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Only local pride at stake with Derbyshire confirmed as wooden-spoonists

ECB Reporters Network28-Sep-2024After two days lost to the weather, Leicestershire finished on 264 for eight after their season-ending Vitality County Championship with East Midlands neighbours Derbyshire at last saw some action.With Derbyshire’s 17th Championship wooden spoon confirmed by Glamorgan’s victory over Gloucestershire, this match has little at stake beyond local pride, although Leicestershire could overtake Northamptonshire to finish fourth in Division Two.Leicestershire opener Sol Budinger will remember it at least for a career-best 87. There was a half-century, too, for Liam Trevaskis.Derbyshire’s spinners prospered in the final session of an 80-over day. Mitch Wagstaff, in his sixth first-class match, finished with two for 24 from his leg breaks, his best figures so far, with skipper David Lloyd picking up three wickets from his offies.Glamorgan and Gloucestershire, similarly hit by the late-September rain, forfeited an innings each to facilitate a positive result in Cardiff. For there to be a winner here, it may need a similar arrangement.After the downpours of the first two days, the start of day three was delayed until noon. On a green-tinged pitch, Derbyshire opted to bowl first after the toss had gone their way and should have had early wickets to show for it.But catching has not been their strong suit this season – not much has, by the evidence of the table. Ian Holland, on three and again on nine, plus Budinger on 42 were given lives in the hour of play before lunch.All three chances were created at the pavilion end. Holland was spilled by wicketkeeper Brooke Guest off Zak Chappell, before Martin Andersson saw Aneurin Donald give Holland his second let-off at gully and Budinger put down by Lloyd at first slip in his next over.At the other end, Budinger had profited from five boundaries in the same over as the 17-year-old pace prospect Harry Moore struggled to find the right length and Leicestershire were 54 without loss at the first interval.Holland, his luck plainly in, enjoyed a third escape not long after the restart, Guest again unable to cling on down the leg side as the former Hampshire all-rounder top-edged a pull on 28, Moore having returned at the more favourable end.They were not inexpensive mistakes. Budinger, a left-hander with natural ball-striking talent, reached 51 from 40 deliveries with his ninth four and went on to pass his previous first-class best of 72 with his 14th boundary. A maiden century looked his for the taking until, 13 runs away from it, he shaped to drive the left-arm seamer Luis Reece but somehow managed to spoon the ball into the hands of the bowler.The wicket was all-rounder Reece’s 200th in all formats for Derbyshire to go with more than 8,000 runs. He is the first to achieve both those milestones for the county since Dominic Cork in the 1990s.Budinger’s partnership with Holland, which was worth four at the moment of the first dropped catch, had put on 120. Reece picked up his second wicket in the same spell when Holland cut straight to the man at backward point for 44.Lewis Hill, in his first appearance since announcing he would step down as captain at the end of the season, twice cut Chappell to the boundary before driving him handsomely down the ground for another but was adjudged leg before to Chappell – Derbyshire’s player of the year – just before tea.Harry Swindells, making only his second Championship appearance of the season, helped Trevaskis take the total beyond 200 but departed in comically dreadful fashion, ballooning an awful full toss straight to mid-on as Wagstaff took a wicket with his fourth delivery.Trevaskis completed his second half-century of the season before being bowled by Lloyd for 57, before Ben Mike and Ben Green were both caught behind to give the two spinners another wicket apiece, Lloyd picking up his third as Tom Scriven was leg before sweeping.

These first-time auction buys could become key movers for their franchises if they are played this season

