Jorge Mendes has put Porto head coach Sergio Conceicao forward as a possible replacement for Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea.
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Pochettino left Chelsea by mutual consentBlues linked to several possible replacementsMendes hopes to bring Porto boss to LondonWHAT HAPPENED?
The agent, who previously represented Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, has formed a close relationship with Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly, according to a report from and has suggested to the American that Conceicao would be a good option to appoint as the next Blues boss.
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Chelsea are in the market for a new manager after Pochettino's departure by mutual consent was announced on Tuesday. The Argentine has left after just one season in charge, despite delivering European qualification after a strong end to the season in which they won five consecutive games.
DID YOU KNOW?
Conceicao, 49, took charge of Porto seven years ago and is contracted to the club until 2028. The former Portugal player has won three league titles as the club's manager and lifted the Taca de Portugal on three occasions, too. He has also been linked with the AC Milan job this summer.
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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
The Blues will start talks with candidates to replace Pochettino at Stamford Bridge, with Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna said to be among the options. However, Thomas Tuchel has also been linked with a move back to the London club and Stuttgart's Sebastian Hoeness is seen as a candidate, too.
Sunderland are plugging along in the Championship and new manager Michael Beale has managed to guide the side back into the playoff spots. However, the Black Cats are clinging on by just a point.
The same issue continues to crop up under Beale as it did during Tony Mowbray's tenure concerning the Wearside club's struggles in front of goal. Sunderland are inside the bottom half of the table regarding goals scored in the league this season.
Nevertheless, with the January transfer window open, Beale could dip into the market to add much-needed quality to his attacking department.
Sunderland transfer news – Jay Stansfield
Over the past few days, Sunderland have been linked with a move for Bournemouth centre-forward Kieffer Moore, with The Sun revealing that the Black Cats currently lead a race with several other Championship clubs for the Wales international.
A couple of days before the winter window commenced, it was reported that Sunderland were keen to bring Fulham centre-forward Jay Stansfield to the Stadium of Light to be Beale's first-choice striker for the remainder of the campaign, ending his loan spell with Birmingham City.
However, it had been widely claimed that Ipswich Town were set to come out on top in the pursuit of the 21-year-old's signature. Nevertheless, no move has come to fruition yet with the Tractor Boys, meaning Sunderland still have a chance of capturing the young striker.
Said to be on just £10k-per-week on his current deal, Stansfield could be a very affordable option on loan until the end of the season.
Jay Stansfield's stats this season
Right now, Sunderland need a centre-forward with experience in the Championship and one who can score goals at this level. Stansfield ticks both of these boxes. Amid Birmingham's woes on the pitch, particularly during Wayne Rooney's tenure at St. Andrew's, the former Exeter City loanee has found the net seven times and recorded two assists in 23 appearances in England's second-tier.
The number nine position has been the weakest part of Sunderland's team this season. The ex-Premier League outfit currently have five different frontmen on the books this campaign; Nazariy Rusyn, Mason Burstow, Eliezer Mayenda, Hemir Semedo and Jewison Bennette. Between them, they have scored one goal which came from Rusyn in a 2-0 win over Preston North End on New Year's Day.
Jack Clarke has been the club's talisman this season, having bagged 12 goals in 26 matches and is directly responsible for 33.3% of Sunderland's league goals. Beale needs to add quality up top to ease the goalscoring burden off Clarke.
While Moore has been a prolific goalscorer in the Championship in the past, having found the net 47 times in 155 matches in the second tier, he is now on the wrong side of 30 and boasts worse stats than Stansfield this season.
Goals
7
2
Expected Goals
4.9
1.1
Assists
2
0
Progressive Carries Per 90
2.67
0.91
Shots
54
10
Shots On Target
17
4
Goals Per Shot
0.13
0.2
Key Passes
24
1
Stats via FBref
Stansfield is younger, hungrier and looks like a natural finisher already, with Fulham boss Marco Silva even claiming that the forward "can score easily" which has been backed up by his seven goals already this term.
