The January transfer window is huge for Ruben Amorim and Manchester United if the 39-year-old is to push the side and his tenure in the right direction.

For too long, the Red Devils hierarchy have splashed the cash recklessly, often resulting in numerous big-money additions failing to make the grade at Old Trafford.

Antony is arguably the best example of such dealings, costing £86m in the summer of 2022, after following former boss Erik ten Hag in swapping the Netherlands for England.

He’s since only scored 12 times in 94 matches, rapidly dropping down the pecking order as a result, leading to various rumours about his future including a move to Greek side Olympiacos.

Outgoings are certainly needed to cut the hefty wage bill before Amorim can make his own mark on the side, but one player shouldn’t sold amid recent speculation about his own future.

LaLiga side interested in landing £93m-rated Man Utd star

In recent days, journalist David Ornstein confirmed that the United hierarchy would consider offers for Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho should they receive any acceptable offers for the pair.

The duo both flourished in the academy, before making the step up to the first team effortlessly last season – remaining as members of Amorim’s side after his appointment.

However, talkSPORT have confirmed that Champions League outfit Atlético Madrid are interested in a move to re-sign the Argentine winger, but it’s unclear how much they would be willing to offer for the 20-year-old and secure a return just a couple of years after departing the LaLiga giants.

The winger, who’s valued at €112m (£93m) by CIES Football Observatory, has scored eight and registered four assists in 2024/25, boasting one of the highest returns of any attacker in the Red Devils squad.

Whilst he’s been left out of various matches in recent weeks, his future shouldn’t be under consideration, potentially making an error in letting him go, as they did with another star under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Why Garnacho could be a Pique repeat for United

As previously mentioned, United signed youngster Garnacho from Atletico back in October 2020, but the recent news could see him return to his former side – leaving a huge hole in the forward line.

However, it wouldn’t be the first time the club sold a player back to a side they arrived from, with the same situation occurring with centre-back Gerard Piqué back in the summer of 2008.

The Spaniard originally moved to Manchester in 2004, making just 15 first-team appearances before ultimately returning to Barcelona – the club where he undoubtedly made a name for himself during his professional career.

After leaving Old Trafford, the defender would go on to make over 600 appearances for the Catalan club, winning countless trophies such as three Champions Leagues, eight LaLiga triumphs and a World Cup win with his nation.

Pique will forever be a club legend in Barcelona for his iconic partnership with Carles Puyol at the heart of the defence – made even more impressive by the fact United sold him to them for just £5m – certainly going down as one of Ferguson’s biggest mistakes during his tenure as manager.

Whilst Garnacho would undoubtedly command a much more significant transfer fee, selling him back to his former club would be a huge mistake and one that Amorim could rue, similarly to how Sir Alex did with Pique.

The 20-year-old still has bags of time on his side to develop further into a world-class talent, with a move away from Old Trafford seeing the hierarchy losing a player who could have a huge part to play in their future success.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

2009/10

£80m

Real Madrid

2. Romelu Lukaku

2019/20

£75

Inter Milan

3. Ángel Di María

2015/16

£55m

PSG

4. David Beckham

2003/04

£30m

Real Madrid

5. Henrikh Mkhitaryan

2017/18

£28m

Arsenal

Should they receive a fee close to his market valuation, it would be a club-record fee received – which obviously would spark interest in accepting – but if he can build on his start to life as a professional, the Argentine would undoubtedly be worth a whole lot more down the line.

As seen by the Pique deal, there would certainly be a risk in moving the winger on, while the lack of attacking threat within the current squad would make Amorim’s task of transforming the side even harder than it already is.

He's like Salah: Man Utd can forget Kolo Muani by signing £145m sensation

Manchester United desperately need reinforcements in attack to help Ruben Amorim’s task at Old Trafford.

