Caiu a maior invencibilidade em casa do Palmeiras na história do Allianz Parque. A derrota por 1 a 0 do Verdão para o Botafogo, neste domingo (25), foi a primeira em 31 jogos no estádio palmeirense.
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A equipe alviverde havia atingido o recorde recentemente, quando venceu o Fortaleza por 3 a 0, no último dia 17 de maio, pela Copa do Brasil. Na ocasião, os palmeirenses haviam superado a marca de 28 jogos de invencibilidade conquistada entre agosto de 2016 e junho de 2017.
+ Até 50% OFF em produtos do Verdão para os torcedores fanáticos!
Antes do revés para o Glorioso, o Palmeiras havia perdido em sua casa pela última vez no dia 2 de julho do ano passado, quando foi derrotado por 2 a 0 pelo Athletico-PR, no último Brasileirão, que foi conquistado justamente pelo Palestra ao fim da temporada.
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A derrota palmeirense para o Botafogo foi a segunda consecutiva da equipe na temporada. Na última quarta-feira (21), a equipe já havia perdido fora de casa para o Bahia. A sequência de resultados negativos fez com que o Verdão perdesse a vice-liderança do Campeonato Brasileiro e ficasse agora a oito pontos do líder, que é justamente o Botafogo, algoz palmeirense neste fim de semana.
EXCLUSIVE: After his a long-awaited USMNT return, the son the former national team coach hopes for more chances to come
HARRISON, N.J. – It was just before one of the U.S. men's national team's matches at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and Jurgen Klinsmann had wrapped a training session. Tim Howard and Brad Guzan turned for the lockerroom, but a few players wanted to stay on the field to continue their work.
Nick Rimando was there to play in goal, but Klinsmann needed another shot-stopper. He looked around, surveyed the scene and found his 17-year-old son.
"We need help," the then-USMNT boss said. "Hop in."
That was Jonathan Klinsmann's first USMNT training session, if you can call it that. Now, more than a decade later, he can admit that it wasn't particularly great, nor had he done much to earn it. His dad needed a warm body in goal, and he was the best he had at his disposal at that moment.
"I was so young. I had no muscle on me!" Klinsmann told GOAL. "I just remember the speed of the ball. I remember it going right past my head. I ended up somehow saving one. I'm feeling confident, and then Jermaine Jones steps up and rips one right at me. I had it. I had the ball in my hands, but I couldn't hold it. He just hit it so hard. It should have been comfortable, but it was so powerful that it went right through me. Right then, I was like, 'OK, this is different.'"
Klinsmann's path back into a USMNT shirt? Yeah, that's been different, too.
The son of a legendary coach and player, Klinsmann, theoretically, could have had an easy path. Instead, he took a more circuitous route back to the USMNT. It's one that, for many, is still headlined by a tweet he sent as a teenager. Those days are long gone, of course. Much has changed, and life has since sent Klinsmann on his own unique journey through it all.
From college to the Bundesliga to Switzerland to the USL to MLS and, now, finally, after all this time, a starting job in Italy, Klinsmann's path has turned into a story of persistence. At some point at each of those stops, he was benched – if he even got the chance to play at all.
Many times, that's what led to him moving on. Klinsmann's story, generally, is one of a player chasing opportunities that never really went his way. Not until now, at least. He's seized his chance with Cesena in Italy. That earned him a opportunity with the USMNT earlier this month.
That's how he sees things now – as an opportunity. Finally, at age 28, Klinsmann is beginning develop into the player he always wanted to be. Does that result in more USMNT chances going forward? Perhaps, perhaps not. But, after rejoining the USMNT this month, it's worth dreaming.
The goalkeeper picture seems wide open, and so, fresh off his latest national team chance, it might just be worth wondering if, just maybe, those shots from Jones won't be his only World Cup memory after all.
"Going to college and then all of these different spots and just not playing, that gets at you a lot," Klinsmann says. "Over the years, it's been waiting and waiting and waiting and, finally, having a chance to get a string of games to be like, 'OK, this is me.' It was being patient for eight or nine years and now finally being told that you can play.
"I've been playing well enough to get this call, so it all just feels like the culmination of my story, of my career up until now. It's all been about building for years. Being able to put it all together now? It's the best. Coming here tops it all off."
