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Getafe have admitted Mason Greenwood "would suit" Barcelona after Sir Jim Ratcliffe's comments on the Manchester United loanee's future.

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Greenwood impressing on loan at GetafeRatcliffe has opened door for his return to Old TraffordBarcelona also interested in English forwardGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

United sent Greenwood out on loan to Getafe on September 1 after concluding a six-month investigation into his conduct away from the pitch. He saw charges of attempted rape, assault, and coercive control against him dropped in February last year, but the club ultimately decided against reintegrating him into the first team. Moving to La Liga has allowed Greenwood to rebuild his career, though, and after recording 13 goal contributions in his first 24 appearances for Getafe, it has been suggested that Barcelona could make a formal offer for the forward this summer.

AdvertisementWHAT GETAFE'S PRESIDENT SAID

Getafe president Angel Torres is still hopeful that Greenwood will stay at Estadio Coliseum Alfonso Perez beyond the end of the season, but admits that Barcelona would be the ideal fit for the 22-year-old if he were to move on to a new challenge. "He is very comfortable and crazy about staying another year," Torres said to Spanish radio station . "It's a matter that they [United] have to decide. There is new ownership. They have to decide. In Spain, he has a market. Barca's way of playing would suit him well but it depends on Manchester United. If it's true, he'll tell me."

Getty DID YOU KNOW?

Torres' comments came in response to news from Old Trafford earlier in the week, with United's new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe opening the door for Greenwood's potential return to the club. The INEOS chairman confirmed that a fresh decision over Greenwood's future will be taken when his loan deal at Getafe expires. "He’s a Manchester United footballer so we are in charge of football,” Ratcliffe said. "So the answer is yes, we have to make decisions. There is no decision that’s been made. The process will be: understand the facts not the hype and then try and come to fair decision on the basis of values which is basically is he a good guy or not, and answer could he play sincerely for Manchester United well and would we be comfortable with it and would the fans be comfortable with it."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?

Greenwood is still under contract at Old Trafford until 2025, but has not played a competitive game for United since January 2022, and it remains to be seen whether he will be given another chance under the INEOS regime. For now, the one-cap England international's focus remains locked on matters at Getafe, who are set to come up against his potential suitors Barcelona in their next La Liga game on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur have listed South Korea coach Jurgen Klinsmann as a "surprise" new manager candidate, according to reports.

Who could Spurs appoint as manager?

The Lilywhites are still on the search for a new manager after parting ways with Antonio Conte last month as interim boss Cristian Stellini attempts to seal a top four Premier League finish.

Spurs' recent 3-2 humbling at home to Bournemouth made for grim viewing as Stellini suffered a blow in his pursuit of Champions League qualification, and it's safe to say the mood around north London appears sour right now.

Daniel Levy quite simply needs to get their next managerial appointment spot on after Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Conte ultimately didn't work out. Conte and Mourinho in particular, both serial winners with previous clubs, couldn't quite find the winning formula at Tottenham with supporters turning on owners ENIC.

Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique, Julian Nagelsmann and even Zinedine Zidane stand out as the big name free agents to have been linked with a move to N17.

Closer to home, British managerial duo Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter are also contenders going by recent reports, but it appears a shock name has now entered contention. Indeed, Monday's edition of Kicker (via Get Football News Germany) claims Klinsmann has emerged as a 'surprise' Spurs manager candidate.

The 58-year-old only took charge of South Korea in February, yet the former Spurs star is now being considered by Levy. He was also in attendance to watch Tottenham's defeat to Bournemouth at the weekend, where he was keeping a watchful eye on Son Heung-min.

Should Tottenham move for Klinsmann?

There is little denying the experience he possesses at international level, having coached on that front since 2004 and even taking the helm for Germany's host 2006 World Cup campaign where they reached the semi-finals. Klinsmann also managed the USA national team for five years between 2011 and 2016, yet one cavaet to his possible appointment could be his lack of work at club level.

The tactician has just one spell at Hertha Berlin, where he took charge for just 10 games in the 2019/2020 season, under his belt which could count against him in Levy's thinking.