ByEthan Lamb Jan 8, 2025

Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera has been selected but ankle injury is a concern

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Aug-2022

Ashen Bandara last played for Sri Lanka in July 2021•AFP/Getty Images

Left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka has been named in a Sri Lanka men’s T20 squad for the first time, while Dinesh Chandimal, seamer Asitha Fernando and middle-order batter Ashen Bandara make their return to the squad for the Asia Cup. Also making comebacks are allrounder Dhananjaya de Silva and legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay who was not part of the squad that played Australia in June. Round-arm seamer Matheesha Pathirana has been picked as well.Chandimal was part of the T20 squad that toured Australia and India earlier this year, but was then dropped for the T20Is at home against Australia in June. He returns for the Asia Cup largely on the back on strong performances in Test cricket against Australia and Pakistan.Left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan, fast bowler Nuwan Thushara, and allrounders Ramesh Mendis and Lahiru Madushanka were left out of the squad.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Seamers Binura Fernando and Kasun Rajitha, who were strongly considered for the squad, were ruled out by injury. But even among those who have made the squad, there is one major injury concern: key fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera’s ankle is understood to not have completely recovered from a recent injury. He will likely be given as much time as possible to regain match fitness at some point in the tournament.The names of Asitha Fernando and Pramod Madushan have been sent to the Sports Minister of Sri Lanka for approval as replacements for Binura Fernando and Kasun Rajitha.The injuries mean there will be additional pressure on what is an inexperienced seam bowling unit. Aside from the uncapped (in T20Is) Fernando, the 21-year-old Madushanka and the uncapped 19-year-old Pathirana, Sri Lanka have only allrounders Chamika Karunaratne, and Dasun Shanaka as seam options. Fernando, however, did top the wicket charts with 10 dismissals while maintaining an economy rate of 6.87 in the recent SLC Invitational (domestic T20) tournament.Related

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The spin department appears more settled, with Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Praveen Jayawickrama being joined by Vandersay. While Vandersay did not play in the T20Is against Australia in June, he had been in decent bowling form in the ODIs, and claimed 3 for 12 in a recent domestic match.Bandara, meanwhile, gets back into the squad on the back of good performances in that domestic tournament. Batting at No.5, he hit 134 runs across four innings, albeit at a strike rate of 117.54. He last played for Sri Lanka in July 2021.On the batting front, there is no room again for Niroshan Dickwella, who had a decent run in the domestic tournament, and Kusal Mendis (who topped run charts), Danushka Gunathilaka, and Pathum Nissanka will vie for the top-order spots. Bhanuka Rajapaksa is likely to appear in the middle order.

It has been a brutal campaign for Tottenham Hotspur so far this season.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are slipping down the Premier League table and seem to have an ever-expanding injury list, but there have been some positives as well.

For example, they took a 1-0 lead in the League Cup semi-final against Liverpool last night, and there are a number of attacking players, such as Brennan Johnson, who have been particularly effective.

The Welshman is currently the Lilywhites’ joint-top goalscorer across all competitions, but based on recent reports, the club could be about to sign another forward who could eventually take his place in the team.

Tottenham close in on international forward

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Tottenham are intensely interested in Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani.

In fact, in news that should delight the Lilywhites faithful, Bailey has claimed that the club are “now close to agreeing personal terms” with the player and “are pushing for a deal this week”, having given the player assurances over his potential game time.

According to reports earlier this month, the Parisians are potentially willing to agree to a loan, ideally with an obligation to buy, but would much prefer to sell the Frenchman, whom they value at around £50m.

It could be a complicated and potentially costly transfer to get over the line, but given Kolo Muani’s ability, it’s one worth pursuing, even if he could be bad news for Johnson.

How Kolo Muani compares to Johnson

So, the first thing to say is that, yes, for most of his career thus far, Kolo Muani has played as a central striker, but he has also made a decent number of appearances on the wings, so he should be more than comfortable starting out wide.

Moreover, with Dominic Solanke in brilliant form at the moment, it would be an odd decision to bring in the Frenchman and potentially put that at risk.

Therefore, the PSG ace could become the perfect rival for Johnson, whose place in the team is a little less guaranteed than the former Bournemouth man, but with that said, how does the Welshman stack up against his potential usurper?

Well, if we were to look at their pure output from this season, it would be an easy win for the former Nottingham Forest ace as he’s racked up a brilliant haul of 11 goals and three assists in 30 appearances, while his potential rival has just two goals and one assist in 14 appearances.

However, when we take a look at their output from last season, and the season prior compared with how many games and minutes they played in those campaigns, it becomes crystal clear that it’s the former Eintracht Frankfurt star who is the more dangerous attacker.

