balls later, Alice Capsey had opener Beth Mooney stumped for 41. The English spinner stunningly snared another two wickets in the same over to leave the Scorchers in major strife at 118 for 6.But Freya Kemp (18 not out) and Lilly Mills (15 not out) stopped the rot, guiding Perth to 151 for 6 with eight balls left.Capsey snared 4 for 14 from her three excellent overs of offspin.Earlier, Devine had taken the key wicket of Renegades No.3 Sophie Molineux for only 5 before Renegades were all out on the last ball of their 20 overs.The New Zealand star then moved up the order and belted the Renegades attack around Junction Oval, hitting six fours and two sixes in her knock of 46 from just 24 balls that ultimately proved the difference.The Renegades would have joined Hobart Hurricanes at the top of the ladder with a win. Instead, they stayed third ahead of Saturday’s big local derby against the second-placed Melbourne Stars.Chloe Ainsworth claimed two wickets in the 13th over of the Renegades’ innings and they were struggling at 94 for 7.Nicola Faltum and Sarah Coyte then had a quickfire stand of 46 for the eighth wicket that meant the home side posted a competitive score.Coyte was run-out for 24 from 18 balls and Fulton top-scored with an unbeaten 41 off 28 deliveries, with six fours.Ainsworth returned a miserly 2 for 17 from her four overs and Amy Edgar also claimed two wickets.