To keep in line with the club's recruitment strategy in recent years of signing young players, the Black Cats should throw the kitchen sink at Fulham to take Stansfield on loan for the rest of the campaign.
How the match played out Lahore Qalandars – the whipping boys of the PSL no more. Or so their fans would hope, and the manner of victory on Friday must have raised their hopes. At one stage, it looked like familiar sorry tale would play out. Qalandars looked set to concede in excess of 220. Drooped shoulders and worried faces within the team, nails chipping sharply off the owner’s finger – it wasn’t where they wanted to be. Then they found a magic wand through the fingers of an 18-year-old from Nepal.Sandeep Lamichhane, fast becoming a global T20 citizen, struck three vital blows to stymie Multan Sultans as they finished on 200 for 6. Buoyed but by no means guaranteed victory, Qalandars started superbly courtesy a bruising Fakhar Zaman half-century before panicking. Sweetly-timed strokes replaced by mistimed hoicks, shrieks of desperation and eventually three wickets in the space of nine deliveries. The onus was on AB de Villiers, still quite the crowd favourite even if he is now nearly a year into international retirement.On a smallish Sharjah ground, he set himself in, saw the asking rate spiral to 14 with five overs left. Then left with little option but to go for broke, he launched a sensational assault, bringing up his half-century off just 26 balls courtesy three fours and three sixes, including a sensational reverse scoop over third man after having set himself up originally for a ramp over fine leg.He was helped in no small part by fellow South African David Wiese, who muscled five sixes, including one off the final delivery with Qalandars needing three to win. The outpour of emotions in the aftermath, and the ‘dancing in the isles’ – made famous by Tony Greig’s on-air commentary frenzy – by men wearing light-green t-shirts told you a story. This was one of Qalandar’s most special PSL memory yet.This was the second-highest successful chase in PSL history, only behind Quetta Gladiators’ chase of 201 against Qalandars in 2016.Turning points
After a blistering half-century from Zaman, Junaid Khan tilted the game firmly in Sultans’ favour with a three-wicket burst in just seven deliveries. Qalandars, flying high and happy, encountered turbulence. Was a crash landing on the cards?
Brendan Taylor’s experience may have been invaluable. His presence along with de Villiers after the clutch of wickets could’ve given Qalandars the stability before the final kick, but he hobbled off after facing just one delivery. A pulled calf-muscle could yet put his PSL campaign on the rocks as he had to be helped off by two of his team-mates and the physio.
The biggest moment, however, was the drop in the 18th over of the chase. With Qalandars needing 33 off 14, Wiese top-edged a wild heave to be caught superbly by Malik running in from cover. Then, he saw the umpire signal no-ball, they ran a single and de Villiers tonked the free-hit for a six. The pressure was off, the game back in Qalandar’s control.
Star of the dayMultan’s opening pair of James Vince and Umar Siddiq added 135 in just 11.5 overs. Vince accounted for 84 of those, 64 coming in boundaries. Such was the flurry of sixes that the fourth umpire, who would’ve loved to sit inside the cosy air-conditioned box, had to run in a number of times with a box of used balls. Siddiq played the perfect foil in the partnership, allowing the more-established Vince to play his way. It was the perfect combination of fire and ice, before Lamichhane, another ice-cool teenager, kept tossing the ball up in the hope of a wicket.Lamichhane was welcomed with a biff from Vince that sailed into the crowd at deep midwicket, pummeled over the same region four balls later. The over went for 18 – it wasn’t the PSL welcome he was looking for, but hey, he wasn’t done. In his second over, the 12th of the innings, he continued to be brave. Denied once after a miscue landing short of long-on, he had Vince holing out to long-on off a skiddy delivery that rushed through to come off the bottom of the bat.In his next over, Lamichhane was launched for two huge sixes but had the last laugh when Shoaib Malik, looking to sustain momentum, was caught at long-off looking for a third six in the over. His third strike, in the 16th over, was the biggest of the lot. Andre Russell, among the most-feared hitters in world cricket, had just been dropped three balls earlier, and carted Lamichanne out of the ground. But he deceived him in the air, and had him top-edge a slog for a smart return catch. This played a key role in Sultans finishing with a total much lower than they looked set to get at one stage.Where they standQalandars lifted themselves off the bottom to be placed third after four games. Sultans are a spot below, with a solitary win in the same number of matches.