Klinsmann is adored by the Spurs faithful and has spoken before about the prospect of managing his old club, yet there are both potential incentives and reasons not to appoint him.

We believe he should remain an outside contender for now, especially with the likes of Enrique and Pochettino available for hire.

Chelsea, despite all the riches expended since Todd Boehly's arrival, boast a squad far from the finished article.

Mauricio Pochettino is the man who has been tasked with solving the puzzle presented in west London, as a willing challenger to unearth the numerous high-potential stars at Stamford Bridge.

However, to do so he must first foster the correct environment, likely having assurances that he will be given time to work his magic. The success he earned in transforming Tottenham Hotspur did not come overnight, and the same is certainly the case for his latest managerial venture.

He will need to add some key additions of his own in the coming summer window to build upon a year where 17 new players were welcomed and two managers have been sacked.

Whilst investing in this high-risk high-reward strategy has allowed them to stockpile some of Europe's finest young talent, a few key positions remain bare.

Naturally, a centre-forward will be high on the list of priorities, but a true defensive midfielder will be just as imperative to unlock Enzo Fernandez. Therefore, it will please fans that earlier in the week it was reported that Chelsea had opened talks with Sporting CP over the signing of Manuel Ugarte.

The touted €60m (£52m) price tag would mark a small sum if it meant unleashing their British transfer record signing.

Would Manuel Ugarte be a N'Golo Kante upgrade?

In acquiring a player who operates with a defence-first mindset, the Uruguay international could act as a screen for the back four to allow their Argentine maestro to truly thrive.

Although his 7.17 average rating has been upheld by 1.1 key passes and 2.5 tackles per game, in pushing him from the six role into the eight, he could add to his two assists in 18 starts, via Sofascore.

After all, his potential new teammate has mustered 3.9 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game too (via Sofascore) and therefore ranks in the top 1% for tackles and the top 3% for interceptions per 90 when compared to other midfielders across Europe.

Whilst writer Raj Chohan might have been lambasting the midfielder when branding his choices on the ball as "aggressive", it is this mindset that arguably makes him such a combative and frightening presence defensively in the engine room. Regardless, his 92% pass accuracy suggests otherwise.

Such defensive excellence could easily earn comparisons to the enigmatic N'Golo Kante, who is rarely seen around these parts nowadays due to his persistent injury problems.

The ageing ace has been ravaged with ailments since his move from Leicester City, yet when fit represents one of the division's most relentless midfielders.

Last season showcased this, as he started 21 games and managed to maintain a 7.12 average rating.

This was a figure supported by 2.3 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, which was impressive but highlighted a decline from times gone by, via Sofascore. He is admittedly nowhere near the level of his potential 22-year-old successor, who Pochettino will surely prefer.

Given the youthful revolution Boehly has seemingly planned, the 32-year-old is a prime example of those who need replacing in west London and the sooner the club can find his successor, the better because he cannot be trusted like the Kante of old, as evident above.

Few fit the bill more appropriately than Ugarte, to graciously take the mantle from this legendary midfield enforcer, who is a shadow of the player who managed 4.7 tackles per game back in the 2015/16 term.

A scoreline of 557 for 5 may indicate one team has lorded it over the other, but that wasn’t entirely the case