Sreshth Shah19-Sep-2020Josh Philippe, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Philippe, a wicketkeeper-batsman from Australia, was one of the stars of the Big Bash League’s 2019-20 season. He started the tournament with a bang, hitting 81 not out against Perth Scorchers and ending the game with a massive six that landed on the roof of the SCG pavilion. He went on to score four more fifties for Sydney Sixers in the tournament, including one in the final. Philippe, 23, has shown both impeccable timing and a 360 game in his short career. RCB were lucky to pick him up for just Rs 20 lakh (about US$27,000) in the last auction, which was before the BBL season. Philippe was recently included in the Australia squad for the ODI and T20I series in England, though he did not make his international debut. He has earned high praise from big names – Adam Gilchrist has said he could be a “catalyst for change” in Australia’s white-ball squad, while RCB team-mate AB de Villiers has said he sees some of his younger self in Philippe.Ishan Porel, Kings XI Punjab
Porel, 22, is a seamer who can consistently hit the 140kph mark. He first drew attention during India’s successful campaign at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, in which he took 4 for 17 in the semi-final, against Pakistan, and then bowled a tight opening spell in the final, against Australia. Since then, he has become the de facto leader of the Bengal bowling line-up and helped Bengal reach the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy final. He was part of the India A team that toured New Zealand in January 2020 and took eight wickets in three games. Porel began as a back-of-a-length bowler, but over the past few years he has learned to swing the ball and begun bowling fuller to succeed in Indian conditions.Tom Banton, Kolkata Knight Riders
At 21, Banton is already one of the most talked about batsmen on the T20 circuit. In 40 T20 matches, he has an average of nearly 30 and a strike-rate of 154.16. Banton rose to prominence during the 2019 English summer, when he scored 454 runs for Somerset in the Royal One-Day Cup, including 112, 59 and 69 in the three knockout games. He also scored 549 runs in the Vitality Blast, including a hundred and four fifties. He was then picked up by franchises for both the BBL and the Pakistan Super League and had impressive innings in both competitions. He has also become a regular member of England’s white-ball squads. Banton grew up playing field hockey and that helps him play outrageous reverse-sweeps and scoops, which makes him an entertaining batsman to watch.Ravi Bishnoi, Kings XI Punjab
A modern-day legspinner who prefers his googly to the traditional legbreak, Bishnoi was the leading wicket-taker at the 2020 U-19 World Cup, collecting 17 scalps in six games at an average of 10.64. He admires Rashid Khan and Yuzvendra Chahal, and his fast run-up allows him to get extra zip and bounce. It will help Bishnoi, still just 20, that Kings XI Punjab’s head coach is Anil Kumble, the former India legspinner. Bishnoi recently said he had been learning to bowl the flipper from Kumble.Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rajasthan Royals
Jaiswal, an 18-year-old left-hand batsman from Mumbai, was the Player of the Tournament at the 2020 U-19 World Cup, in which he scored 400 runs at an average of 133, including four fifties and a century. By then, Jaiswal had already impressed for the Mumbai senior team – he scored three centuries, one a double, for Mumbai in the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Jaiswal’s consistency and aggression made him a hot commodity at the auction, and he was sold for Rs 2.4 crore (about US$338,000). With Ajinkya Rahane no longer at Rajasthan Royals, there’s a good chance Jaiswal will be one of their first-choice openers.

The wristspinner has barely played any first-class cricket since his Test debut, and he’s looking to make up for it now, playing for India A