Despite some initial hope following an impressive pre-season and opening-day draw with Liverpool, Chelsea are stumbling through a miserable Premier League campaign for the second year on the bounce.
The Blues finished in 12th place last season, and after 16 games this year, they find themselves in precisely the same position, only this time they have Mauricio Pochettino in charge.
The former Tottenham Hotspur manager has struggled to turn his crop of promising youngsters into a clinical team capable of winning the league, but the latest player linked to Stamford Bridge, Ivan Toney, could help him change that.
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The Brentford man could add some much-needed bite to the attack and form a lethal partnership with Cole Palmer, one of the few bright sparks in Chelsea's season.
Chelsea transfer news – Ivan Toney
According to The Guardian, Chelsea are once again set to dip into the transfer market in 2024 as Pochettino eyes a 'top striker' to help give his squad some end product, with Toney being one of the main men on his wishlist.
The Bees forward is still serving his eight-month betting ban but would be available to play again in mid-January, lining up perfectly for him to kick on at a new club.
While there is an element of risk in signing a player who hasn't played football for over half a year, Toney's 20 goals in 33 league appearances last season should go some way in quelling those concerns.
Brentford striker Ivan Toney.
However, the most significant obstacle to this deal's completion is likely to be the price. Sky Sports has reported that Brentford will only sell their star striker should someone match their £100m valuation, which is a huge commitment, even for Todd Boehly and co.
With that said, the prospect of seeing one of the country's most clinical strikers linking up with Palmer should be enough to convince the board.
Ivan Toney could be the dream partner for Cole Palmer
There is no getting away from just how poorly the first third of the season has gone for Chelsea this year. The club are currently closer to the relegation zone than the top four, and were it not for Everton's ten-point deduction, they would be down in 13th place.
However, Palmer's arrival from Manchester City towards the end of the summer window has been the only thing fans can cling onto as the Manchester-born dynamo has already made himself arguably the team's most important player in a matter of months and at just 21 years old.
In his nine Premier League starts for the club, he has scored five goals and provided two assists for his teammates, and it would likely have been more were the players around him as clinical as Chelsea forwards are supposed to be.
When looking at the pair's underlying numbers, it becomes crystal clear that with Toney, dubbed a "monster" by Brentford boss Thomas Frank, leading the line and the "magnificent" Palmer, as described by Alan Shearer, either on the wing or behind, the Blues would be a dramatically more dangerous proposition for opposing teams.
Ivan Toney & Cole Palmer
Stats
Toney
Palmer
Goals
20
5
Assists
4
2
Non-Penalty Goals + Assists per 90
0.56
0.54
Progressive Passes per 90
2.41
7.04
Progressive Carries per 90
0.61
3.78
Shot-Creating Actions per 90
2.01
4.47
All Stats via FBref for the 2022/23 & 2023/24 Premier League Seasons
Both players produce spectacular non-penalty expected goals and assist numbers, while Palmer's progressive passing could practically gift Toney the Golden Boot alone.
Ultimately, it would require another massive investment from the Chelsea board, but with how they have spent in previous transfer windows, they simply must go again and finally secure the striker that can fire the Blues back up the table.
كشف سعد شلبي المدير التنفيذي للنادي الأهلي، موقف إدارة القلعة الحمراء، من استكمال مباريات الفريق في بطولة كأس مصر للموسم الحالي 2023-2024.
وكان اتحاد الكرة أعلن عن مواعيد مباريات دور الـ 16 من بطولة كأس مصر، في الفترة من 8 أغسطس حتى 21 من الشهر ذاته، وهو ما وجد اعتراضًا كبيرًا من قبل السويسري مارسيل كولر المدير الفني للفريق، بسبب عدم حصول اللاعبين والجهاز الفني على راحة عقب انتهاء بطولة الدوري.