AFP
A love for goalkeeping
Klinsmann gets the question a lot. "How in the world did you become a goalkeeper?" For the uninitiated, his father, Jurgen, was one of the most dangerous attackers the game has seen. He was a World Cup winner with Germany who lit up the Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Premier League during his career. Somehow, his son chose gloves instead of goals?
He laughs about it. Klinsmann actually started as a forward, but was tossed into goal during a stint with Bayern Munich's academy. Throughout his youth, he was lucky enough to find a series of goalkeeper coaches who made the position fun. He never looked back.
"It was quick," Klinsmann recalled. "For me to change, I had to love it, right? I loved scoring goals and I loved being up top, being creative, and I still love it. For me to change positions, I knew right away. It was so much fun. I really liked it."
His father, of course, was supportive. As the years went on, he was also a valuable resource. While club coaches would help him get into the mindset of a goalkeeper, his father would get him into the mindset of a striker.
"He would shoot at me, and it was always fun," Klinsmann recalls. "He doesn't think like a goalkeeper. It's the exact opposite. A coach would say, 'Maybe do this or that' and then dad, from a striker's perspective, would tell me what he's thinking. If I move here, what does that say in his mind? Does he aim somewhere else? Does me doing this switch up his thought process?
"We'd have a game and I'd get scored on and I'd ask him 'As a striker, what do you think?' And then I could go to my goalkeeper coach and go, 'As a goalkeeper, what do you think?' It was so many different perspectives. It was a full circle, and it was all the information I could really need."
Translating that information to the field, ultimately, became a struggle. For years, Klinsmann was desperate for a club to call home and, more importantly, where he could regularly play. That process took some time.
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The long road
After starring for the U.S. U20s and collegiately with the Califnornia Golden Bears, Klinsmann headed for Germany in 2017. He went for a trial. It worked. He signed with Hertha Berlin, and Klinsmann was seemingly on the rise.
Over the next seven years, he played precisely 26 senior soccer games. One came in Berlin, a Europa League appearance against Ostersunds FK. Two came with St. Gallen in Switzerland, both cup games. The rest? Spread across four years with the LA Galaxy, where he was almost exclusively a backup, save for a brief run in his final season.
"It was a lot of cup games where it was like, even if you play well, you probably won't play again. But if you don't play well, you definitely won't play again," he says. "So you go out there and try and have a couple of good games and you feel like, 'Oh man, I can really build on this.' But then you can't. Maybe next year. I had one bad cup game in Switzerland and they were like, 'Well, your year's done.' You'd have to wait until the next season to even have a chance to maybe go in. That happened every single year of my career until Italy."
It was a battle between frustration an perseverance. In the end, patience indeed turned out to be a virtue.
"At the end of the day, I felt like I deserved to play, but all you can do is keep showing up, right?" he said. "From Berlin on, I didn't have any other thought process other than, 'Can I play?' I just wanted to get onto the field. Finally, going to Italy, it's all come together, and I've been able to show what I can do. I've been waiting a decent amount of time to do that."
Enter Cesena, the little club on the Eastern side of Italy that made all of that worth the wait.
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Life in Italy
Klinsmann is no stranger to getting recognized. His last name is usually a dead giveaway. That's not why he gets spotted in Cesena, though.
"It's not the largest of cities," he says, "and I'm the only six-foot-something American guy."
Klinsmann arrived at Cesena in February 2024. They were in Serie C. The club made it clear upon his arrival that Klinsmann wouldn't play right away, which, in Klinsmann's life, was nothing new. Coming off an MLS offseason, he wasn't ready physically.
The second half of the season, then, was largely an extended preseason to prepare him to compete the following campaign. In the midst of that, the club got promoted, giving Klinsmann the opportunity to compete in Serie B.
"The whole risk was that this wasn't, per se, a normal way to do it," he says, "but I saw an opportunity, especially to start playing in Serie B. You can get exposure, experience, all of the different benefits of living in Italy as well."
That off-field life, Klinsmann says, is fantastic. He rarely spends time in his apartment. The food is great. Some of the biggest, best cities in the country are just a drive away. The beach is 30 minutes away and, in the summer, he says, there's no place better.
The big moments, though, come on the field. After taking over as the starter early last season, Klinsmann made 28 league appearances for Cesena as the club finished seventh in the league. This season has started well, and the club is even thinking about promotion.