Sidharth Monga in Indore09-Oct-20161:50

Agarkar: Kohli showed lot of mental discipline

There is a great anecdote Dion Nash tells. It opens in Ahmedabad – could be any town in India, but the dry state of Gujarat adds to the story. India are about 400 for 2, Daniel Vettori runs in to bowl, and Rahul Dravid pulls out. He had seen a butterfly land in the middle of the pitch. The tired New Zealand fielders wonder what’s happening.Adam Parore has had enough of the Indian batsmen piling on the runs, the Indian spinners taking the wickets, his own team-mates not having any fun. He rushes across and takes a swipe at the butterfly prompting Dravid to say, and Nash mimics the Indian accent, “Oh Parore, he has kicked the butterfly. That’s very bad luck for you guys.”India have been winning home Tests regularly but this kind of helplessness, of being ground down in the heat and the dust, has not been experienced by touring sides for a while.The first two days of the Indore Test were a return to the old norm. A Sunday crowd of more than 22,000 enjoyed the Indian batsmen turn their circumspect efforts on day one into gradual domination.A score of 557 for 5 declared does point to the wearing down of visiting sides theme, but there was no swiping at butterflies. On a slow pitch that didn’t suit them, New Zealand made India work hard for their runs. In response, India showed the patience required to rack them up. Ajinkya Rahane was tested thoroughly by bouncers. They rarely came at him at the pace he expected. Virat Kohli was made to cut out a lot of his flash. Both men’s application, determination and then the strokeplay put together India’s highest fourth-wicket partnership.There is a special joy to a long partnership. To see each other through tough periods, to feed off the other batsman’s fluency when you are struggling, to be there to take the heat off when his concentration breaks, to congratulate each other on the milestones, to gradually increase the pace, to then start thinking of the declaration.The scoreboard after Kohli and Rahane added 365 looks one-sided, but it has been hard-fought Test cricket. There was a bit of mutual admiration from both sides. Rahane said scoring a hundred despite his struggle, especially against the short ball, was what real Test cricket was. New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said India’s response blunted all their plans.”High-quality batting,” Hesson said. “Took a good delivery to create half-chances, went through long periods of play where we reeled out a lot of plans, stuck to our game well but we were worn down. ‘Kohli killed us softly’ is the nicest way of describing it, after scoring about 120 singles.”Kohli took 115 singles and hit only 20 fours in his 211. Yet he managed a strike-rate of 57.65. Rahane was flashier at times, but he was tied down for long periods too. It was tough for New Zealand to bowl in hot and humid conditions; it wasn’t easy to play such a physical game for the batsmen either.1:49

Took very good deliveries to create half chances – Hesson

“Today, it was slightly difficult. [It was] hot and humid out there,” Rahane said. “So we just wanted to have fun between the overs. We didn’t discuss too much about cricket, but yes, yesterday we were talking about how we can approach our innings, and that partnership was really crucial for us. Today, we both decided that after our hundreds, we wanted to dominate the spinners. Because it was really hot and humid, so we wanted their fast bowlers to bowl at us so that we could get more runs.”New Zealand’s quicks were asked to bowl 67 overs between them, plus the 18 from James Neesham. They managed only two wickets, but they never looked like not wanting to be there. Even when Rohit Sharma was batting for the declaration, Trent Boult nearly added to his highlight reel of sensational catches. Matt Henry was wicketless, rarely did he bowl a bad ball.”A tough day but, sounds funny, also a satisfying day in terms of the standards we set,” Hesson said. “Our seam bowlers delivering 30 overs, 135-140 kph at times, in the heat and humidity. At no stage did we roll over and give soft runs. I thought it was a high quality day’s Test cricket. We contributed to that with our bowling. When you go over a 100 overs without a wicket, it can be demoralising. If you’re not strong-willed and keep fighting, it can be tough. But we did that pretty well.”A totally worn-out side that was ready to swipe at butterflies might have bowled poorly and been asked to start its survival quest much earlier than New Zealand did, with nine overs to go on day two. If India had not learnt and implemented their lessons in patience, there might have been another middling total.Instead, the weekend crowd enjoyed the home side piling on the runs, and we still have a potentially memorable Test in store. If India win it, we will see some excellent bowling; if New Zealand save it, there will be some monumental resistance.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte believes his decision to join the French champions over Chelsea was '100 percent' the correct one.

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Chelsea and PSG had vied for Ugarte's signatureUgarte signed for PSG for €60mUgarte has become key player in ParisWHAT HAPPENED?

Ugarte revealed how pleased he was to be at PSG, who sit top of Ligue 1, and believes he made the right decision in moving to Paris, not London. The 22-year-old was at the centre of a tug-of-war between PSG and Chelsea before the French giants eventually landed him for €60 million (£52m/$65m).