وقال شلبي خلال تصريحات عبر قناة etc عبر برنامج “بوكس تو بوكس: “القرارات سوف يتم دارستها داخل قاعة مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، سيقوم بعرض الموضوع على الجهاز الفني، لمعرفة موقفه أيضًا، ثم نصدر القرار”.
طالع | سيد عبد الحفيظ يوجه رسالة إلى محمود الخطيب وخالد بيبو بعد تتويج الأهلي بالدوري
وأضاف: “يوجد إجهاد كبير للاعبين بعد خوض 11 مباراة في 33 يوما في الفترة الأخيرة، بدأت بوادر هذا الإجهاد في مباراة سموحة بإصابة مبكرة لـ كريم فؤاد”.
وكان الأهلي فاز على سموحة بهدف دون رد، في مباراة مؤجلة من الجولة الـ 24 من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
وبهذا الفوز، حسم النادي الأهلي لقب بطولة الدوري المصري للمرة الـ 44 في تاريخه، وذلك قبل 3 جولات من نهاية المسابقة.
يذكر أن الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم حدد موعد مباراة الأهلي وفاركو في دور الـ 16 لمنافسات كأس مصر، يوم الثلاثاء 20 أغسطس الجاري.
The Mzansi Super League attracted a live television audience in excess of 3.4 million South African viewers during it’s opening weekend that featured four matches. The league is only just starting to gain traction and attract fans to matches as summer sets in, but TV figures suggest the league has already struck up significant interest from viewers watching at home.Iffy weather, a cold snap on the opening weekend and the introduction of new teams perhaps resulted in the tournament failing to attract huge number of fans to the ground. Only around 7000 fans turned up for the first match between Cape Town Blitz and Tshwane Spartans at the 25,000 capacity Newlands, while 4896 were at Wanderers for the game between Jozi Stars and Nelson Mandela Bay Giants. At the same time, the match attracted 16,65,546 unique TV viewers in South Africa alone.An audience analysis carried out independently by Nielsen Sport revealed that a unique TV audience of 34,18,594 viewed the first four matches in the league. The Saturday night fixture between the Jozi Stars and Nelson Mandela Bay Giants drew the biggest audience, with all four matches going beyond the 1.3 million mark.SABC-3, the channel the games have been broadcast on in South Africa, typically attracts around 21 million South African viewers in a month. The top rated show on the channel is the soap opera Isidingo, which has been running for 20 years and attracts around a million viewers per episode, to which MSL’s viewership figures compare favourably.For further comparison, the T20I against Zimbabwe on 12 October attracted 6,07,948 viewers to the channel. Outside of South Africa, a broadcast deal with Sony means that the MSL is also being screened in India on the channels Sony Six and Sony Six HD. CSA also have a deal with UK-based channel FreeSports, which is available in 18 million homes in the UK. FreeSports also aired live coverage of the 2017 Bangladesh Premier League.”This fully justifies our decision to take the SABC on board as our domestic host broadcast partner,” Cricket South Africa Chief Executive Thabang Moroe said . “This is truly a product for the people and has helped us achieve one of our key objectives not just to attract traditional cricket fans but to open up a new market as well.”It is a win-win situation for all our stakeholders whether they be administrators, players, coaches, fans or our commercial partners. The MSL can only go from strength to strength as it will continue to grow while establishing itself alongside various T20 leagues around the world. The most watched sporting event in South African television history was the opening match between South Africa and Mexico during the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, with a combined 10,146,793 viewers watching the match on SABC 1 and SuperSport 3 on the satellite DSTV network.While figures for match attendances are starting to rise, with the game between Cape Town Blitz and Paarl Rocks last weekend close to sold out, the television viewing figures are an even more positive sign for CSA after their initial attempt at a homegrown league – the defunct T20 Global League – failed.
توجت بعثة مصر في أولمبياد باريس 2024، جهودها في منافسات اليوم الأحد الموافق 28 يوليو 2024، بتحقيق أول ميدالية في لعبة سلاح سيف المبارزة.