For example, in those two seasons, he scored 35 goals and provided 23 assists in 90 appearances, totalling 5869 minutes, meaning he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.55 games or every 101.18 minutes.

In contrast, the Nottingham-born star scored 15 goals and provided 13 assists in 82 appearances, totalling 5809 minutes, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 2.92 games, or every 207.46 minutes.

Kolo Muani vs Johnson
22/23	Kolo Muani	Johnson
Appearances	46	44
Minutes	3634′	3303′
Goals	23	10
Assists	17	3
23/24	Kolo Muani	Johnson
Appearances	44	38
Minutes	2235′	2506′
Goals	12	5
Assists	6	10
24/25	Kolo Muani	Johnson
Appearances	14	30
Minutes	453′	1956′
Goals	2	11
Assists	1	3
All Stats via Transfermarkt

However, it’s not just the output that gives the “ice-cold” talent, as dubbed by German legend Lothar Matthaus, an edge over the 23-year-old, it’s also his experience.

Not only has he played in the top flight in Germany and France, but he also has plenty of Champions League experience and has won 27 caps for the French national team, which, given the talent in that side, is seriously impressive.

Ultimately, Spurs could do with some more attacking options this season, and while he could take away minutes from Johnson, Kolo Muani would be an excellent addition to the squad this month, whether on loan or a permanent transfer.

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1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jan 9, 2025

كشف جناح نادي مانشستر سيتي، عمر مرموش، عن سبب التأقلم السريع مع الأجواء داخل فريقه الذي انتقل إليه في الميركاتو الشتوي الماضي.

وانضم مرموش إلى صفوف مانشستر سيتي في يناير الماضي قادمًا من آينتراخت فرانكفورت مقابل 75 مليون يورو.

وشارك جناح منتخب مصر مع مانشستر سيتي هذا الموسم في 19 مباراة وسجل 7 أهداف وصنع 3 في جميع البطولات المحلية.

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وكشف مرموش أن زميليه ماتيو كوفاسيتش وإلكاي جوندوجان كان لهما دور كبير في مساعدته على التأقلم مع مانشستر سيتي، منذ انضمامه إلى الفريق الإنجليزي.

وقال مرموش في تصريحات لقناة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي على موقع “يوتيوب”: “أقول جوندو، وكوفا، لكن في الحقيقة، كثير من اللاعبين ساعدوني على التأقلم”.

وأضاف مهاجم مانشستر سيتي: “منذ أن وصلت إلى هنا، وبعد حوالي شهر، شعرت وكأنني في هذا النادي منذ وقت طويل جدًا”.

وتابع: “الطريقة التي تحدثوا بها إلي، وشرحهم لكل شيء، ومحاولاتهم المستمرة لمساعدتي، هذا كان مهمًا جدًا بالنسبة لي”.

وواصل تصريحاته: “عندما تنضم إلى فريق جديد، عليك أولًا أن تتعرف على الفريق داخل الملعب، على التكتيك، وكيف يريد المدرب أن نلعب”.

وأتم: “لكن أيضًا يجب أن تتأقلم خارج الملعب على كل الأجواء، الانضمام إلى نادٍ كبير بهذا الحجم، يعني أنك تحتاج إلى معرفة كيف تدير أمورك، وأين تذهب عندما تحتاج شيئًا، لقد ساعدوني كثيرًا في ذلك”.

Although the Liverpool machine continues to power on, as seen in Arne Slot’s side picking up a straightforward 4-0 win in the FA Cup over Accrington Stanley, this month could still prove to be a sticky time for the Reds.

After all, the futures of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold remain up in the air, with some nerves at least quelled in this department when reading that Virgil Van Dijk reportedly looks set to pen a new Anfield deal shortly.

Alongside all this contract talk, there is another surprise player who could be set to leave Merseyside behind very soon, even as his current deal remains in play until 2028.

Liverpool star could be heading for Saudi

As per a report by Anfield Watch, Darwin Nunez could now be on the move this January as new suitors eye up the hot-and-cold Uruguayan.

One of those fresh outfits preparing to try and snap up the 25-year-old is money-rich Al-Hilal, with the Saudi side wanting to offload former £200m man Neymar for some new star power.