"When they told me they wanted to make a switch, they said that I had these next few games and not to think about it as a one-and-done," he says. "They said, 'Your teammates and coaches trust you, so trust yourself.' I build on that. From the first game, I just did that."
Those consistent minutes also had Klinsmann dreaming of a potential USMNT return. He'd attended national team camp just once, as an injury replacement in 2018. With a new coach, Mauricio Pochettino, in place and experimentation ongoing ahead of the World Cup, he began to wonder what he could do to take that next step.
"You obviously know that you have to be playing and, going to Italy, it's every week now," he says. "It's a good level, a good league with a good team in front of you and not letting up many goals? You feel like, at a certain point, maybe it could happen. But it's not up to you. You just have to wait and hope and keep focused. You have to keep going if it's ever going to happen."
Then the email hit his in-box.
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More chances on the way?
The original message indicated that Klinsmann had been selected for the provisional squad. It was a sign that he was being seen. A good step, he thought. He was clearly doing the right thing. The real breakthrough came soon after, and the message came from Cesena.
"We played our first game against Pescara away and won 3-1, great result," he recalls. "My team manager pulled me aside while everyone was celebrating in the lockerroom and showed me the official email. It was emotional. The whole team, the coaches, are celebrating because of the result, which was fantastic. But I didn't tell anyone. I called my parents and my girlfriend and those were the only people.
"I just sat on the bus back that night, because it was a decent drive, and I just sat there thinking about it. The whole team was celebrating the win, and I went along with it. I was celebrating something cool, too."
Ultimately, Klinsmann didn't play in the USMNT camp. Pochettino used Matt Freese, the presumptive No. 1, in both games against South Korea and Japan – Freese, in fact, has started eight straight games for USMNT, and previous starter Matt Turner was not in this month's camp. At 28, Klinsmann did not get his first cap.
He hopes there will be a next time, but knows it isn't guaranteed. Either way, it was good to be back, good to know that, finally, after everything, he might just be on the right track.
"It was about giving everything that you possibly have in training every day with the goal of maybe getting called back in," Klinsmann says. "For me, that isn't a guarantee. With the World Cup coming up, you obviously want to get called back in. You don't want to be in a camp or two camps – you want to be in that last camp. It's just knowing that, even if you give it your all, it's still not up to you. But the least you can do is make sure you have no regrets about it."
One thing is clear about Klinsmann – he doesn't give up.
"There are just so many things that I can bring back to my club, that I can work on and that I can now share, too," he says. "It's not only just myself, right? It's these ideas that can change the way you think about goalkeeping a little bit while also staying within yourself and staying the guy that was called up. I had no expectation coming in. I just wanted to be open-minded. This was always a goal of mine, and I didn't give up on it. I always had an eye on it."
An “unbelievable” manager has now emerged as Manchester United’s top target to replace Ruben Amorim, who has made a poor start to the new campaign.
Doubts over Amorim's Man Utd future after slow start
With Man United winning their final game before the international break, defeating Burnley 3-2 at Old Trafford, Amorim appears to be safe in the short-term, but there are doubts about how long the 40-year-old will be able to last in the job.
Former Arsenal defender William Gallas has even suggested the Portuguese coach could be gone by the end of the year, saying: “He looks lost. I don’t think his body language and emotional response are giving a good impression to his players or the Manchester United fans,
“Looking at him, I’m not sure he’ll make it to Christmas, to be honest, because it feels like United are one poor performance or defeat away from a crisis.”
The former Sporting CP boss has struggled ever since his arrival at Old Trafford, with his points per match ratio particularly concerning, and the shock defeat at the hands of Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup certainly won’t have done the manager any favours.
Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd record
Games
46
Wins
17
Draws
12
Losses
17
Points per match
1.37
Consequently, according to a report from Football Insider, Man United have now started to identify potential replacements for Amorim, and they have selected Aston Villa manager Unai Emery as their top target.
INEOS are not actively looking to bring in a replacement for their manager straight away, but they have now started to assess the market, and Emery has emerged as an appealing option, given the job he has done at Villa.
The 53-year-old replaced Steven Gerrard at Villa Park in November 2022, taking over when the Villans were just above the relegation zone, and he has since led them to the Champions League and Europa League in back-to-back seasons.
