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Borussia Dortmund director Hans-Joachim Watzke has urged European football to adopt salary caps, warning finances are spiraling out of control.

Watzke says salary caps are “unavoidable” for European footballDefends Saudi Arabian money as “start-up financing” for FIFA tournamentsBelieves football must embrace globalisation beyond EuropeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Watzke has declared that salary caps in European football are "unavoidable" to prevent the sport's finances from spiralling further out of control. In an interview with German newspaper , the influential executive also gave a frank assessment of Saudi Arabian investment in the game.

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Watzke's comments highlight the growing concern among Europe's top administrators regarding the financial sustainability of modern football. He pointed to the Premier League as an example, noting that "hardly any club there makes a profit despite their huge budgets." His remarks also addressed the increasing influence of Gulf state money, arguing that football is no different from other major industries in its willingness to accept such investment.

Cash from Saudi Arabia helped fund the inaugural edition of the revamped Club World Cup this summer and the country is set to host the World Cup in 2034. It will be the second World Cup to be held in the Middle East, just 12 years after the 2022 edition in Qatar. 

WHAT WATZKE SAID

On the need for financial controls, Watzke stated: "Ultimately, a salary cap will be unavoidable. [Without it] everything will get even more out of hand. At some point, they'll notice this in England, too. Because, as far as I know, hardly any club there makes a profit despite their huge budgets."

Regarding investment from the Gulf, he added: "We're deluding ourselves: As long as large DAX-listed companies are happy to involve the Saudis in their capital increases, we shouldn't paint the world as more beautiful than it actually is. Our industry is only too happy to accept money from the Gulf States."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR EUROPEAN FOOTBALL?

As a senior figure at both Borussia Dortmund and the German Football League (DFL), Watzke's powerful voice adds significant weight to the ongoing debate around financial regulation. While the implementation of a pan-European salary cap faces considerable hurdles, his comments will intensify discussions within UEFA and among the continent's top leagues as they continue to search for mechanisms to ensure long-term financial stability.

Rangers striker Kemar Roofe is battling hard to be fit for the Europa League final. 

The lowdown

Rangers are due to face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Seville showpiece in just eight days time. It’s a monumental fixture for the club, who haven’t featured in a European final since 2008 and have never won a continental competition.

Roofe hasn’t featured since the the 2-1 Scottish Cup semifinal victory over Celtic on 17 April.

He missed both legs of the Europa League semifinal against RB Leipzig through injury and has also been sidelined for the last three league matches.

Significantly, Rangers are also without another of their no. 9 options in Alfredo Morelos, whose season is already over because of a thigh problem.

Van Bronckhorst has, then, been providing regular updates on his fitness, with everyone around the club surely anxious to see if he’ll be available.

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The latest

Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie, who’s also a contributor for Sky Sports News, relayed an update from GvB on Roofe’s fitness.

The striker ‘will push himself to be fit’ for the final because ‘all he wants’ is to feature.

What’s more, the club’s ‘medical staff will work hard’ to try to ensure that he’s ‘ready’.

The verdict

To make matters worse for Van Bronckhorst, stand-in no. 9 Joe Aribo suffered a head injury in the semifinal second leg against Leipzig.

Journalist Andrew Dickson says that Aribo could miss the clash with Frankfurt if he sustained a concussion.

The Nigerian played no part in the weekend victory over Dundee United, so it remains to be seen what kind of condition he’s in.

It could yet fall to Fashion Sakala to lead the line, and that would probably generate a mixed reaction.

The 25-year-old has bagged 11 goals this season, but some journalists have raised concerns about his all-round game.

In other news, Jordan Campbell reacts as key Rangers contract news emerges. 

TN won the inaugural edition under Karthik in 2006-07. Can they repeat that feat against a side that thumped them in the group stages?