After all, Al-Hilal are currently under the managerial guidance of ex-Benfica boss Jorge Jesus, who managed to turn Nunez into a revered goal machine in Portugal.

Moreover, with Nunez sliding further and further down the pecking order under Slot – with ex-Reds great Robbie Fowler stating prior to his Accrington duck that he’s “not a Liverpool player” calibre-wise – this might well be a move that suits all parties, especially if Al-Hilal cough up some mega bucks similar to the £85m once forked out for the forward.

Liverpool have been here before in terms of losing an attacker who had left his mark on proceedings at Anfield, only for the Reds to recover easily from this departure with Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and more now lighting up the Premier League.

A Sadio Mane-like exit for Liverpool

Whilst it’s clear that Nunez won’t go down in the same legend’s bracket as Sadio Mane when he does exit, it would still be a knock to lose the Uruguayan, especially when you consider the amount of cash that was splashed to land him.

Additionally, he has shown his class in spurts for the Reds, with 37 strikes picked up in total for the Merseyside giants resulting in Jurgen Klopp labelling the 6 foot 2 attacker as “outstanding” when he still steered the Liverpool ship.

But, after his goalless showing against League Two opposition on Saturday, patience will be wearing thin on Slot’s end who might sense a departure is the most logical next step, with the Reds having to give in regarding a sale of Mane too after the Senegalese ace rejected a new contract.

Whilst that development was initially demoralising – considering Mane bowed out of Liverpool with a stunning 120 goals next to his name – the Reds have more than bounced back with Salah ageing like a fine wine, alongside the heroics of other stars up top.

Cody Gakpo

75

21

10

Diogo Jota

55

21

9

Luis Diaz

72

20

9

Mohamed Salah

89

55

35

As can be seen above, Slot has a whole host of exciting players in attack he can choose from, with Salah chipping in with an outrageous 90 goals and assists since Mane’s exit, with the ex-Reds forward now forgotten about playing in Saudi Arabia.

The same could soon happen to Nunez if he makes an Al-Hilal move a reality, with Liverpool no doubt using the millions they would recoup to add another frightening attacker to their already star-studded arsenal.

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ByAngus Sinclair Jan 10, 2025

Crystal Palace have reached a transfer agreement to sign an “underrated” new player on deadline day, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Crystal Palace transfer news

It could be a busy end to the transfer window for the Eagles, as Oliver Glasner pushes the hierarchy to get deals over the line as he looks to strengthen his Palace squad in multiple positions.

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One player the Premier League side have their eye on signing is Manchester City midfielder James McAtee. Palace are on “red alert” in the race to sign the attacking midfielder after Bayer Leverkusen pulled out of a deal last week after signing Emiliano Buendia. It is unclear if City will be open to letting McAtee leave before the transfer window closes, but Palace could look to test their resolve.

As well as McAtee, the South Londoners are in the market for a new central defender after Trevoh Chalobah’s loan spell was ended by Chelsea earlier this month. According to reports, Palace are weighing up a move to sign Tiago Djalo before the 11pm deadline. The defender would need to be recalled by Juventus from his loan spell at Porto before a move to Selhurst Park can happen.

Christos Tzolis is another player who has emerged on Palace’s radar in recent days, as they have yet to find a replacement for Michael Olise, who joined Bayern Munich in the summer. However, the Eagles face stiff competition for Tzolis, as Wolves and Everton are also interested in signing the attacker.

Crystal Palace reach agreement to sign £200k-p/w ace

McAtee, Djalo, and Tzolis may be players to keep an eye on in the final few hours of the transfer window, but there is one player who looks certain to arrive at Selhurst Park in the next few hours. According to Romano, Crystal Palace have reached an agreement to sign Ben Chilwell on loan from Chelsea.

Romano reports that the agreement is a straight loan deal, with Chilwell joining the Eagles until June. The defender is ready to accept the move with his medical taking place on Monday and an expectation that it will all be completed before the deadline.

This move comes as Chilwell, who earns £200,000 a week at Stamford Bridge, has been frozen out at Chelsea. The 28-year-old has played just once for the Blues this season, and that was 45 minutes in the Carabao Cup against Barrow. The Englishman was not registered for the Europa Conference League and has failed to make any Premier League squad.