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While the Spaniard has undoubtedly done a fantastic job at Aston Villa, there are doubts over how much further he can take them, given his current employers’ PSR issues, which limited their spending in the summer transfer window.
As such, a move to Old Trafford could potentially appeal to the Villa boss, who has enjoyed an incredibly successful career up to this point, winning 11 trophies across spells with Sevilla, Villarreal and Paris Saint-Germain.
Villa striker Louie Barry, who is currently on loan at Sheffield United, has also praised the former PSG manager’s training sessions, saying: “Unai Emery is an unbelievable coach for improving players. It was crazy to me how similar the training was to my time in Barcelona.”
Should they sack Amorim, Man United could do with bringing in a proven Premier League manager, who has a history of winning trophies, and Emery ticks both boxes.
Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that he will be holding talks with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis after seeing his winless start as Reds boss extended to seven games. Sack calls have been mounting at the City Ground, but the former Tottenham manager insists he has never been one to back down from a fight and believes that he can deliver a reversal in fortune.
Postecoglou still waiting on first win as Forest boss
That decision to continue may be taken out of his hands, with the Australian enduring a historically disastrous start to his reign on Trentside. After being appointed as successor to Nuno Espirito Santo on September 9, Postecoglou is yet to oversee a morale-boosting victory. Just one point has been picked up across four Premier League fixtures – with Forest’s latest top-flight setback coming at the hands of Newcastle.
Postecoglou also saw his side surrender a two-goal lead to crash out of the Carabao Cup in dramatic fashion at the hands of Championship side Swansea, while also going down 3-2 to Danish side Midtjylland in Forest’s first European game on home soil in 29 years. He was subjected to chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” from his own fans during that continental fixture.
AdvertisementGettyPostecoglou to meet with Forest owner Marinakis
There was little sign of improvement at St James’ Park, despite the hosts taking 58 minutes to break the deadlock, with Postecoglou left cutting a frustrated figure on the sidelines. Despite spending just a month in his current role, it is becoming increasingly difficult to see how he can turn things around.
Forest owner Marinakis is a demanding character, with the Greek shipping magnate having invested heavily in a bid to make the Reds competitive at home and abroad. He will be aware of what supporters are saying, with another face-to-face meeting with Postecoglou being lined up.
Quizzed on whether those talks will be taking place, Postecoglou told reporters: “I expect to have a discussion with the owner and everyone else at the club about what we’ve embarked on here, where we’re at and what we need to do, for sure. If people want to make an assessment of me after three-and-a-half weeks and seven games, there’s nothing I can do about that.
“At the same time, there’s nothing wrong with things being tough. That’s OK. I did have an option. I could have been sitting on the couch watching the game today and not being in the middle of it. I’d rather be here; much rather be here. I love a fight. So it’s a fight, it’s a struggle? So what? That’s OK.
"If people outside, or even internally, don’t think I’m the right person, it makes no difference to me. I took this role on knowing it would be a massive challenge with what we are trying to do in terms of changing the direction of the club. Nothing I have seen has changed my view on that. I love the challenge of taking this club to where it needs to be. I’m very confident we’ll get there.”
Postecoglou happy to fight for Forest future
Postecoglou bit back with when being pressed again on the supposed threat to his position at the City Ground: “Seriously, what’s wrong with something being hard? What’s wrong with that? Why do we want everything delivered nicely packaged? I’m sure your parents had a struggle in their life and they didn’t give up. You might even have been a lost cause at some point, but they didn’t give up on you.
“It seems these days as soon as something goes wrong, it’s right, that’s it, it’s wrong, we’ll change it. Everything that needs something fixed is invariably going to go through a tough time. I see it being an exciting opportunity. That’s why I took the role. I still believe that now, more so than ever before. At the same time, you’ve got to embrace there’s going to be a fight and a struggle for it.
“I’m here in the Premier League at the age of 60, you reckon I lack self-belief or don’t like a fight? I didn’t get here because of my connections. In fact, I’ve picked fights. I have. In the schoolyard, I’ve picked fights with people I knew would beat me up. That’s the kind of person I am. I totally understand it’s part of the fanfare around the Premier League that there needs to be a manager under the spotlight. It’s my turn at the moment. But like most managers, we enjoy having a challenge on our hands.”