AdvertisementGettyWHAT UGARTE SAID

Speaking to , Ugarte said: "I am 100% convinced that coming here was the best choice. PSG, for me, is something incredible. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I am here because before coming I did not imagine the scale of this club, its worldwide fame, its supporters… I am enjoying this incredible experience enormously, while focusing on achieving of our objectives.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Ugarte may well be thinking 'what could have been' had he joined Chelsea in the summer. With the Blues once again struggling this season, languishing in 10th in the Premier League, he can be forgiven for his relief at not moving to west London. The Uruguayan has started each of PSG's five Champions League fixtures and has become a constant presence in the club's midfield this season.

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WHAT NEXT FOR UGARTE?

Ugarte's PSG sit top of Ligue 1 by four points ahead of tonight's home fixture against Nantes. The Parisians then travel to Dortmund on Wednesday, knowing they must match or better Newcastle's result against AC Milan to qualify for the Champions League knockout rounds.

Manchester United tying down Marcus Rashford to a new deal at Old Trafford will be an 'exception to the rule' regarding any notion of a salary cap at the Red Devils, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Marcus Rashford?

According to renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano writing in his exclusive column for Caught Offside, Rashford is now close to finalizing new terms at Manchester United.

Romano detailed: "I can confirm that Marcus Rashford is really close to signing new long term deal at United, though when it’ll be announced is up to the club. It’s technically not done yet, some details have to be clarified soon but talks are very advanced. Man United believe this is like a new signing because Rashford was out of contract in 2024 and many top clubs including PSG were keeping close eye on Marcus’ situation."

The Daily Mail also report along similar lines, revealing that Manchester United are in the latter stages of being able to tie Rashford down on a new deal and that discussions between the club and Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund are continuing to take place.

Capology understand that Rashford earns around £200k-a-week on his current terms at Old Trafford that are set to run until June 2024.

Back in January, The Daily Mail indicated that Manchester United had introduced a new salary cap dubbed the 'Ronaldo rule' that would forbid playing staff from earning over £200,000 per week.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones believes that any notion of a salary cap would exclude Rashford due to his importance at Manchester United.

Jones said: "I was always told as part of this is the general salary cap, yes, will be £300,000, but there always has to be, one, two or three players that are an exception to the rule.

"Marcus Rashford is absolutely an exception to the rule. This is a player that you can't allow to leave the club."

Should Marcus Rashford be excluded from Manchester United's salary cap?

In short, Rashford, who has been hailed as a "standout" player by Declan Rice, is too important to Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag to have any limits bestowed upon his attempts to make sure the England international stays at Old Trafford for the long term.

Last campaign, Rashford racked up 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils, as per Transfermarkt.

The 26-year-old was also Manchester United's third most consistent performer during the season gone behind Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, picking up an average match rating of 7.08/10 for his exploits on the field, according to WhoScored.

FBRef illustrate that Rashford played a crucial part in chance provision for the Red Devils as well, successfully carrying out 120 shot-creating actions in total.

Manchester United fans will be relieved to see Rashford being on the verge of signing a new contract at his boyhood club, as his goals proved vital to their eventual qualification for Champions League football in 2023/24.

All focus at the club will now be on trying to improve on their efforts in the 2022/23 campaign and seeing how close they can push their rivals for the Premier League crown.

Inter have approached Feyenoord over a possible move for star striker Santiago Gimenez, according to a report.

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Gimenez in awesome form for FeyenoordInter make approach for Mexico starTop teams across Europe after strikerWHAT HAPPENED?

The San Siro side are the latest to show interest in the Mexico international, according to Inter want to sign younger attacking options to replace Marko Arnautovic and Alexis Sanchez as both are now 34 years old.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Nerazzurri are not the only team from Serie A to show interest in the 22-year-old, however. City rivals AC Milan, reigning Italian champions Napoli and Turin giants Juventus are all said to be eager to bring him to the Italian top-flight.

There is even stronger interest in the attacker, though, as Real Madrid and Barcelona are both said to be keeping an eye on him.

DID YOU KNOW?

The interest in Gimenez is no surprise given his impressive form in Netherlands with Feyenoord. He has scored 13 goals in 10 Eredivisie games this season and fired two past Lazio in his Champions League debut as the Rotterdam side ran out 3-1 winners against the Roman club.