Apps

169

Goals

12

Assists

18

Chilwell, who has been described as being “underrated” by Youtuber and podcaster Laurenz Vescoli, is under contract at Chelsea until 2027, so he will still have two years to run on his contract at Stamford Bridge after this loan, but a permanent move to Palace could be on the cards depending on how the loan goes.

The Eagles wanted to bring in a new left-back to provide cover and competition to Tyrick Mitchell, who is their only recognised player in that position, and Chilwell is set to be that man.

Outgoing coach Mark Boucher expressed his disappointment that South Africa’s batters did not give their bowlers enough of a chance to challenge England in what he called a “missed opportunity” to win what was his last Test series in charge. Speaking after the 2-1 series defeat, but before his resignation was made public, a visibly downcast Boucher rued South Africa’s lack of runs which failed to back up a strong pace pack.”I’m disappointed because it’s a missed opportunity,” he said. “We played some very good cricket but then we let ourselves down. We just didn’t put the runs on the board so we never quite knew how we could test England. We believed we had the bowlers to be able to take 20 wickets, but you’ve got to score runs.”Related

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But as much as Boucher was less than satisfied with his batters, he could not bring himself to lay the blame entirely on them, instead distributing it between the opposition’s bowling, English conditions and lack of experience.”I’m disappointed but understanding that our guys didn’t go out and try to play maverick cricket. We tried really hard. I could see it yesterday [day four of the Oval Test when South Africa worked their way to 83 for 1, but they went on to lose 9 for 86]. The guys got tested and fell short technically, but also because of good bowling. We knew England had a good attack and we were going to be tested. Unfortunately, we couldn’t stand up to it.”We always knew we were going to be under pressure if the conditions went around a bit. In South Africa, the conditions are not the same. That ball doesn’t swing, the contact points are different, and these batters who are here have been consistently the best batters in our country. If you have a look at the last top seven who came to England and won the series [in 2012], between them there were 470-odd Test matches. With 10 of our batters who batted in the top seven in this series, we’re on about 170. There’s a big difference. The only way you get experience is to go out there and play.”And that’s where South Africa have it tough. They only have one more three-Test series in the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, against Australia over the festive period, and will then play two-Test series until hosting England in 2026. Like captain Dean Elgar, who routinely laments the lack of Test cricket, Boucher also made the case for more games, albeit that the next Future Tours Programme (2023-2027) is decided and there is very little wiggle room.”To lose sight of Test cricket and lose games is not great,” Boucher said. “I’m a purist. I love Test cricket to bits. It’s the purest form of the game and one that we really need to look after. The heads in the game need to get together and find a way to play more Test cricket,” he said. “And it’s exciting, especially with the way the games are being played now. It’s very seldom that you have draws. The game’s moved forward, maybe because of T20 cricket. Guys are playing shots they would never usually play. It’s attacking and it’s a nice game to watch at the moment. So the more we see it, the better it will be for everyone.”That may also be part of South Africa’s problem. While their Test batters cannot be accused of playing an overly aggressive T20 style, they could be criticised for a lack of innovation which leads to limited scoring options and a tentative approach to scoring. While Boucher and batting coach Justin Sammons have transformed South Africa’s limited-overs approach which sees players bring out more reverse sweeps and paddles than before, they have been unable to do the same with the Test line-up, and that may be because they are more stoic batters by nature, especially when compared with a team like England.”We give the guys freedom to play and to express themselves,” Boucher added. “The way that England would like to go out and play, you need to have the characters to do that, first of all. A lot of their guys are good white-ball cricketers as well. You have to, in these conditions, trust your defence. We haven’t been able to keep out their good balls. It’s one thing to say to guys to go out there and play with freedom, but there are consequences when guys are fighting for their Test spots and fighting for their careers. As much as a coach can say play with freedom, within your blueprint we want you to be nice and aggressive, we want you to play a good, attacking style of cricket, it’s up to the individual and the character that comes with that; who trusts his defence and goes out and tries to dominate an attack.”Dean Elgar himself struggled in England, failing to score a single fifty in five innings•AFP/Getty Images

Boucher was also wary of trying to do too much with the Test batters, who should have already developed a way of playing that only needs some fine-tuning once they get to the international stage. “It’s a fine line as a coach because a guy comes in and you don’t want to change him. This is not an academy of learning. This is Test cricket,” Boucher said. “You don’t want to change him too much because you also don’t want to give them the option of saying, ‘I came in here playing my way, and I’ve gone into Test cricket and you’ve tried to change me. Maybe I should have just been myself.’ That’s the fine line. As a coach you’ve maybe got to go back to the drawing board and say ‘let’s have a look at you playing in all these different conditions and experiencing all of this, and hopefully, try and get it right the next time you come back here’.”And in referencing an example of someone whose technique was thought to be no-good but eventually won out, Boucher picked one of South Africa’s best. “Look at Hashim Amla. His technique when he started playing Test cricket compared to what it is now is conditioning through a lot of time with a lot of experience; going through a couple of ups and downs. That’s what these guys have to go through.”Amla played in a team with big run-scorers and grew into the role of being one of the biggest. South Africa have no one in that mould now, not even Elgar, who is closing in on 5000 runs but is not as consistent as the batters of old. Perhaps it is unfair to expect them to produce the results of old. And even though we are all exhausted from reading how much South Africa are still in transition and learning, that might be all there is to it. They have made the changes they thought they could make in dropping Aiden Markram and swapping out Rassie van der Dussen through injury, and now they have to back the batters in possession to avoid having them fail in the same ways.”We were forced into a position in this game where we had to give opportunities to other guys. You can’t keep going with the same guys and they keep failing,” Boucher said. “Sometimes it gets into their heads, and you can see guys really trying hard but it’s like sinking sand – the harder they try, the further, the deeper they fall in.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O dia 25 de maio de 2022 entrou em definitivo para a galeria das grandes histórias do futebol do Ceará e do Nordeste. Afinal de contas, nesta noite de quarta-feira, dois dos principais representantes da região alcançaram resultados expressivos nas competições sul-americanas.Primeiro, o Fortaleza, que venceu o Colo-Colo no Chile e garantiu vaga nas oitavas de final da Libertadores da América. Depois, o Ceará, que bateu o Independiente na Argentina e confirmou passagem ao mata-mata da Sul-Americana.

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RelacionadasSul-AmericanaCeará vence Independiente na Argentina, faz história e vai às oitavas da Sul-AmericanaSul-Americana25/05/2022Atlético MineiroAtlético-MG é derrotado pelo Tolima no Mineirão e perde invencibilidade histórica na LibertadoresAtlético Mineiro25/05/2022América MineiroLibertadores: América-MG é derrotado pelo Del Valle e fica sem vaga para a Copa Sul-AmericanaAmérica Mineiro25/05/2022

Feitos que corroboram o trabalho da diretoria dos dois clubes, que ganharam uma projeção nacional ainda maior nos últimos anos e começam a colher frutos dentro do cenário internacional, servindo como modelos de gestões no futebol brasileiro.

A missão do Leão do Pici pode ser considerada quase um milagre. A equipe comandada por Juan Pablo Vojvoda perdeu os dois primeiros jogos (para Colo Colo, na Arena Castelão, e River Plate, no Monumental de Nunez) e parecia virtualmente eliminada de forma precoce.

>>> Confira a tabela da Libertadores da América

A reação começou na 3ª rodada, com um triunfo em casa sobre o Alianza Lima por 2 a 0. Moralmente, no entanto, a mudança definitiva de chip aconteceu após o empate com o River no Castelão por 1 a 1 em uma grande atuação coletiva do Fortaleza. Foi um empurrão rumo à conquista de seis pontos dos seis seguintes nas jornadas finais: uma vitória no Peru sobre o Alianza por 2 a 0 e no Chile sobre o Colo Colo por 4 a 3.

A vaga nas oitavas de final também terá um impacto nos cofres do Fortaleza. O clube irá assegurar $ 1,05 milhão (cerca de R$ 5 milhões na cotação atual) por disputar o mata-mata da Libertadores.

Na Sul-Americana, o Ceará passou como um trator pelos adversários na fase de grupos. A conquista foi carimbada com uma campanha espetacular: seis vitórias em seis jogos, 17 gols marcados e apenas um sofrido. A cereja do bolo veio no imponente estádio Libertadores da América. Pela frente, o Independiente e seus 14 títulos internacionais. O Vozão não se amedrontou,silenciou os torcedores argentinos e sentenciou os rivais: 2 a 0.

A exemplo do Fortaleza, a classificação do Ceará também representa um fôlego financeiro, com uma arrecadação de US$ 500 mil (cerca de R$ 2,8 milhões). O valor é somado aos US$ 900 mil recebidos pela participação na fase inicial – cada jogo em casa rendeu US$ 300 mil em bônus. Ao todo, fica com US$ 1,4 milhão (R$ 6,7 mihões).

>>> Confira a classificação da Sul-Americana

A fábula dos rivais foi celebrada no campo da política. José Sarto (PDT), prefeito de Fortaleza, e Izolda Cela (PDT), governadora do Ceará, parabenizaram os times pelas classificações.

– O Fortaleza Esporte Clube acaba de se classificar para as oitavas de final da Libertadores da América. A vitória contra o Colo-Colo no Chile engrandece o futebol cearense! Um momento histórico para o esporte! Parabéns aos jogadores, profissionais e diretoria.Parabéns ao Ceará Sporting Club, que venceu o Independiente, em Buenos Aires, e se classificou para as oitavas de final da Copa Sul-Americana. Que belo momento do futebol cearense! Mais uma importante vitória que entra para a história do esporte no nosso Estado! Parabéns a todos que fazem o time, incluindo jogadores, equipe técnica e diretores! Forte abraço para toda a torcida alvinegra! – escreveu Sarto no twitter.

-Parabéns ao Fortaleza pela vitória no Chile e classificação histórica às oitavas de final da Copa Libertadores da América. Que o clube continue avançando para próximas fases do principal torneio sul-americano. Viva o futebol cearense.Parabéns também ao
Ceará pela vitória na Argentina, campanha irretocável e a classificação inédita às oitavas de final da Copa Sul-Americana. Boa sorte ao clube na sequência da competição continental. Viva o futebol cearense! – comentou Izolda.

The pace bowler is aiming to return in the second half of the WBBL

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2022Pace bowler Hannah Darlington will miss the first part of the WNCL and WBBL tournaments after suffering a knee injury late in pre-season training.She will undergo surgery on the meniscus on her left knee on Monday and is aiming to return in the latter part of the WBBL with Sydney Thunder which runs until late November.Darlington, who has played two ODIs and two T20Is, picked up the injury training in Canberra while attending the National Leadership Forum.Related

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“It was genuinely a freak accident actually,” she told news.com.au. “Just had a little bit of a fall while bowling, didn’t actually hit the ground…in quite a lot of pain straight away. I knew something was wrong – I tried to walk it off and couldn’t walk.”Darlington captained Sydney Thunder last season in the absence of Rachael Haynes. She was initially a reserve in the ODI World Cup squad but withdrew to manage her mental health.The injury means Darlington’s first opportunity in the 50-over WNCL with New South Wales will likely come shortly before Christmas when the competition resumes after the WBBL.New South Wales are currently without three bowlers who would push for the first-choice XI with Stella Campbell and Lauren Cheatle also sidelined.

Real Madrid veteran Dani Carvajal was spotted clashing with Bukayao Saka as the Arsenal winger headed into the tunnel at half-time at the Bernabeu.

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• Arsenal up against Madrid in Champions League
• Saka misses penalty after attempting cheeky Panenka
• Carvajal wanted words with the winger at half-time

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Carvajal remains sidelined with a serious knee injury but was spotted on the touchline at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night. The veteran approached Saka as he headed towards the tunnel at half-time of the quarter-final second leg and could be spotted seemingly hassling the Arsenal star in an ugly confrontation.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Arsenal had taken a 3-0 lead to the Spanish capital but wasted the chance to make it 4-0 early in the first half. The Gunners were awarded a spot-kick after Mikel Merino was tugged by Raul Asencio but Saka's Panenka penalty was clawed away by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. It seems that Saka's cheeky attempt may not have gone down well with the 33-year-old Real Madrid star.

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  Arsenal and Real Madrid are bidding for a place in the semi-finals of the competition. The winners of the tie will go on to play Paris Saint-Germain for a place in the final after Luis Enrique's side booked their spot in the last four by beating Aston Villa.