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu29-Nov-2019
Dinesh Karthik’s Tamil Nadu and Manish Pandey’s Karnataka will square off for the Syed Mushtaq Ali title in a repeat of the 50-over Vijay Hazare final on December 1. Incidentally, this will be the first time that the finalists of the Vijay Hazare trophy will also contest for the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy in an Indian domestic season.After asking Rajasthan to bat first under lights in Surat’s Lalabhai Contractor Stadium, Karthik rifled through his options, using as many as seven bowlers to limit Rajasthan to 112 for 9.Tamil Nadu then bumped up R Ashwin to the top – he was opening the batting for only the second time in T20 cricket according to ESPNcricinfo’s data – and although he couldn’t get the big hits away, the senior pro helped see off the new-ball threat posed by Deepak Chahar and co.After C Hari Nishanth chopped on to Chahar for a duck, Ashwin put on 69 for the second wicket with allrounder Washington Sundar to lend direction to the chase. Ashwin holed out for 31 off 33 balls in the 11th over and then Karthik was pinned lbw for 17 six overs later, but Washington remained unbeaten on 54 off 46 balls to finish the chase without much fuss.ALSO READ: Sai Kishore – spinning fingers and sweet dreamsEarlier in the evening, though, Washington didn’t have too much to do with the ball, delivering a solitary over and claiming the wicket of opener Ankit Lamba for 15. Rajasthan captain Chahar promoted himself as the other opener – he was initially picked by Stephen Fleming as a batting allrounder at Rising Pune Supergiant – but Tamil Nadu’s new-ball fingerspinner R Sai Kishore barged through his flimsy defences with an arm ball. The wicket took Kishore’s Powerplay tally to 15 in this Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. No other bowler has taken more than 10 wickets in the Powerplay this tournament.Vijay Shankar provided crucial breakthroughs with the new ball for Tamil Nadu•NurPhoto/Getty ImagesWith Royal Challengers Bangalore’s director of cricket Mike Hesson and a few other scouts in attendance, Kishore finished with 1 for 35 in his four overs. M Siddharth, the other left-arm spinner, who was a belated inclusion in the squad after M Vijay suffered an injury, returned 1 for 22.Seam-bowling allrounder Vijay Shankar hit the hard lengths and compounded Rajasthan’s woes, picking up 2 for 13 in his four overs. Ashwin was held back until the 14th over and he struck almost immediately, trapping Manander Singh lbw for 7. At this point, Rajasthan were tottering at 76 for 7. Some late blows from Chandrapal Singh and Ravi Bishnoi hauled Rajasthan past 100 and helped them avoid the ignominy of being bundled out.Barring the Bishnois – Rajesh and Ravi – no other Rajasthan batsman passed 20. Chahar, however, briefly raised their hopes when he dismissed Hari Nishanth, but Ashwin and Washington saw off the Powerplay without any further damage. Ashwin ventured to play some funky shots, but couldn’t connect with them well enough while Washington was more adept at keeping the scorecard ticking.Washington was particularly severe on Ravi Bishnoi, the legspinner, taking him for 30 off 16 balls, including three sixes, the pick of them being a rasping slog-sweep over midwicket. In stark contrast, Ashwin was scratchy against the spinners and his stop-start innings finally ended when he hit a half-tracker from left-arm fingerspinner Chandrapal straight into the lap of deep midwicket.Left-arm seamer Aniket Choudhary gave Rajasthan another reason to smile when he removed Karthik, but it was Washington who had the last laugh.In 2006-07, Tamil Nadu became the inaugural Syed Mushtaq Ali champions under Karthik. Can they repeat the feat against a power-packed Karnataka side that thumped them in October earlier this year?