He ended his debut season in the Eredivisie with 15 goals in 32 matches in the top-flight and added another five in nine Europa League appearances.

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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The 22-time Mexico international will look to add more goals to his record on Saturday when Feyenoord visit RKC Waalwijk.

Darren Sammy’s scorching last-over burst, followed by Mohammad Sami’s four-wicket haul, broke Comilla Victorians’ five-match winning streak, as they lost to Rajshahi Kings by 30 runs in Chittagong

The Report by Mohammad Isam25-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBCBDarren Sammy’s scorching last-over burst, followed by Mohammad Sami’s four-wicket haul, broke Comilla Victorians’ five-match winning streak, as they lost to Rajshahi Kings by 30 runs in Chittagong.Rajshahi had seemed to be ambling towards a middling score, but blitzed 72 runs off 22 balls following Sammy’s arrival. They ended up with 185 for 7, with Sammy unbeaten on 47 off 14 balls. His strike-rate of 335.71 is the highest for a batsman to have struck more than 40 runs in a BPL innings.Sammy tonked six sixes in total, four of which came in the last over that went for 32 runs. Mohammad Saifuddin, who had the misfortune of sending down that over, now holds the unenviable record of conceding the most runs in an over in BPL history.Comilla recovered well from that late onslaught and were going well in the chase, with Tamim Iqbal and Shoaib Malik putting together an 87-run stand. But once Sami dismissed Tamim, the rest simply caved. It was similar to their bowling effort that came apart after a very good start.Comilla hit back after early blowsEach of Rajshahi’s top four fell after getting their eye in. Dwayne Smith, who had got going with four punchy boundaries, was first to fall when he inside-edged Saifuddin onto the stumps after reaching out for an expansive drive. In the next over, Mominul Haque, who had raced away to a brisk start with five crisply-struck fours, paid the price for a moment’s hesitation. Mominul pushed the legspinner Rashid Khan behind point and Luke Wright called for a single straight away. Mominul, though, wasn’t as convinced and was felled by a direct hit at the non-striker’s end. Zakir Hasan found the bounce of an Al-Amin Hossain bouncer disconcerting and top-edged a pull that was snaffled by the bowler, before Imrul Kayes’ terrific catch at long-on ended Mushfiqur Rahim’s stay. From 43 for no loss, Rajshahi lost four wickets by the time they could double that score.Wright keeps Rajshahi tickingThe gift of timing completely abandoned Luke Wright, who struggled for large parts of his 42. But to his credit, he gritted it out. After scratching around for 20 balls for his first 14 runs, Wright showed the first signs of acceleration by collecting 16 runs off his next six balls. That included two sublime fours through midwicket off successive deliveries against Al-Amin. He added 37 runs for the fifth wicket with James Franklin in quick time, before the latter fell leg-before to a Hasan Ali yorker. Wright fell in the following over, when his scoop found short fine leg. He fell eight short of a fifty but had kept Rajshahi intact till the 18th over before Sammy took over.Sammy lays a brutal finishing touchWhen Tamim Iqbal threw Saifuddin the ball for the final over, it was in the hope that he could finish off a job well-started. Saifuddin had figures of 3-0-18-3, but nothing could have prepared him for the onslaught he suffered at the hands of Sammy. His first delivery to Sammy was a fuller ball that came into him, and all Sammy had to do was help it on its way to deep backward square leg. The rest of the over was a generous mix of fuller deliveries, or worse still, full tosses that were shoveled with brute force. Saifuddin set out on a search for the wide yorker and instead fed to Sammy’s swinging arc and offered him ample room. To make matters worse, Saifuddin sent down two wides, extending Sammy’s party to an eight-ball over. Just last month, Saifuddin had suffered a similar shellacking at the hands of David Miller, who took him apart for five successive sixes in one over, in a T20 international against South Africa.Comilla shrug off early stutterFakhar Zaman’s BPL debut lasted just five balls as he chopped Sami onto his stumps, and Imrul Kayes fell to a harsh lbw decision, with replays suggesting the ball would have missed leg – as Comilla lost two wickets in the first two overs of their chase.Tamim and Malik then resurrected Comilla’s chase with an 87-run stand for the third wicket. It was broken when Malik’s stroke-filled 45 ended tamely. One ball after a stunning four that split short third man and backward point, Malik chipped a simple return catch to Dwayne Smith, leaving Comilla with 95 to get in 52 balls.Sami’s 3-in-1Comilla did not feel the pinch of Malik’s dismissal as much as Buttler picked up from where Malik left. With Tamim, he struck 34 runs in three overs to keep Comilla’s prospects alive. Tamim launched Hossain Ali over extra cover to bring up his fifty and the 4000th run of his T20 career while Buttler used his favoured reverse sweep to good effect.Sami then got Tamim to skew an inside-out shot to deep point in the 15th over to open the gates. Alok Kapali perished two balls later when he swung across the line and lost his stumps. Sami then ended the over by having Saifuddin hole out to deep point. He gave away just one run in his last over to finish with 4 for 9 in four overs. His effort left Comilla with 32 to get from the last over, which was precisely how much Sammy hit in Rajshahi’s last over.What they said”Darren Sammy doing that made a huge difference. I think if we just got 150, we would have probably lost. And then Mohammad Sami with the ball was amazing, but I think Sammy put massive pressure on them, which helped take those wickets in the end.”

A concise look back at the events that led to the pay-dispute crisis between the Australian players and their cricket board

Daniel Brettig30-Jun-20173:46

What is the CA-ACA pay dispute?

November 11: MoU negotiations between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) formally begin in Melbourne, with a meeting between CA’s chairman David Peever and his opposite number Greg Dyer. The meeting was preluded by news that the ACA was chasing a more expansive definition of Australian Cricket Revenue – the agreed pool of money from which their payment has been drawn – to include digital revenue.December 7: Australia’s captain Steven Smith and deputy David Warner dine with CA board directors where the governing body’s desire to break up the revenue sharing model is discussed. It is an evening that begins a trend of CA trying to go around the ACA to deal directly with the players.December 12: CA sends its initial pay submission to the ACA and players, detailing plans to break up the revenue sharing model and offer fixed wages to domestic male and female players, while only offering surplus profits – capped at A$20 million – to international men (subsequently expanded to also include international women). A particular sticking point is the pregnancy policy for female players.December 19: CA suspends pay talks with the ACA after the pregnancy clause revelations, locking the players’ association’s negotiating team out of a scheduled meeting at the board’s Jolimont headquarters – this is the first major breakdown in pay talks between the two bodies in 20 years.December 22: Australia’s men’s and women’s captains Steven Smith and Meg Lanning write to the CA chief executive James Sutherland requesting that the board respects the ACA as the players’ collective bargaining agent and asking that they cease attempts to deal directly with individual players.December 27: Sutherland seeks to take some heat out of discussions by stating during the Boxing Day Test match against Pakistan that Australia’s players’ association and board have “more in common than not”.January 24: The ACA claims that it is not being offered substantial financial details on which to judge CA’s proposal and weigh it up against its own.March 5: Sutherland maintains CA’s desire to break up the revenue percentage model while visiting India for Australia’s Test tour.March 21: Players are presented with CA’s formal pay offer, which adds some detail and some adjustments to the December proposal but remains largely unchanged in its modelling and overall thrust, seeking to breakup the revenue sharing model and return wage control to the board. The offer also outlines what CA intends to do with the money raised by changing the model – expanding its media wing and investing in other new projects in addition to https://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/1087893.html” target=”_blank”>funding the grassroots.April 19: Tim May, the former ACA chief executive and an architect of the first revenue sharing MoU in 1998, challenges CA to provide a more substantial case for breaking up the model.April 27: CA’s head of cricket operations, Sean Cary, one of few board employees to work closely and consistently with the ACA, quits to take up a tennis job in the United States.May 11: Mitchell Starc insists that no Australian players will entertain contract negotiations until a new MoU is agreed upon, following revelations that CA’s team performance manager Pat Howard has offered multi-year deals to the top five players – Starc, Steven Smith, David Warner, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.May 12: Sutherland writes to his opposite number at the ACA Alistair Nicholson, criticising the ACA’s approach to negotiations and informs all players coming out of contract that they will be unemployed as of July 1. The ACA requests mediation to move pay talks forward after numerous rounds of fruitless meetings between the players’ association and the board.May 15: David Warner further inflames the dispute by saying CA might find itself without any players for the Ashes if the two parties cannot reach an agreement.May 17: CA’s chairman David Peever rejects the ACA’s request for mediation, stating that negotiations had not yet begun.May 18: The ACA unveils a contingency fund for players left out of pocket in the event of the