وتقام فعاليات أولمبياد باريس خلال الفترة من 26 يوليو الجاري، وحتى 11 أغسطس في مدينة باريس عاصمة فرنسا.
وتشارك مصر في أولمبياد باريس بـ148 لاعباً ولاعبة أساسيًا و16 لاعبًا احتياطيا بإجمالي عدد لاعبين 164 في 22 رياضة، وتعد بعثة الفراعنة الأكبر في تاريخ العرب وإفريقيا.
وكان زياد السيسي لاعب منتخب مصر في لعبة سلاح الشيش قريبًا من حصد أول ميدالية لـ مصر أمس السبت، ولكنه خسر في مباراة المركز الثالث وفشل في الحصول على ميدالية برونزية في أولمبياد باريس.
واليوم الأحد، تحققت أول ميدالية لـ بعثة مصر المشاركة في أولمبياد باريس 2024، بتتويج اللاعب محمد السيد لاعب لعبة سلاح المبارزة بالميدالية البرونزية.
طالع | محمد السيد يحقق أول ميدالية لـ مصر في أولمبياد باريس 2024
وفي مفاجأة ودعت بطلة التنس المصرية ميار شريف أولمبياد باريس بعد الخسارة بمجموعتين لواحدة أمام اللاعبة الدنماركية كارولين فوزنياكي. منافسات سلاح المبارزة
حقق محمد السيد لاعب منتخب مصر لسلاح المبارزة الميدالية الأولى لـ بعثة مصر، في أولمبياد باريس 2024.
وفاز محمد السيد على تيبور أندراسفي بطل المجر بنتيجة 8-7 في مباراة تحديد المركز الثالث والرابع.
وبهذا يحصد محمد السيد، برونزية لعبة سلاح المبارزة في دورة الألعاب الأولمبية باريس 2024. فوز محمد السيد وحصد الميدالية البرونزية في أولمبياد باريس 2024
وكان محمد السيد قد خسر في نصف النهائي أمام بطل فرنسا يانيك بوريل، بنتيجة 15/9. لحظة خسارة محمد السيد في نصف نهائي سلاح السيف بـ أولمبياد باريس
خاض لاعبنا محمود محسن، المصنف رقم 31 عالمًا، مباراة اليوم ضد التشيكي ياكوب يوركا المصنف رقم 34، في دور الـ 64، وتعرض لهزيمة بنتيجة 15-8 ليودع بطلنا المنافسات مُبكرًا.
وخسر محمد ياسين أمام مينوبي بطل اليابان باللمسة الذهبية بنتيجة 9-8، ويودع المنافسات من دور الـ 32. احتفال محمد السيد على طريقة كريستيانو رونالدو بعد التأهل في دور الـ 16
لحظة فوز محمد السيد على بطل بلجيكا في أولمبياد باريس في دور الـ 8
منافسات الرماية 10 متر بندقية
احتلت اللاعبة المصرية ريماس خليل المركز 29، واللاعبة مي مجدي المركز 35، من أصل 43 لاعبة مُشاركة، وتودعان المنافسات. منافسات تنس الطاولة
نجح بطلنا المصري عمر عصر، في الفوز على لاعب مدغشقر فابيو راكوتوريمانانا في دور الـ 64، بنتيجة 4-1، ليتأهل إلى دور الـ 32.
وخسر محمد البيلي في منافسات الفردي رجال لتنس الطاولة أمام بطل بولندا بنتيجة 4-0.
كما نجحت المصرية دينا مشرف في التأهل لدور الـ32 في منافسات تنس الطاولة فردي للسيدات بعد الفوز على نظيرتها الإسبانية ماريا شياو بنتيجة 4-1. منافسات سلاح الشيش
خسرت يارا الشرقاوي، لاعبة منتخب السلاح من الصينية هوانج كيانكيان 15-5 في دور الـ32 من منافسات سيدات سلاح الشيش.
ودعت ملك حمزة لاعبة منتخب مصر للسلاح منافسات فردي سلاح الشيش من دور 32 بعد الخسارة من لاعبة ألمانيا 15-3.