Varun Shetty at the Chinnaswamy04-Sep-2018It is the third day of India A’s first unofficial Test against Australia A, and Kuldeep Yadav goes round the wicket to Marnus Labuschagne. He pushes cover a few yards back, to where the 30-yard circle would be in limited-overs cricket, and pushes long-off back onto the boundary. Labuschagne, Australia A’s No. 6, has been driving freely all through his innings of 37.Now, Kuldeep’s loopy trajectory brings Labuschagne forward, looking to pick up a single into the open straight field on the off side. The ball dips and lands half a yard short of the batsman’s stride, and spins through the gate to knock back his stumps.In that moment is contained all the skill and nous Sachin Tendulkar might have been referring to around a month ago when he said Kuldeep was ready for Test cricket.But how often does Kuldeep get the chance to engineer a wicket like that? The answer? Not much at all.When Kuldeep played the Lord’s Test a couple of weeks ago, it wasn’t just his first Test since August 2017, but also his his first red-ball match in that period. India got through an entire domestic season between those two Test matches. Kuldeep’s previous first-class match before that August 2017 Test in Pallekele, meanwhile, was his Test debut against Australia in Dharamsala, in March 2017.To put it simply, before this unofficial Test in Bengaluru, Kuldeep’s last three first-class games were all Tests, spread over nearly a year-and-a-half. It was the period in which he became a regular in the India limited-overs teams, when he was involved in series against Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, South Africa and England. With that packed schedule, he might well not have had the chance to join his state side in the Ranji Trophy. It shouldn’t be a surprise at all, then, that Kuldeep with the red ball isn’t yet as threatening as Kuldeep with the white ball.By his own admission, Kuldeep thinks he needs more game time in this format.”You have to change your mindset when you come to play with the red ball,” he said at the end of the day’s play. “You need to be very patient. You’re not going to take wickets every time you come up to bowl. For me it’s very important to be patient and not to try too much.”And that was the brief given to him when he was released from the Test squad before the fourth Test in England.”I spoke to MSK [Prasad, chief selector] sir and Ravi [Shastri] sir. They wanted me to play a lot of cricket. I went there [England] and played one Test match. It was likely that only one spinner would be able to play over there so there wasn’t much of an opportunity there. Here I had the opportunity to play. There was no advantage to sitting on the sidlelines.”I was itching to go out and play because you only improve when you have match time. The growth is much slower when you’re sitting on the sidelines. So this game and the next one are really important to me. This is all adding to my experience. The more I bowl with the red ball, the quicker I get used to it. And West Indies is going to come over to play as well. So if I find my rhythm here, it’ll be easier for me to perform in that series. This is a good step for me. Personally, I’m very happy with the move of playing here. “The return to India hadn’t begun too well. On the first day of the match, when Mohammed Siraj picked up an eight-wicket haul, Kuldeep had struggled to hit consistent lengths and trouble the visitors’ top three, which consisted entirely of left-handers. He had come on first change that day, and was largely ineffective even with the older ball, often dropping the ball too short or pushing it through too quickly. Though he was the only other bowler apart from Siraj to pick up wickets, he was the most expensive of India A’s five frontline bowlers.”For me it’s very challenging to transform to red-ball cricket,” Kuldeep said after the third day’s play. He had taken two late wickets, including the one of Labuschagne, as Australia A pushed to set a fourth-innings target.Associated Press”Mentally you’ve to adjust a little – the conditions were very different in England. It was a Duke’s ball. The wickets are quicker,” Kuldeep said. “Back here in India, the SG ball gets much softer and tougher to bowl with. So those are the challenges. But after practising for a couple of days, I got used to it. I wasn’t that comfortable in the first innings, but with every over, it got better.”If you’re playing white-ball regularly and suddenly you’re selected for Test team and start bowling with the red ball, then it’s challenging. In this match, I bowled around 30-plus overs, and now I’m feeling much better. I’m getting in the rhythm and really enjoying bowling right now.”Kuldeep career is somewhat peculiar in that he has, in a short span of time, oscillated between being the big hope for the future and a work in progress. Before Tendulkar’s comments, Ravi Shastri had proclaimed that Kuldeep, the “tough little nut”, had arrived as a player. After a string of impressive limited-overs performances, so much was expected from India’s left-arm wristspinner that Virat Kohli, long before the start of the Test series in England, had said Kuldeep was making a case for red-ball selection.It might have put Kuldeep in a bit of a spot, then, all these expectations, when he did make it into the XI for the Lord’s Test. Not only had he pipped Ravindra Jadeja to the role of second spinner, but he’d also replaced a seamer in the most seam-friendly conditions of the series. Having not played any red-ball cricket in nearly a year, Kuldeep stood little chance of shining in gloomy London. He ended up with three significant zeroes in that match, two with the bat, and one in the wickets column.There’s no doubt Kuldeep has the ability to bowl well in the longest format, as he showed on his debut in Dharamsala. But he needs regular exposure to red-ball cricket, and bowl a lot of overs, to find his rhythm and maintain it.In the second innings against Australia A, Kuldeep started off tight, then grew a little wayward, and then regained his control. In contrast to the first innings, he appeared to have a plan at all times on the third day. Early on, he eased nicely into a containing role, which his older team-mate K Gowtham had been trusted with in the first innings. Kuldeep hit a good length more often than in the first innings and appeared, overall, to be bowling a lot slower as well. As he grew more confident through the day, he even began going round the wicket to the right-handers. From that angle came the beautifully set up wicket of Labuschagne.The 36.5 overs he has sent down in the first unofficial Test should hold Kuldeep in good stead when he bowls in the second game against Australia A. By the time that match is done, he should be fairly well prepared for West Indies’ arrival. This is how India should nurture their most promising wristspinner. He cannot be learning the craft sporadically and directly at Test level. Few have survived trying to do that.

وجه مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، برئاسة الكابتن حسين لبيب، رسالة شكر وتقدير لإدارة الكرة بالفريق الأول لكرة القدم، بقيادة جون إدوارد المدير الرياضي، وعبد الناصر محمد مدير الكرة، ويانيك فيريرا المدير الفني والجهاز الفني.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة فريق الجونة، مساء غدًا الثلاثاء، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن لقاءات الدوري المصري.

طالع | لاعب الزمالك يغيب عن مباراة الجونة في الدوري للإصابة

وجاء بيان مجلس إدارة الزمالك، قائلا: “يتوجه مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة الكابتن حسين لبيب بالشكر لإدارة الكرة بالفريق الأول لكرة القدم  بقيادة جون إدوارد المدير الرياضي، وعبد الناصر محمد مدير الكرة ، ويانيك فيريرا المدير الفني وجهازه المعاون واللاعبين على الروح التي أظهرها الجميع منذ بداية الموسم”.

وأكمل: “تجلت هذه الروح في المواقف الصعبة التي يمر بها الزمالك لاسيما سحب أرض النادي بمدينة السادس من أكتوبر مما أثر على التدفقات المالية الخاصة بمنظومة كرة القدم”.

وواصل: “ويُقدر مجلس الإدارة نجاح جهاز الكرة في عزل الفريق عن هذه الأزمة، والتحلى بالعزيمة والإصرار من عناصر منظومة الكرة لتحقيق الهدف الذي تم وضعه منذ بداية الموسم وهو الدفاع عن شعار الزمالك بكل إخلاص مهما كانت التحديات والمعوقات”.

وأردف: “كما يُشيد مجلس إدارة الزمالك، باحترافية وإخلاص اللاعبين خلال الفترة الماضية وتحملهم الظروف التي يمر بها النادي، ويؤكد المجلس أن العمل جاري على حلها من خلال القنوات الشرعية وانهاء تلك الأزمة مطلع الشهر المقبل بصورة نهائية”.

وأتم: “ويطالب مجلس إدارة الزمالك الجهاز الفني واللاعبين بمواصلة العمل الجاد وبذل كل نقطة عرق من أجل القلعة البيضاء، لتحقيق طموحات جماهيره في كل مكان”.

Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes her wicket was the turning point that led to a five-run loss that eliminated them from WPL 2024. Mumbai were in the driver’s seat while chasing 136, when they needed 16 runs off 13 balls with Harmanpreet and Amelia Kerr batting and seven wickets in hand.But once Harmanpreet holed out to long-on at the end of the 18th over, the rest of the Mumbai line-up failed to score the remaining runs which became 12 off six after Sophie Molineux conceded just four in the 19th over and dismissed S Sajana.”In 12 balls we just needed one boundary and we were not able to get it,” Harmanpreet said after the match. “That is what this game always teaches you. It puts you under pressure and you have to keep learning from it.”When we lost my wicket, after that our batters could not hold their nerve, that was the turning point.”Related

• RCB spinners and Perry stun Mumbai to seal berth in WPL 2024 final

Mumbai had restricted RCB to 135, a total that looked chasable in the conditions, especially when Mumbai were 60 for 2 at the halfway mark and required 76 from 60. Harmanpreet and Kerr steered them once Nat Sciver-Brunt fell in the 11th over with a steady partnership of 52 that saw them strike regular boundaries after the 15th over. From 43 off 30, they reduced it to 20 off 18 when Harmanpreet survived a stumping chance off Shreyanka Patil when Richa Ghosh failed to collect the ball cleanly. But five balls later Patil had Harmanpreet caught by Sophie Devine at long-on.”We fought really hard,” Harmanpreet said. “This season has been a little up and down for us. Last season as a team we did really well but this time our performance was little up and down. But we learned a lot this season and hopefully next season we prepare really well and come [back] hard.”Harmanpreet, however, praised Sajana who had hit a stunning six off her first ball of the WPL in the opening game of the season to register a last-ball win against Delhi Capitals.”We got SS (Sajana) during this tournament, she is someone who can hit the ball really hard,” Harmanpreet said of their find of the year. “And that is what we want the WPL to do, to create more young players and it’s good to see young girls are coming and giving their 100%.

As Manchester United prepare to take on Newcastle United at St James’ Park this afternoon, it could be argued that the trip to Tyneside is merely an unwanted obstacle for Ruben Amorim’s side, with all eyes on next week’s Europa League tie with Lyon.

The Red Devils certainly won’t throw in the towel on the domestic front, yet left residing in the bottom half of the Premier League table, there truly is little to play for in the top-flight – other than pride, of course.

That scenario should ensure that the Portuguese coach is ready to ring the changes for today’s encounter, albeit with there an argument to be made that alterations need to be made regardless.

Indeed, the Daily Mail’s Chris Wheeler has already reported that Andre Onana could be dropped following his midweek blunders, while Rasmus Hojlund could be in the firing line after another limp outing which saw him register just 11 touches on Thursday night.

Alongside the goal-shy Dane, Alejandro Garnacho is another perhaps in need of a rest as his woes continued in front of goal away in Lyon, with the 20-year-old arguably outclassed by young Rayan Cherki for the hosts.

As such, it might be time for Amorim to trial a fresh new attacking lineup, considering the return of a number of high-profile talents.

Man Utd team news for Newcastle

As Amorim revealed in his pre-match press conference on Friday, the 40-year-old should have a similar squad available to the one that made the trip to France earlier this week, with squad depth gradually beginning to improve in the Old Trafford ranks.

Indeed, that latest outing saw Kobbie Mainoo finally make his return to action off the bench, with compatriot Mason Mount also stepping up his return to fitness after now featuring as a substitute in each of United’s last three games in all competitions.

Elsewhere, fellow England star, Luke Shaw, has also been back in contention of late, albeit with the versatile defender still waiting to make his first appearance since early December. A first start, meanwhile, could be on the cards for the first time since February 2024.

Chido Obi could also be in the mix again, with the teenage striker ineligible to feature in Europe, albeit with Toby Collyer and Mathijjs de Ligt likely to be absent once again, having joined the likes of Amad Diallo, Ayden Heaven and Jonny Evans on the treatment table.

Thankfully, however, there does not appear to be any fresh injury blows, with Lisandro Martinez – who is likely to be out for much of 2025 after rupturing his ACL – seemingly the only long-term absentee at the Theatre of Dreams.

Chalkboard

That growing list of options should ensure that Amorim now has the chance to shuffle his pack against the Magpies, with both Garnacho and Hojlund among those who could make way.

How Man Utd's attack could look against Newcastle

There could be worse ideas than to drop Garnacho and Hojlund back to the bench, thus taking the pair out of the firing line and allowing them the chance to potentially make an impact as a substitute late on.

Minutes played

63′

Touches

11

Shots on target

1

Shots off target

1

Passes completed

2/3

Key passes

2

Ground duels

0/3

Aerial duels

N/A

Possession lost

3x

Fouls

1

As Thursday’s 2-2 draw showcased, the Red Devils do now have the luxury of increased alternatives in the attacking ranks, with the introduction of Joshua Zirkzee on the hour mark proving particularly fruitful.

While the Dutchman may not be the out-and-out striker that United are craving, his late header did showcase his growing impact in a United shirt, having now scored on the road against both Real Sociedad and Lyon.

With Hojlund toiling, Zirkzee may have to lead the line from the off this time around, thus marking a real full circle moment, considering he was jeered off against today’s opponents just a matter of months ago.

The 23-year-old could be joined in the front line by the aforementioned Mount, with the former Chelsea man having looked lively during his late cameo in midweek, emphasising just why Amorim has hailed him as a “proper footballer”.

Mount, 26, has been among the few who the former Sporting CP boss has repeatedly singled out for praise during his brief tenure thus far, although now is the time for the Englishman to walk the walk.

With the £55m man joining Zirkzee in the starting lineup, the final number ten berth could be taken up by the returning Mainoo, with the 19-year-old playing his part in the second goal in France, as it was his brave header which found Bruno Fernandes.

The FA Cup final hero has endured a rocky season due to injury and the failure to nail down his best position in the 3-4-3, although it does appear he could earn a regular role for himself as part of the front three, having scored and assisted in that berth against FCSB back in January.

As Amorim has stated, the Red Devils “need to be careful” with the teenager amid his injury woes, although it would be a waste not to utilise a player of his talents, with the United boss stating that Mainoo is “really good near the opponent’s box”.

With Fernandes potentially replacing Manuel Ugarte by dropping into a deep-lying berth, the opening is there for the academy graduate to take his chance as one of the two number tens.

There could be a lack of pace if Amorim does opt to deploy Mainoo alongside Mount and Zirkzee, although that £375k-per-week trio could make up an exciting, new-look forward line at St James’ Park.

64 touches, 93% passes: Man Utd's 8/10 star is now as important as Bruno

Manchester United could only secure a 2-2 draw with Lyon in the Europa League last night.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 11, 2025

Arsenal are planning to open initial transfer talks for a marquee striker who potential new sporting director, Andrea Berta, tried to sign during his time at Atlético Madrid.

Andrea Berta closing in on Arsenal sporting director role

Five months after Edu Gaspar’s resignation as sporting director, it is believed Mikel Arteta could soon welcome a brand-new transfer chief.

Mikel Arteta ready to sell Jakub Kiwior as Arsenal identify £75m replacement

The Gunners are in the market for another centre-back this summer.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 8, 2025

Berta, who left Atlético in January, is available for hire and Arsenal are reported to be closing in on his appointment as Edu’s replacement in the Gunners boardroom.

Some media sources claim Berta to Arsenal is “all but done” after advanced talks with the 53-year-old, and in predictable fashion, transfer rumours have swiftly followed news of Berta’s pending arrival at the Emirates.

Ex-Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere suggested that Berta could use his Atlético connections to help Arsenal strike a deal for Wolves forward Matheus Cunha, and he adds that the director’s possible arrival is a “very, very exciting” one.

“He has great experience and has been at Atlético Madrid for 12 years,” said Aliadiere (via The Metro).

“If you look at the signings he has made and what the club has achieved, it is very exciting. Very, very exciting.

‘If we look at the job Edu has done from when he came in and where Arsenal were, the signings he has made, I think he has done very well. You don’t work at Atletico alongside Diego Simeone if you’re not very good at your job, so I am very excited. But of course, we hope to sign some big players now.”

Some supporters will be hoping Berta’s influence can indeed assist Arsenal in their pursuit of a new number nine, whether that be Cunha or another high-profile name.

Arsenal lost Gabriel Jesus to a long-term ACL injury earlier this season, with some reports claiming he could even be out until 2026, while Kai Havertz is set to miss the rest of this Premier League season.

Arsenal planning initial talks to sign Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke and Football Insider, £268,000-per-week Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez is now on Arsenal’s transfer shortlist as a striking option, and Berta is a “huge fan” of the player.

As per O’Rourke, Berta attempted to lure the Argentine to Atlético when he was overseeing transfers at the Wanda Metropolitano, and Arsenal are now set to open preliminary talks to sign Martinez.

With Berta on the way to north London, Arsenal are laying the groundwork over a “mega-money” deal for Martinez, which other reports state could cost Arteta’s side up to £80 million to get over the line.

The 27-year-old World Cup winner currently captains the Nerazzurri and is a crucial player for Simone Inzaghi, having scored 17 goals across all competitions already this season.

Martinez has showcased impressive proficiency over his many seasons at the San Siro, and the South American still has fours years left to run on his contract, making this a potentially costly operation.

A new La Liga rule could help cash-strapped Barcelona have the means to offer a lucrative contract to Lamine Yamal.

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New rule could help Barca in Yamal contract questCatalans set to make 17-year-old their top earnerFlick and Raphinha have extended their staysFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After winning three domestic titles in the 2024-25 campaign, Barcelona have already started planning for the future. They have already tied down manager Hansi Fick and star winger Raphinha to new deals and are working on Yamal's contract extension. have reported that the Blaugrana will offer a massive five-year deal to their wonderkid that will make him the highest earner in the club.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

There are concerns over Barcelona's financial condition, as they are already over the squad cost limit. , however, reports that a new La Liga rule could allow them to offer a fresh contract to Yamal. A La Liga financial control rule was approved by all clubs last November and it has already come into effect in the current season. The rule allows a club to overpay to renew the deal of a squad member who is aged less than 24 and the club then generate the same amount throughout the year. If the club fails to generate that amount, it will get deducted from their next season's salary cap.

DID YOU KNOW?

Earlier this week, Yamal and his representatives, including Jorge Mendes, were seen leaving the La Bonaigua restaurant in Barcelona, accompanied by legal advisors. Mendes spoke briefly to reporters outside the restaurant, revealing that Yamal is set to stay at Barca.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

Hansi Flick's side will play their final game of the season on Sunday as they take on Athletic Club away from home.

The Blaugrana and Los Blancos boast some of the game's greatest players – but also some of its most entitled moaners

As it stands, Sunday's Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid will go ahead as planned. But who knows what might happen between now and the scheduled kick-off at 16:15 local time?

Madrid could take issue with the identity of the match referee. After all, Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez has taken charge of 35 of their Liga games in the past and they've lost nine of them – the kind of scary statistic that suggests either incompetence or corruption (at least in the mind of Madridistas). After all, when Madrid lose, it's never their fault. The referee is always to blame, which is why they're presently leading a campaign to overhaul the entire system of officiating in Spain.

It's a thankless task – quite literally. Indeed, Madrid are copping quite a lot of flak for raging against a machine that many of their rivals would argue has benefited Los Blancos more than any other club in Spain.

As the Liga leaders, Barcelona have been particularly incensed by their great rivals' constant complaints, which are seen as a rather obvious attempt to discredit the Catalans' seemingly imminent championship success. Barca would also argue that they don't just have to deal with biased refereeing in Spain, as they feel that they're being shafted in Europe, too – as supposedly underlined by Tuesday's Champions League loss at San Siro.

There is still hope that Sunday's post-match discourse will be dominated by debates over the greatness of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Pedri, Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe or Jude Bellingham, but while the game at Montjuic really could be one for the purists, it feels far more likely that it will prove yet another Clasico for the conspiracy theorists…

AFPAnother pathetic protest?

In the extremely unlikely event that anyone has already forgotten, there was very real doubt over whether Madrid would even turn up for the previous Clasico, on April 26. Madrid refused to fulfil their pre-match media duties and there were reports in the Spanish press that they were actually considering boycotting the Copa del Rey final itself.

It seemed perfectly plausible, of course. Madrid have plenty of previous when it comes to throwing hissy fits. They refused to turn up for last year's Ballon d'Or awards ceremony when they learned that Vinicius wasn't going to win – arguably the most pathetic, petty, unjustified and unsporting protest the football world has ever seen.

Madrid insisted that they never entertained the idea of pulling out of the final – but that was only "out of respect to all those fans who have travelled to Seville and those that are already in the Andalucian capital". Why were they so upset then? Because of the alleged "hostility and animosity" shown towards the club by the "referees assigned to the final".

Advertisement@rfef / X'Target on a colleague's head'

It has to be acknowledged that match referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea and VAR Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes should never have been allowed to speak to the media before a game. Such press conferences have been introduced by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in the interests of greater transparency, but the officials' comments were always going to cause controversy, given the pre-existing toxicity surrounding the Copa del Rey Clasico.

However, as both men were at pains to point out, Madrid – and, in particular, their poisonous in-house TV channel that pores over refereeing decisions on a daily basis – had played pivotal roles in the creation of said toxicity and they understandably welcomed the opportunity to speak out.

"The consequences of talking about robberies and using bad words, that frustration you create among fans, is something that the boys and girls who pick up a whistle to do a kids' game end up paying for," Gonzalez Fuertes told reporters. "That is the consequence of putting a target on a colleague’s head."

De Burgos Bengoetxea spoke even more passionately – and movingly – about the devastating effects of the constant criticism of referees.

"When a child goes to school and people tell him his father is a thief it's messed up," the official said, struggling to contain his emotions. "All I can do is educate my son so that he knows that his father is honourable, show him what refereeing is, and for everyone to reflect on where we want to go; I would like you all to know, it is very hard."

Depressingly, that plea for greater understanding has been ignored – and not just by Madrid.

Getty Images Sport'We can't lose respect for referees…'

Barca boss Hansi Flick came out strongly in support of referees while Madrid were going into meltdown ahead of the Copa final. "What's happening isn't right," he said. "We can't lose respect for referees. This is football, and it's our responsibility to protect everyone: players, coaches, and referees. On the pitch, there are emotions, but after the match, we must move on."

Flick struggled to follow his own advice at San Siro on Tuesday, though. "We think that the result is unfair because of some refereeing decisions, I have to say it," Flick said after a 4-3 loss to Inter that saw Barcelona eliminated from the Champions League semi-finals 7-6 on aggregate.

"I don't want to talk too much about the referee," Flick added, before continuing to talk about the referee. "But every decision that was 50-50 ended up being in their favour; that's what makes me sad."

What was truly sad, though, was that Flick felt compelled to confront Szymon Marciniak after the full-time whistle, as it only encouraged further whining from his players in their respective post-match interviews.

Getty Images Sport'UEFA should look into it'

Ronaldo Araujo said Marciniak "influenced" the game, Eric Garcia brought up past grievances from games involving the Pole, while Pedri even went so far as to call for an investigation into Marciniak's handling of the second leg.

"It's not the first time that this has happened to us with this referee, so UEFA should look into it, as there are things that I don't understand and they are complicated to explain: all of the 50-50s went for them," the midfielder said, echoing his coach.

It was all nonsense, of course. Marciniak had actually missed Pau Cubarsi's foul on Lautaro Martinez during the first half and the penalty was only awarded because of the VAR, Dennis Higler, who was also responsible for overruling Marciniak's decision to give Barca a second-half spot-kick as the replays proved that Henrikh Mkhitaryan's foul on Lamine Yamal had actually taken place outside the area.

Barca's claim that Denzel Dumfries had fouled Gerard Martin before Inter's injury-time equaliser was also laughable – as was Inigo Martinez's insistence that he hadn't intentionally spat at Francesco Acerbi after Hakan Calhanoglou's successful penalty attempt. Indeed, for all Barca's b*tching and moaning, the biggest let-off of the night was their centre-back avoiding a straight red card for a disgusting and cowardly reaction to taunting.

Brothers Jack and Matt fight in eighth-wicket stand but Gloucestershire succumb in final hour

ECB Reporters Network29-Jul-2023

Worcestershire’s seamers demonstrated admirable resolve to forge a dramatic late victory over Gloucestershire on the final day of an enthralling LV=County Championship match at the Cheltenham Festival.Adam Finch claimed 4 for 83, Dillon Pennington 4 for 63 and Joe Leach 2 for 57 as the visitors bowled out their neighbours for 311 to win by 110 runs with just 8.5 overs remaining.Worcestershire had earlier declared their second innings on 316 for 8, setting Gloucestershire a notional 421 to win in 96 overs. They looked on course to achieve a routine victory when reducing the home side to 190 for 7 shortly before tea, only for brothers Jack and Matt Taylor to stage a defiant stand of 95 in 27 overs.It took a late burst from Pennington with the second new ball to finally end Gloucestershire resistance, the Shrewsbury-born seamer removing Jack Taylor for a season’s-best 98 and Zaman Akhter in the space of three balls. He then bowled Paul van Meekeren for seven to seal victory, leaving Matt Taylor stranded on 49 not out.Achieving back-to-back victories for the first time since 2019, Worcestershire’s fourth win of this season saw them bank 23 points, while Gloucestershire picked up five. Worcestershire have moved above promotion rivals Glamorgan into second place in the table behind runaway leaders Durham, and they boast a handy 14-point advantage over the Welsh county and are 21 clear of fourth-placed Sussex, who have a game in hand.For their part, Gloucestershire are still seeking their first win of the season after 11 matches and only Yorkshire, docked 48 points by an ECB Cricket Discipline Commission panel earlier this week, sit below them in the table.Required to score at 4.39 runs an over if they were to break their long winless run, Gloucestershire never seriously considered the prospect of victory after losing three wickets during the morning session.Eager to make amends following his first-innings failure, Chris Dent played fluently in accruing five boundaries and moving smoothly to 24, only to then push tentatively at a delivery from Leach and offering Jake Libby a straightforward catch at third slip with the score on 37.Joe Phillips and Ollie Price had staged a superb stand of 100 on day two, but were unable to repeat their first-innings heroics on this occasion, both falling in quick succession to Adam Finch. Attempting to work a ball just short of a length to leg, Phillips top-edged a catch to Brett D’Oliveira at point and departed for 26 in the 16th over.Having posted scores of 85 and 115 in his last two Festival innings, Ollie Price blotted his copybook, taking on Finch and directing a top-edged hook straight to Leach at deep fine leg. He had made just 13 and Gloucestershire were 76 for 3 and in need of a reassuring partnership.Hammond and James Bracey did their best to keep Worcestershire’s seamers at bay in a stubborn alliance of 53 in 19 overs either side of the lunch interval. Although looking out of touch and vulnerable throughout, Bracey battled hard in scratching 19 from 64 balls, before pushing at a ball from Leach and falling to a fine diving catch by Gareth Roderick behind the stumps.Wickets have fallen in clusters throughout this fluctuating contest and, sure enough, the returning Dillon Pennington had Tom Price caught at the wicket without scoring in the next over, further reducing the home side to 130 for 5.Gloucestershire’s most effective batsman in red-ball cricket this season, Hammond continued to serve up resistance, going to his eighth 50 of the summer from 72 deliveries. It is perhaps revealing that he has yet to convert a single one of those half centuries into a hundred, and this innings proved no exception to that rule, the Cheltenham-born left-hander attempting to pull Finch and playing on, undone by a ball that kept low.He had contributed 64, faced 106 balls and struck half a dozen fours and a six, and with him went Gloucestershire’s best chance of saving the game. Fired up and in the zone, the aggressive Finch generated additional pace to bowl Zafar Gohar for five in his next over from the College Lawn End.With 40 overs still to negotiate, Gloucestershire were 190 for 7 and reliant upon their last recognised batsman, Jack Taylor, who at least reached the sanctuary of the tea interval unbeaten on 40 in partnership with younger brother Matt.Attack proved the best form of defence for the elder Taylor, who drove Leach down the ground for his ninth four to raise his first Championship 50 of the season from just 54 balls.He was just two runs short of his hundred when controversy flared. Taylor blocked a ball from Pennington, who then attempted to shy at the stumps only to hit the batsman. Umpire Martin Saggers intervened as tempers flared, awarding five penalty runs to Gloucestershire and issuing Pennington with a verbal warning.Pennington had the last laugh however, Jack Taylor dragging the next delivery onto his stumps and departing for 98. Akhter fell two balls later, edging Pennington low to first slip, leaving Gloucestershire on the brink.