The position was created following South Africa’s horrific World Cup 2019 campaign

Firdose Moonda09-Nov-2019Graeme Smith, South Africa’s former captain, is in line to be their first director of cricket, a position created in the aftermath of their 2019 World Cup exit. Smith confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he was interviewed by the board this week.Suspended interim director of cricket, Corrie van Zyl, and former national selector Hussein Manack were also interviewed for the job, which is expected to be filled inside two weeks, leaving enough time for the appointee to settle in before the home series against England that begins on Boxing Day.The director will be responsible for overseeing all cricket played under CSA’s ambit, which includes the national teams, high-performance teams, age-group structures and the domestic set-up as well. While similar to the ECB’s post – first occupied by Andrew Strauss and now Ashley Giles – it also requires skills in human resources, financial management and managing CSA’s transformation strategy. The CSA’s advertisement required interested candidates to have a qualification in sports management and at least 10 years experience either working in sports or media management, coaching or playing at a first-class level or above.Smith, van Zyl and Manack were interviewed by a five-person panel which included CSA board members Jack Madiseng, Shirley Zinn, Tebogo Siko, and Dawn Makhobo, along with board CEO Thabang Moroe.Smith has the highest profile among the three candidates. He had more-than-a-decade-long playing career with South Africa and was both their youngest and longest serving captain. Since retiring in 2014, he is best known for his commentary but has also dabbled in the business of cricket as well.Six months after quitting the game, Smith joined financial services company Momentum – who were sponsors of South Africa’s ODI team at the time – as part of their corporate social responsibility team. He was involved in the setting up of a cricket sixes event, the proceeds of which went to a conservation charity involved in saving the much-poached rhino. Later in 2014, Smith was named ambassador of the Ram Slam T20, South Africa’s domestic 20-over competition, which was attempting to attain the same status as some of T20 leagues around the world. The tournament no longer exists and has since been replaced by the Mzansi Super League.While Smith would appear as the frontrunner, both van Zyl and Manack have adequate experience and credentials which will leave the panel with a tough decision to make, one that may ultimately come down to how much money CSA is able to spend on this position. The board is forecasting debt of R654 million (approx USD 44 million) over the next four-year cycle and has put cost-cutting measures in place, including a proposed restructuring of the domestic system that is being challenged by the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) in court at the moment.ALSO READ – ‘The financial thing is a hurdle,’ says Faf du Plessis as ex-players stay away from CSAVan Zyl, who has served as general manager to CSA since May 2009 – which included a stint as head coach during the 2011 World Cup. He has extensive knowledge of how the board works and was appointed as interim director of cricket post the 2019 World Cup, only to be suspended late last month for alleged dereliction of duty.Van Zyl’s suspension did not prevent him from being interviewed though. Apart from his experience with CSA, van Zyl was also head coach of Free State from May 1994 to April 1998 and of the Eagles and now Knights franchise from September 2003 to April 2009. He also has a Certificate in Sports Management from Royal Holloway, University of London.Manack has significant experience in the South African system as well, having most recently served on the selection panel whose tenure ended after the World Cup. Hussein was a national selector for seven years from 2012 to 2019, was the convener of selectors at the Lions franchise from 2011 to 2014 and served on the Gauteng Cricket and Lions board. He has both a Level 3 coaching certificate and UK National Cricket Association coaching qualification, a new Manager’s Programme in Business Administration and Sport and Event Management from the University of the Witwatersrand and has worked as the Managing Director of a manufacturing and retail company for more than a decade.Manack is a regular voice on radio commentary in South Africa and also has a long playing career behind him, the bulk of which fell during the Apartheid years, which denied him the opportunity to progress through the ranks in the same way van Zyl and Smith did. Still, he was part of history when he was selected as a non-playing member of the South African squad that toured India on the original Friendship Tour in 1991.No international candidates were in the mix for the director of cricket role.South Africa are also expected to confirm a men’s team director soon. Enoch Nkwe occupied the position on the recent tour to India and though they lost the Test series 0-3, he remains the leading candidate after assurances he would not be judged on the results of that series.CSA has also conducted interviews for a new convener of selectors and Linda Zondi was among those under consideration. Despite a successful tenure which brought through players like Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj and elevated Faf du Plessis to the captaincy, Zondi is understood to have had a falling out with members of CSA and may not be reappointed.