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(C)Getty ImagesNottingham Forest fixtures: Tough run approaching
Things are not about to get any easier for Forest, who sit 17th in the Premier League table, with the Reds set to return to action after the latest international break with a run of games against Chelsea, Porto, Bournemouth and Manchester United.
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City’s higher-ups had the unenviable task of replacing Kevin De Bruyne this summer. The Belgian legend departed the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season, upon the expiration of his contract, and now plies his trade in Napoli, where he will be hoping to guide Antonio Conte’s side to back-to-back Scudettos.
Finding the right man to step into the shoes of De Bruyne was never going to be easy. Where on earth do you start looking when you want to replace his 108 goals and 177 assists for the club? Of course, he also vacated the now-iconic number 17 shirt, which is yet to be filled.
Manchester City's KevinDeBruyne
Well, one player who won’t be donning that shirt is summer signing Rayan Cherki.
Why Cherki won’t take City’s number 17
Despite picking up an injury so soon into his City career, Cherki is one of the players people believed could fill the creative void left by De Bruyne. He has already made a strong start to life at the Etihad Stadium.
In just six appearances in the Club World Cup and the Premier League, the France international has found the back of the net twice and assisted one goal.
His only strike in the English top-flight came against Wolves on his debut in the competition.
Despite only being a short way into his career in East Manchester, Cherki has already received high praise. BBC Sport analyst Umir Irfan described him as a “genius footballer” following his goal at Molineux.
So, you might think all the signs point to Cherki taking the number 17 at City and looking to follow on from De Bruyne’s legacy. But it does seem unlikely, because at the start of the season, the Frenchman switched to the number ten shirt, vacated by Jack Grealish, who moved to Everton.
Given that Cherki has such an iconic number already, it would be a surprise to see him swap again and take De Bruyne’s old number. However, City have the perfect candidate in their squad.
Man City’s next number 17 in waiting
Over the last few seasons, City’s academy has produced some magnificent players. Some, like Cole Palmer, have now departed the club, whilst others, including Phil Foden, are still playing week in, week out at the Etihad Stadium.
Well, it is an academy graduate who could be City’s perfect option to take on the mantle of De Bruyne’s 17 shirt. Oscar Bobb has established himself as an important player under Guardiola and has impressed during his short professional career so far.
Now 35 games into his career in East Manchester, the Norwegian international has already chipped in with three goals and four assists.
Arguably, his best goal in a City shirt was assisted by De Bruyne, with the Belgian teeing him up with a pass over the Newcastle United defence last year, with the youngster showing great composure to finish.
In recent years, it has not been a surprise to hear a City player be described as “magical”. That is exactly what content creator Steven McInerney said about him at the start of the season, when he assisted Tijjani Reijnders away to Wolves.
It is more than just a great promise shown by Bobb. He has the talent to pick up the creative gauntlet thrown down by De Bruyne. Although it is a small sample size, his numbers are sensational, with the standout being that he created 3.4 chances per 90 minutes back in 2024/25.
Games played
26
4
3
Key passes
2.4
3.4
1.4
Pass accuracy
89.7%
89.8%
91%
Dribbles completed
2
2.5
2.5
There is no doubting Bobb’s talent, and the fact that Guardiola rates and trusts him so much is clear to see. The 22-year-old has averaged 85 minutes per game this season.
He could be the player in waiting to take De Bruyne’s number 17 shirt and continue his legacy.
The Norway international is just 22 years of age, so he has years ahead of him to hit the same heights as the City legend. But, as far as talent goes, it seems like Bobb has it all and could become City’s next number 17.