pay dispute going beyond June 30.May 25: The ACA announces the foundation of The Cricketers Brand, a commercial wing of the association for the use of the players’ intellectual property, which passes out of the hands of CA beyond June 30 when the MoU expires.May 27-28: Peever rejects the ACA’s calls for mediation a second time as CA again attempts to deal directly with the players. Australia’s federal minister for sport, Greg Hunt, reveals the governmentwould be prepared to provide mediation for the two parties if the dispute were to threaten the Ashes.May 30: CA releases a video featuring lead negotiator Kevin Roberts explaining CA’s pay offer to players, with another released the following week. One of the graphics accompanying the video states that the Big Bash League lost A$33 million for CA over its first five years, a claim attacked by the ACA’s Simon Katich.June 8: Warner criticises CA for the release of the videos to players in the middle of their Champions Trophy campaign. Australia would be eliminated in the first round after a pair of washouts are followed by a loss to England.June 20: South Africa launches its new Twenty20 tournament and it is revealed that numerous Australian players, including internationals, have expressed interest in the event which will clash with the home season. At the same time it emerges that players have discussed playing exhibition matches should the dispute be lengthy.June 21: Following the announcement of the AFL’s pay deal with its players, the AFLPA chief executive and former ACA chief Paul Marsh criticises CA for endangering the international game. At the same time CA’s lead negotiator Roberts goes on a national roadshow to explain CA’s position to the players.June 23: CA offers a pair of concessions relative to its previous offer – increasing payments for domestic male players and also linking all players to the capped bonus system originally offered only to international players – at the same time as sending contract offers out to all players. The ACA, angered by the offers being sent out without an MoU, rejects the concessions.June 27: Players meet at an annual golf day in Sydney and implore CA’s chief executive James Sutherland to get directly involved in negotiations. Sutherland, who has kept at arm’s length from talks, arrives back in Melbourne from ICC meetings a day before the MoU expires.June 28: Players are sent a communique from the team performance manager Pat Howard outlining arrangements beyond the expiry of the MoU, including a warning that any players taking part in exhibition matches will be banned from the Ashes. Limited talks between the two parties go nowhere substantial.June 30: MoU deadline day arrives, and CA marks it by hardening its stance against the players, announcing that all money originally intended to be paid to out of contract players will instead be diverted to grassroots funding programmes until an MoU is agreed upon. This move enrages the playersfurther.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo figure prominently in the ‘Captains of the World’ documentary that sees Netflix go behind the scenes at Qatar 2022.

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Argentina claimed global crownThrills and spills aplentyJourney of skippers caught on cameraWHAT HAPPENED?

Argentina emerged triumphant at the end of a thrilling tournament in the Middle East, with Messi getting the chance to complete his medal collection and cement his standing among the immortals. Things did not play out as positively for Ronaldo, as he was dropped to the bench by Portugal at one stage, but a historic event gave a global audience of several billion plenty to cheer.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Netflix were on hand to capture all of the highs and lows, with supporters now being given a unique insight into life at FIFA’s flagship event. They spoke with and followed the exploits of every skipper that headed to Qatar – with 32 nations daring to dream of ultimate glory before a ball was kicked.

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WHAT HAS BEEN SAID?

Fans are given a taste of the emotion and dedication that fuels a drive towards football’s grandest prize, with Portuguese superstar Ronaldo saying at one point: “Pressure? Every player here feels pressure. Everybody wants to win.”