Aston Villa face Burnley at Turf Moor today in a game which could have implications at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Villa are in no real danger of relegation, whereas the Clarets are fighting for their lives and will surely put up a battling performance against Steven Gerrard’s men.

The 41-year-old should be ready to unleash Douglas Luiz from the start in what could be a move which enables the away side to secure all three points and continue to build momentum.

On the chalkboard

The Brazilian signed for the Midlanders from Manchester City in the summer of 2019 for a reported fee of £15m, excellent business by the club as his market value now stands at £31.5m, meaning that Villa could make a tidy profit if they decide to sell him.

The 23-year-old has made 30 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring once and providing three assists. The midfielder has an average SofaScore rating of 6.79, which makes him the seventh-highest rated player in the Villa squad, showing his importance when he does play.

He only got 17 minutes off the bench as a substitute against Norwich last week, but that was still time enough for him to win two tackles and complete all 15 of his passes (as per SofaScore). For context, that was one more pass than Tim Iroegbunam, who he replaced in the 73rd minute, completed all afternoon.

Luiz is an asset in both an attacking and defensive sense. He produces 2.42 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, which has accumulated to 61 in total during the season, proving that he regularly helps the Villa attack.

With 59 tackles, 35 blocks and 53 interceptions over the course of his 30 league matches, he isn’t shy in getting stuck in to help out his team from a defensive aspect, proving his worth to Gerrard.

His performances have led The Athletic’s Gregg Evans to dub him an “absolute star”, with further praise coming from former Arsenal striker Ian Wright. who has said that he is “underrated”.

The £52k-p/w Luiz has shown in the past what an excellent addition he has been to Villa, and with Gerrard reportedly aiming to rejig his squad in the summer ahead of a potential tilt at European football next season, the exit-linked Brazilian should be kept at all costs.

In the meantime, the 23-year-old should be unleashed against Burnley today after his tidy performance off the bench last week.

AND in other news, Villa eyeing £16k-p/w ace who “gives absolutely everything”, he’s better than Mings

Thomas Frank has hailed former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp for providing the inspiration behind Tottenham's convincing win over Manchester City.

Spurs impressed during 2-0 win at City Visitors pressed high with great effect Frank says he will thank Klopp Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

A thrilling afternoon for Tottenham, who enjoyed a convincing win away at Manchester CIty and after the match Spurs boss Frank admitted that he drew his tactical inspiration from Jurgen Klopp. It will no doubt irk Pep Guardiola to discover the high press employed by Spurs was endorsed by the former Liverpool boss.   

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The high press isn't new to Frank, who employed similar tactics during his successful spell in charge of Brentford. But this is the first time he has revealed that Klopp was an influence in his decision to deploy the move against Man City.   

WHAT FRANK SAID

Frank said, "Yeah, it was good, he was a clever man. I need to text him and say 'hey, that's awfully clever'. I definitely believe in the aggressive press, as you saw today, as you saw with my Brentford team, you know, I believe in the high pressure, I believe in if we can be front-footed. I like that mentality. I think it's offensive, you know, it's a more offensive way of defending and then it's more fun to defend in the opponent's half, and of course, today I think we were very successful also to score a goal from it."   

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR FRANK?

No one will deny Frank the opportunity to put his feet up and enjoy the feeling of a job well done. But he has pressing matters at hand, not least who to bring in to bolster his midfield after the failed Eberechi Eze deal and depressing injury updates for both James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski in recent days.   