New Silva: Man City plot shock move to sign £65m England international
Man City would be pulling off a huge shock with this move
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) begin their IPL 2025 season on the road. Their tournament opener is in Kolkata and their next fixture is in Chennai, two venues where teams have banked on spin to succeed. For RCB to have a successful season, their spinners will have to play a crucial role, but do they have the firepower in that department to get their season rolling in the right direction?In Krunal Pandya, they have an experienced left-arm orthodox spinner but, impact-wise, an IPL economy of 7.36 and average of 34.28 classifies him as a defensive bowler. Being a top defensive bowler has its advantages, especially for a team like RCB who face the prospect of seven home games at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. This skill made him a prime target for RCB at the auction, and at INR 5.75 crore, he is a value pick. But, that’s about it.Wristspinner Suyash Sharma is still an IPL rookie, his understudy Mohit Rathee is a relatively unknown quantity, and then there’s the part-timer Liam Livingstone. Swapnil Singh did a steady job last season and Jacob Bethell could also have a bowl, but a cursory glance at all the squads suggest RCB are lacking the bite in that department.Related
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Head coach Andy Flower said he understood people having questions on RCB’s spin unit leading into the season, but the combination of Krunal’s experience, the wristspinners’ potential, and the option Livingstone provides means he himself is “comfortable” with the situation.”It’s a really good and apt question to ask,” Flower said on the eve of RCB’s first game at Eden Gardens. “Krunal was a significant part of our targeted players in the auction. He’s a smart and courageous cricketer and he’s got leadership experience as well. So having his nous, he’s a street-wise operator and he’s obviously got class as a left-arm spinner, let alone as an allrounder. That is comforting to have in our group and leading the way in the spin department.”Krunal Pandya’s defensive bowling skills could be key for RCB at the Chinnaswamy•RCB
Suyash has played only 13 IPL games in two seasons, with only two opportunities in 2024 after a promising debut in 2023. At KKR, he had the cushion of having experienced mystery spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy to mentor him and now at RCB he is playing the lead. Flower said he knows Suyash won’t be “a Shane Warne” right away, so expectations should be tempered.”On the wristspin front, Suyash is a very exciting young prospect with limited experience, but has a really high ceiling. And Mohit Rathee to back him up,” Flower said. “You know, we are looking for great things from Suyash, but none of us know exactly how he’s going to go in a full IPL season. And every young player starts off that way.”He’s rehabbing after a recent groin surgery and that’s gone really well. That’s been a long-standing injury problem he had, which we identified during the off season. And he’s had some really good care and attention from RCB. We’re hoping for great things from him. But we are also not expecting him to be, you know, Shane Warne from the off.”We’ve got to be patient and let him learn from his experiences. And it’s good that he’s got these experienced cricketers around him and a captain he’ll be comfortable working with. To back them up, obviously Swapnil Singh was good for us last year. and Liam Livingstone does a bit of everything. Having him as backup on the spin department is quite a nice insurance to have. So we’re comfortable with where we are.”Bhuvneshwar Kumar gears up for the season opener•NurPhoto/Getty Images
Despite RCB’s perceived spin-bowling issues, their fast-bowling stocks in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Lungi Ngidi, Nuwan Thushara and Rasikh Salam offer plenty of promise. Flower felt having a balance of experienced seamers and in-form quicks gives them a fast-bowling group where they have enough leaders to take the pressure off new captain Rajat Patidar.”I think having influential people in your squad that have performed at the top level, of course, that gives them a level of confidence. You get confidence from the evidence of them succeeding at the top level in the past, and there are a lot of our guys that have done that.”For instance, our bowling attack, we’ve got Hazlewood, Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar] Yash and Krunal, and even Yash has got some good experience now. He’s got a pretty calm, good head on his shoulders. So that’s four guys that will almost be captaining themselves in terms of tactics and decision-making.”RCB start their season with tough games but Flower sees that as a positive, getting off the blocks against quality teams. When asked if facing the defending champions first was daunting, Flower turned the tables: “Yes, it is very daunting. For KKR!”I hope it is an El-Clasico tomorrow night. That’ll be a brilliant way to start IPL 2025.”
تداولت في الساعات الأخيرة أنباء عن احتمال عودة البرازيلي روجيرو ميكالي لتولي قيادة منتخب مصر مواليد 2005، في ظل الاتجاه داخل اتحاد الكرة لإجراء تغييرات فنية مرتقبة بعد المشاركة المخيبة في كأس العالم للشباب.
ويأتي هذا في ظل الحديث عن مستقبل الجهاز الفني بقيادة أسامة نبيه، واقتراب قرار توجيه الشكر رسميًا، بعد خروج المنتخب من دور المجموعات، عقب الهزيمة أمام اليابان ونيوزيلندا، وتحقيق فوز وحيد على تشيلي لم يكن كافيًا للتأهل.