وغادرت سارة عمرو حسني لاعبة منتخب مصر للسلاح منافسات سلاح الشيش بالأولمبياد من دور الـ32 بعد الخسارة من لاعبة إيطاليا 15- 5. منافسات السباحة
أنهت لوجين عبد الله منافسات السباحة 200 متر حرة في المركز الأخير في التصفية الثانية بزمن 2:07.19 ثانية. منافسات التنسبطلة التنس المصرية ميار شريف تخسر بمجموعتين لواحدة أمام اللاعبة الدنماركية كارولين فوزنياكي لتودع منافسات الأولمبياد.
The fast bowler delivered yorkers in his eight-for, his career-best figures and third five-wicket haul in his last four first-class innings
The Report by Varun Shetty in Bengaluru02-Sep-2018PTI
Australia A had started the first day in ideal fashion till they ran into Mohammed Siraj. Makeshift opener Kurtis Patterson, who had come in to replace the injured Matt Renshaw, partnered Usman Khawaja solidly through a 78-run stand in the first session after Australia had elected to bat. But with three overs to go for lunch, Siraj switched to the Pavilion End at the Chinnaswamy Stadium for his second spell and took an immediate liking for it, picking up three wickets in two overs before the interval.He then returned to take five more wickets from the same end to finish with 8 for 59, career-best figures and his third five-wicket haul in his last four first-class innings.Usman Khawaja on….
Batting on the first day: “It was one of those wickets where it was going be to be hard to start. It was reversing and there was a little bit of spin at the other end, so it was going to be hard to start coming in the middle order or at the tail-end. Would’ve loved to have got a couple of partnerships. It’s very India-like. You lose one and you can lose wickets in clusters.” His impressive footwork against spin: “It’s something I’ve been working on for three-four years now. Had a few wickets in England that were really spin-friendly, when I was playing county cricket. And I felt really comfortable over there. Just giving myself options to score and have a positive mindset. It’s something I really found white-ball cricket has really helped with. It gives me freedom, allows me to play shots.”
On a sunny morning, Siraj had been the more wayward opening bowler for India A. As Navdeep Saini bowled a tight opening spell, Siraj leaked boundaries off a predominantly short-of-length strategy. But when he returned in the 26th over, the length had gotten fuller, and the ball had begun to reverse swing. And those were the tools he used, first to swing a yorker back in at the left-handed Patterson’s off stump, and then to jag one away to take the outside edge of Travis Head’s bat.On either side of the lunch break, Siraj got two more full inswingers in, one of which trapped Peter Handscomb first ball as he looked to flick across the line, and the other accounting for captain Mitchell Marsh, whose defence was of the nervous, static variety.With those, the first two of what would be five ducks, Australia sunk to 90 for 4. Marnus Labuschagne, who stayed back for the four-day series only because of Renshaw’s injury, took his chance at No. 6. Despite being stuck on no score for close to half an hour, he looked assured in defence, apart from one over in which he seemed unable to pick Kuldeep Yadav’s wrong’uns.But, having survived two lbw shouts on the back foot in that over, Labuschagne started putting in a more pronounced forward stride, with the immmediate result being that Kuldeep went flatter and wider. This fed three of Labushagne’s drives through extra cover for four. But after he had put up 114 for the fifth wicket with Khawaja, Siraj returned with another scorching yorker, this one swinging away from leg stump to knock out Labuschagne’s middle stump and complete the five-for.Siraj’s bowling was one of two outstanding performances on the day, the other coming from Khawaja, who was largely flawless in a knock of 127. Khawaja looked fluid at the start of the innings as Patterson looked to feel his way into a role he’s played before but is not necessarily a specialist at. Apart from a dropped catch at gully early in Patterson’s innings, the openers dominated India’s bowlers.Khawaja was particularly good against spin. When Kuldeep was brought in first-change, Khawaja went after him with three boundaries in two overs, including a delightful chip over extra cover with the turn. The wristspinner would finish with two wickets, but his 18 overs were barely troublesome, with inconsistent lengths allowing the batsmen to settle down.Offspinner K Gowtham was used in a containing role, but Khawaja went after him nonetheless, preferring to plonk his leg down the pitch and ramp him fine with the incoming angle. He pulled the shot off successfully on a number of occasions and, for a man with a questionable reputation against spin, looked in complete control every time he played it. The only blemishes in his innings were two edges – an inside edge that brought up his century and the 100-run stand with Labuschagne, and the other his dismissal, when he chased a wide one from Siraj as he looked to push the rate with No. 11 Jon Holland.Australia might have been encouraged by the signs of movement they saw through their innings, particularly since they picked only four specialists bowlers, one of whom is a spinner. But they didn’t see much of that in the 12 overs they bowled later. Karnataka openers Mayank Agarwal and R Samarth survived several menacing bouncers as they saw India through at their home ground, in the presence of about 50 local fans who cheered their every run.
Barcelona face yet another setback as its financial vice president, Eduard Romeu, has tendered his resignation.
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Romeu resigns from Barcelona The departure leaves a void in Barcelona's leadershipClub struggling with severe financial challengesGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
Romeu's resignation, confirmed by a Barcelona statement released on Thursday morning, cited "incompatibility with full dedication to his professional work" as the reason for his departure. However, sources close to Romeu, speaking anonymously, revealed to that Barcelona's deep-rooted financial problems played a significant role in his decision to step down.
AdvertisementWHAT ROMEU SAID
Speaking to reporters, Romeu said: "The enemy is outside the club. When we started this it seemed that nobody could save it, but the courage that Laporta has given us has allowed us to fight.
"To see a great Barcelona, we still need to make complex decisions. But there is still that final point that we must reach and we will follow our path with the same strength.”
However, Barcelona President, Joan Laporta remains optimistic that the existing economic team would continue his work.
“Eduard’s functions can continue to be carried out by the economic team. Romeu leaves a great team that is capable of continuing his work," he said.
“He has been key in the economic work of the club and we will continue to follow his advice. He leaves an economic area department who are prepared to continue his work.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The financial woes at Barcelona have been exacerbated by a €30 million budget shortfall for the current season which is attributed to lower-than-expected matchday revenues. Moreover, La Liga's decision to reduce Barcelona's salary cap to €204 million further complicates matters, marking a substantial €66 million reduction from the previous cap.
With Barcelona's real squad cost for the season officially budgeted at €492 million, the club faces pressure to make cuts to adhere to La Liga regulations. This may necessitate the sale of key first-team players to alleviate the burden of the club's historic debts, which exceed €1 billion.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Barcelona's efforts to navigate these financial challenges have been met with difficulties, as traditional strategies such as leveraging economic 'levers' face constraints imposed by evolving La Liga regulations. Despite significant cost-cutting measures, including the departure of several high-profile executives over the past year, including sporting director Jordi Cruyff and director of football Mateu Alemany, the club continues to grapple with financial challenges.
Tottenham Hotspur have played host to some immeasurable talent, with the likes of Gareth Bale and Luka Modric having kickstarted their glistening careers in N17.
The former would command a world-record fee upon his exit, whilst the latter would go on to lead his country to a World Cup final, winning it all with Real Madrid and eventually ending Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's monopoly over the Ballon d'Or to claim immortality in 2018.
Their recruitment is clearly impressive, with an academy even able to produce talent to go alongside that duo, as Harry Kane emerged nearly a decade ago and left over the summer for a whopping £100m fee.
However, there is perhaps a more underrated but equally impressive departure they instigated, which was made even more outstanding by the ease with which they had initially snagged Kyle Walker from Sheffield United, for what turned out to be a nominal fee.
Becoming a star in north London, and eventually a Premier League legend with Manchester City, it is fair to say that Harry Redknapp struck gold with his shrewd capture.
When did Spurs sign Kyle Walker?
Having worked his way up through the youth ranks at Bramall Lane, there were murmurs of a young full-back boasting raw blistering speed and a touch of class.
Having made himself the youngest Blades player to ever play at Wembley as they sought 2009 playoff glory, his consistent displays had caught Redknapp's eye despite their failure to secure promotion.
He would engineer a double swoop, bringing in both Kyle Naughton and Walker for a combined fee of around £10m. Whilst the former would fade into obscurity, instead becoming more of a cult hero with Swansea City, the now 34-year-old would continue his growth, establishing himself as a key asset under Mauricio Pochettino before his eventual sale.
That's not to suggest that this was an easy integration, with the defender having to bide his time before earning that first-team opportunity. He would return to Sheffield United initially on loan before two temporary spells at QPR and Aston Villa seemingly prepared him for the senior squad.
Ever since earning that opportunity, Walker has never looked back.
How good was Kyle Walker at Spurs?
Amassing an admirable 227 appearances during his time with the Lilywhites, his was a tenure littered with outstanding moments that underpinned his play style. Forever hard-working and physically immense, the ageing ace was also in possession of more than enough quality to shine at the apex of English football, although Spurs were largely far from it.
One such example of that talent came in 2011, as the £175k-per-week star lashed home a thunderous effort to deceive Wojciech Szczesny and win his side the north London derby.
Then, the year following would see him recognised for this ever-growing skillset, as Walker was named the PFA Young Player of the Year award, beating out the likes of Sergio Aguero, Danny Welbeck and teammate Bale.
Manchester City defender Kyle Walker.
Of all the excitement that such a stellar start to a career promised, the sole downside was the lack of silverware, as his side never really came close. That could have all changed in 2015 though, as they made their way to the EFL Cup final to face bitter rivals Chelsea. However, the right-back's return to Wembley unfortunately ended up the same way as his last, falling to defeat.
This would be the closest Walker would come to a trophy throughout his eight years with the Lilywhites, and his exit came in 2017, commanding a mouth-watering £53m fee. After all, the titan had just been named in the PFA Team of the Year for the second time, with good reason.
His 7.10 average rating for the Premier League that term marked an outstanding figure for a full-back who failed to score a single goal. Five assists outlined his creativity alongside 1.2 key passes per game, whilst his athleticism and defensive intelligence allowed him to record 1.2 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and 2.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore.
Pundit Kenny Cunningham would seek to outline the former attribute, branding City's number two a "phenomenal athlete" just last year.
Whilst many may have rushed to praise such a fine personal year, they likely had little knowledge of just how revolutionary Pep Guardiola would prove to be with the England international.
Why did Manchester City spend £53m on Kyle Walker?
It is a testament to Walker's ability to adapt to a new philosophy that he has remained such a mainstay under the ever-evolving Spanish tactician, who is forever seeking to find new ways to dominate football.
And, it must be said that, with each passing year the 52-year-old seems to succeed in such a venture. Since that 2017 departure, the 5 foot 10 stalwart has filled en entire trophy cabinet with untold silverware, playing a vital role in five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups and one Champions League, the latter of which capped off their unprecedented treble too.
In fact, such has been his longevity and success at the Etihad, his 263 games for the Citizens have actually surpassed the appearances earned with Spurs.
Although it could be debated which his standout year has been, given there have been so many, his current campaign is suggesting it could be the strongest yet despite having turned 33 back in May. After all, no defender in the squad has managed more than his 1.3 key passes a game in the league.
Guardiola even sought to laud his lucrative acquisition, highlighting the 78-cap ace's importance to their continued success: "The level Kyle has shown with us these four years has been fantastic. He’s another person who has his life calm and in order, he’s such an important player for us
“After 4 years there are moments when you can be down but last game he showed how important he is. He has to handle the best strikers in the world, and he can handle it, he can win the duels."
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Although Walker has gone on to reach impossible heights since leaving north London, few can fault his commitment before departing, and the results earned through earning such a move.
City are one of the greatest club sides ever seen, with Spurs having produced their starting right-back. The hope is that Ange Postecoglou can now forge a similar dynasty, retaining their star players to one day reach such a level.