The former India allrounder wants the team management to understand the youngster’s character and psychology, and work accordingly with him

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2019How does the Indian team get the best out of Rishabh Pant? As far as Yuvraj Singh is concerned, it must start with trying to understand the youngster as a person and work with him instead of trying “to suppress him”.Pant’s place in the side has been a hot topic of debate in Indian cricket in recent times, with the wicketkeeper-batsman’s shot selection at times leaving pundits perplexed and his run of low scores – one fifty-plus score across formats since the Test hundred against Australia – making people wonder if he has been elevated too soon.”Somebody needs to get the best out of him. How you get the best out of him is completely based on his character. You have to understand his character, you have to understand his psychology, and you have to work like that. If you’re going to suppress him, you’re not going to get the best out of him,” Yuvraj told in an interview.ALSO READ: Monga – The Rishabh Pant journey from ‘fearless’ to ‘careless’ and backIn mid-September, Virat Kohli had mentioned in a press conference that youngsters needed to come in to the Indian team with the knowledge that they would get around five opportunities to make the most of. Speaking specifically about Pant, Kohli had said, “Reading the situation and decision-making is the expectation from all the players, including myself.”In the same interaction, Ravi Shastri had promised “a rap on the knuckles” for Pant, and others, who let the team and themselves down. Not long after, new batting coach Vikram Rathour had been asked a similar question at a press meet, where he had said that Pant needed to understand “there is a fine line between fearless cricket and careless cricket”.Yuvraj advocated more mentoring for an obviously talented young batsman instead of “shouting and suppressing”.”Yes, he’s been given a lot of chances, but how do you get the best out of the guy – obviously the people monitoring him in the team, coach, captain, have to get the best out of him, rather than … unfortunately for me, there was no one to tell me what to do,” Yuvraj said. “At the moment, the thing is, at the IPL young guys are getting a lot of money. So maybe someone needs to tell them how to go about their business or how to go about their life, and what is your priority.”Somebody really needs to talk to them and get the best out of them, rather than shouting or suppressing, things are not going to help. That guy has scored two Test away hundreds at a very young age, so the guy has a lot of potential. How do you get the best out of that guy is something they have to realise.”The Pant question is one that many former cricketers have tried to answer over the past few days.Sunil Gavaskar, for example, called for Pant to shift down to No. 5 in white-ball matches to allow him to play his naturally aggressive game. “Giving him a bit of breathing space by slotting him at No. 5 could also help, for at that number he will invariably come in to bat where his aggressive batting is needed from the start rather than when he has to build his and the team’s innings,” Gavaskar wrote in recently.Gavaskar’s idea found a taker in VVS Laxman, who told , “The nature of Rishabh Pant’s batting is that he plays aggressive shots, and unfortunately at the international level he is not able to succeed at the No. 4 position. Pant should bat at No. 5 or 6, where you have the license to go out and express yourself. At the moment, he doesn’t know the right method of scoring runs at No. 4.”Writing in the , Gautam Gambhir also agreed, criticising Rathour’s take on the matter in the process: “It is disappointing to see the team-management using words like ‘from fearless to careless’. This is no way to handle a young human resource. What I do know is that the boy is now playing for survival rather than scoring runs. From the outside it seems that his mindset is all over the place. Someone needs to put an arm around his shoulder and tell him that he is wanted in the team.”

Frenkie de Jong’s long-running contract saga at Barcelona looks set to end after the midfielder appointed a new agent, clearing path for an extension.

De Jong parts ways with long-time agentBarca and midfielder already agreed new termsWill sign new deal until 2028 with option for extra yearFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 28-year-old midfielder has been locked in a stalemate with Barcelona over his renewal for months, having entered the final year of his contract. While he and the club had already reached an agreement to extend his stay months ago, the deal stalled because of problems with his former agent, Ali Dursun. According to , De Jong has now cut ties with Dursun and hired a new Dutch representative. The agent has already introduced himself to the club and held initial contact with sporting director Deco to move discussions forward.

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Barcelona had hoped to close De Jong’s extension by June 30 to match the 1:1 spending under La Liga rules, but the standoff with his agent delayed everything. Now, with that issue resolved, the Catalans are confident of tying him down.

The club reportedly offered a two-year extension on top of his current deal, keeping him at Camp Nou until 2028, with an option to extend for another year until 2029. As part of the agreement, De Jong has reportedly agreed to reduce his wages despite being one of La Liga’s top earners. He currently pockets a gross annual salary of €19 million (£16m/$22m), second only to Robert Lewandowski’s €33m (£28m/$38m) package.

TELL ME MORE

After being sidelined for around six months due to an ankle injury last season, De Jong delivered an impressive second half of the season under Hansi Flick, becoming a key pivot in midfield. Despite competition from Gavi, Marc Casado and Marc Bernal, he is seen as a vital piece of Barca’s rebuild and part of the leadership group. While Barca’s immediate focus has also been on managing registrations and exits, including the futures of Oriol Romeu, Inaki Pena and Hector Fort, the resolution of De Jong’s case now gives the club stability in midfield heading into the new campaign.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR FRENKIE DE JONG?

Barcelona kicked off their La Liga season with a 3-0 win over Mallorca on Friday. De Jong started for Hansi Flick’s side and played the full 90 minutes. With his new deal set to run until at least 2028, the Dutch midfielder can now focus fully on leading Barca’s midfield, knowing his long-term future at Camp Nou is finally secure.

Former Premier League striker Kevin Campbell has lauded the team spirit that Ange Postecoglou has created at Celtic this season.

The Lowdown: Ange’s superb first season at Celtic

The 56-year-old took charge at Parkhead last summer and has been an immediate hit for the Hoops, impressing with his all-round management at the club.

Celtic already have a Scottish League Cup to their name and the Premiership title is now within touching distance with three matches remaining.

It has been a wonderful season after the disappointment of last term, and it is now a case of getting the job done to round off a tremendous campaign for the manager and the club.

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The Latest: Campbell praises Celtic’s team spirit

Celtic’s team spirit has shone through since August, with Kyogo Furuhashi speaking out about the support that he received while he was injured.

Campbell waxed lyrical over that intangible quality to Football Insider as he gushed:

“They clearly have a great dressing room mentality. The team spirit is there. When a player is injured he often feels left out.

“It sounds like the players at Celtic have the right attitude under Postecoglou. The manager has done an excellent job there. Kyogo embodies that. He is a brilliant player and character by the sounds of it.

“The dressing room culture is right at Celtic and that is so important if you want to achieve success.”

The Verdict: Good times for Celtic

It certainly feels as though something potentially special is building at Parkhead, with Postecoglou transforming matters after Neil Lennon’s ill-fated second reign as manager.

The hope is that this is only the beginning, with a likely return to the Champions League next season hugely exciting, not to mention the possibility of new signings that it could attract.

Celtic’s team spirit has increasingly stood out as the season has gone on, as illustrated by the Furuhashi example above, and it is clear that this is a group of players all pulling the same direction. As Campbell has hinted, success can only be achieved if you have that harmony within your group.

In other news, one pundit has dropped a worrying Celtic transfer claim. Read more here.

Manchester United are looking to sign Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite this summer but they are reportedly ready to walk away from the deal.

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Man Utd see Branthwaite bid rejectedEverton want over £70m ($89m) for defenderMan Utd ready to walk away from the dealGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester United's rebuild under Sir Jim Ratcliffe's guidance is already underway and they are looking to add a solid centre-back in the form of Branthwaite. The Red Devils have already reportedly agreed personal terms and submitted a bid of £35 million ($44m) last week which was immediately turned down by Everton.

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As per ESPN, Everton value the 21-year-old at around £70 million ($89m). However, that price tag may put off United as they believe it is an unreasonable ask. As per the report, the Red Devils also went on to explain to Everton that they cannot spend £70m the entire summer, let alone on one player.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

United had also targeted Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo this summer and were willing to deal with the Ligue 1 side. However, with the French side also being owned by Ratcliffe and INEOS, they believe that the signing will be blocked by UEFA due to rules about transcations between clubs under the same ownership.

WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

The Red Devils are also looking to sign a striker as well this summer as they look to back up Rasmus Hojlund with a more experienced option. They may well have to source a cut-price option, however.