طالع أيضًا | خاص | اتحاد الكرة يحسم مصير أسامة نبيه بعد إخفاق منتخب مصر في كأس العالم للشباب
وفي أول تعليق له على تلك الأنباء، قال ميكالي في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات: “سأكون دائمًا منفتحًا على أي إمكانية للعودة إلى مصر، فقد كانت لديّ خطط لتحقيق أشياء عظيمة مع البلاد”.
وعند سؤاله عن وجود تواصل رسمي من اتحاد الكرة المصري، أجاب ميكالي باقتضاب: “ليس لدي ما أقوله بخصوص هذا الموضوع في الوقت الحالي”.
وتسعى اللجنة الفنية باتحاد الكرة المصري إلى إعادة تقييم منتخبات المراحل السنية ضمن خطة الإعداد المبكر للتصفيات المؤهلة إلى دورة الألعاب الأولمبية – لوس أنجلوس 2028، في محاولة لاستعادة بريق المنتخبات الوطنية بعد تراجع النتائج في البطولات الأخيرة.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma is facing a very uncertain future under Thomas Frank, following a less-than ideal start to the Dane’s tenure in charge.
Off the field, ex-chairman Daniel Levy has dominated headlines, after the polarising official was pushed to resign from his post after 24 years, with the Lewis family ushering in a new era at Spurs.
ENIC are reportedly planning to pump more cash into the club, and this windfall could be reinvested into their transfer activity in a bid to get Tottenham competing with the Premier League six for major silverware (Sky Sports).
While supporters will be wary of that old saying ‘the grass isn’t always greener’, it is a very intriguing time for the Lilywhites, but it is unlikely Bissouma will be along for the ride long-term.
The Mali international is out of contract next summer and Frank has already penalised the player for persistent lateness to training, which resulted in Bissouma missing out on a place in Tottenham’s 22-man Champions League squad.
Villarreal (home)
September 16
Bodo/Glimt (away)
September 30
Monaco (away)
October 22
FC Copenhagen (home)
November 4
PSG (away)
November 26
Slavia Prague (home)
December 9
Borussia Dortmund (home)
January 20
Eintracht Frankfurt (away)
January 28
He was also left out of the side which travelled to face PSG in the UEFA Super Cup last month, with Bissouma yet to make a single competitive appearance under Frank.
The transfer windows in Turkey, Mexico, Portugal and Saudi Arabia remain open for the time being, giving Spurs a chance to offload the £100,000-per-week ace even after the UK deadline on September 1.
Tottenham are open to offers for Bissouma, according to Sky’s Michael Bridge, but Fabrizio Romano says things have gone quiet when it comes to a potential exit for the 29-year-old and Frank’s side are not actively pushing to get rid.
Given the hectic fixture schedule awaiting Spurs, perhaps Frank is planning to keep Bissouma around in case of emergency as a squad player in the Premier League, with the ex-Brighton star fighting his way back to full fitness right now after sustaining an injury.
Bissouma held talks to join Galatasaray in the summer and fellow Süper Lig side Fenerbache also held an interest, but according to West Ham insider Claret & Hugh, Tottenham’s east London rivals were offered the chance to sign him too.
Tottenham offered Yves Bissouma to West Ham twice in a swap deal for Lucas Paqueta
C&H report, via an insider at West Ham, that Tottenham floated Bissouma towards the London Stadium on two separate occasions, with Spurs also proposing a straight loan swap deal for Brazil international Lucas Paqueta.
Before they sealed a £52 million deal for Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, Spurs were actively pursuing a playmaker — seeing two very advanced moves for Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze fall through in very dramatic fashion.
Paqueta was being targeted by Tottenham as an alternative to the duo, but the former Lyon star ended up staying with Graham Potter.
Spurs’ attempts to agree a swap deal involving Paqueta and Bissouma apparently had “no chance”.
The 28-year-old is now attempting to recapture the form he displayed from his early Hammers days, before Paqueta was embroiled in a spot-fixing scandal which derailed his career.
He would’ve been an intriguing signing for Spurs and only the third player to join them from West Ham in 14 years, after Scott Parker and Mohammed Kudus, but Simons’ sky-high potential has the fanbase very excited ahead of the Dutchman’s imminent debut.
Former Napoli chief Pierpaolo Marino has criticised Kevin De Bruyne, accusing the ex-Manchester City maestro of "stepping on Scott McTominay's toes" and hindering the Scot's impact. Marino also added that De Bruyne's current level at Napoli is nowhere near enough to warrant a comparison with the ageless Luka Modric, who has been off to a sensational start for AC Milan.
Modric and De Bruyne mark eras at Madrid and Man City
Modric and De Bruyne brought an end to their illustrious careers at Real Madrid and Manchester City, respectively, after defining an era of midfield dominance at both clubs for 13 and 10 years. Though well past their prime, the two footballing giants have now chosen Serie A as their next destination.
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Serie A careers off to a flier
While Modric joined AC Milan — a club the Croatian maestro passionately supported as a child — De Bruyne was signed by reigning champions Napoli. Both players have made an excellent first impression in their first five Serie A appearances, having earned praise from several former stars who predicted that Modric and De Bruyne would soon emerge as the league’s top two midfielders.
Over the weekend, Napoli and Milan played a closely-contested fixture, which ended 2-1 in the Rossoneri's favour. The victory saw Massimiliano Allegri's side go top of the table, level on points with the Partenopei.
Ex-Napoli chief speaks on Modric and De Bruyne comparisons
Although De Bruyne scored Napoli's only goal, he was substituted in the 72nd minute by Antonio Conte after Pervis Estupinan was shown a red card. The 34-year-old was left visibly frustrated and expressed his disapproval of the decision while coming off, prompting Conte to address the situation.
In the aftermath of the game, ex-Napoli general manager Marino was critical of De Bruyne. "Is De Bruyne still the player he used to be, or is he just a shadow of his former self? So far, he hasn't scored from a free kick or penalty, and according to our colleagues at TuttoNapoli.net, De Bruyne is now a problem for Conte," Marino told .
He added: "If he messes up simple things, then you see that the comparison with Modric, who at 40 has done what De Bruyne hasn't done so far in Naples, is merciless. Napoli changed a midfield that worked very well for De Bruyne, and at the moment, it's not working.
“De Bruyne is stepping on McTominay's toes, who is not performing with goals and finishing like last year, and it's obvious. The problem is significant. Kevin also disputes his substitution because he is convinced that he is making a great contribution. In this Napoli team, he has only made an impact by taking penalties, but you don't need a player of De Bruyne's calibre for that. In my Napoli team, Maurizio Domizzi took penalties, and he took them well."
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When do Napoli and Milan play again?
Napoli will to return to winning ways and open their account in the Champions League when they welcome Sporting CP at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Allegri's troops will hope to stay at the top of the Serie A table when they face a tricky trip to in-form Juventus on Sunday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad have stocked their bowling attack with fast bowlers for their season opener at home
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-20253:14
Cricinformed – SRH’s six-hitters set for a new IPL high?
Riyan Parag won his first toss as IPL captain, opting to bowl against hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the afternoon fixture on the first double-header of IPL 2025. Parag confirmed that Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) regular captain Sanju Samson, who is currently recuperating from a finger injury, will slot in as their Impact Player when they chase.RR will line up with an all-Indian top six, including Samson and Vidarbha’s Shubham Dubey. They packed their attack with three overseas bowlers: Jofra Archer, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Maheesh Theekshana, who was picked ahead of his Sri Lanka senior Wanindu Hasaranga. Finisher Shimron Hetmyer is the only overseas batter in their entire squad.As for SRH, they picked three overseas players in their batting XI – captain Pat Cummins, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen – and handed an IPL debut to 23-year-old MP batter Aniket Verma. SRH have the option of bringing in Adam Zampa as their Impact Player when they bowl later in the evening.Verma, 23, has played just one representative T20 so far in December 2024, when he was dismissed for a duck. He was plucked out of the Madhya Pradesh T20 league where he was the top run-getter with 273 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 195. Former Chennai Super Kings quick Simarjeet Singh was picked ahead of left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat, who was among SRH’s Impact Subs.Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Travis Head, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 Aniket Verma, 7 Abhinav Manohar, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Simarjeet Singh, 10 Harshal Patel 11 Mohammed Shami.Impact Subs: Adam Zampa, Sachin Baby, Jaydev Unadkat, Zeeshan AnsariRajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Shubham Dubey, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Jofra Archer, 8 Maheesh Theekshana, 9 Tushar Deshpande, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi.Impact subs: Sanju Samson, Kwena Maphaka, Kunal Singh Rathore, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal