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أصدرت رابطة الأندية المصرية المحترفة، عقوبات المجموعة الأولى في الجولة الثالثة من المرحلة النهائية لبطولة الدوري المصري طبقًا للائحة المسابقة ولائحة المخالفات والعقوبات ونظام ضبط الجودة موسم 2024-2025.

وشهدت تلك الجولة مواجهات قوية، حيث التقى الأهلي مع بتروجيت، والزمالك أمام المصري، وبيراميدز واجه حرس الحدود.

كما التقى إنبي مع غزل المحلة، ولعب الإسماعيلي ضد زد، وطلائع الجيش مع الاتحاد السكندري.

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وفرضت رابطة الأندية المصرية عدة عقوبات على بعض مباريات الجولة الثالثة للمرحلة الثانية من بطولة الدوري، بعضها إيقاف لعدد من اللاعبين، وبعضها غرامات مالية على اللاعبين والأندية. عقوبات مباراة الزمالك والمصري

إيقاف عبد الرحيم دغموم لاعب فريق المصري مباراة واحدة وتوقيع غرامة مالية عليه قيمتها 5000 جنيه، وذلك بسبب حصوله على الإنذار الثالث.

توجيه إنذار لفريق المصري وتوقيع عقوبة مالية عليه قيمتها 30 ألف جنيه، وذلك بسبب قيام بعض من الجهاز الإداري لفريق المصري بمحاولة الاعتداء على بعض من الجهاز الإداري لفريق الزمالك.

توجيه إنذار لفريق الزمالك وتوقيع عقوبة مالية عليه قيمتها 30 ألف جنيه، وذلك بسبب قيام بعض من الجهاز الإداري لفريق الزمالك بمحاولة الاعتداء على اللاعب جون إيبوكا وبعض من الجهاز الإداري لفريق المصري.

إقامة مباراتين بدون جمهور لفريق الزمالك على أن يتم تطبيقهما خلال مباراتي الفريق القادمتين في الجولة الرابعة والخامسة من المرحلة النهائية لدوري nile وتوقيع غرامة مالية على الزمالك قيمتها 200 ألف جنيه وذلك بسبب قيام جمهور الزمالك بتوجيه السباب لحكم المباراة.

مع تطبيق المادة 54 من لائحة مسابقة دوري Nile موسم 2024-2025 الخاصة بحالات الإنذارات على الأجهزة الفنية والإدارية والطبية واللاعبين. عقوبات مباراة بيراميدز وحرس الحدود

إيقاف محمود علي سيد العربي عبد السميع لاعب حرس الحدود مباراة واحدة وتوقيع غرامة مالية عليه قيمتها 5000 جنيه، وذلك بسبب حصوله على الإنذار الثالث.

إيقاف أحمد سامي سعد أبو العنين لاعب فريق بيراميدز مباراة واحدة وتوقيع غرامة مالية عليه قيمتها 5000 جنيه، وذلك بسبب حصوله على الإنذار الثالث. عقوبات مباراة سيراميكا كليوباترا والبنك الأهلي

إيقاف أيمن محمد سعد محمد لاعب فريق سيراميكا كليوباترا مباراة واحدة وتوقيع غرامة مالية عليه قيمتها 5000 جنيه، وذلك بسبب حصوله على الإنذار الثالث.

إيقاف رجب نبيل دعبس عبد النبي لاعب فريق سيراميكا كليوباترا مباراة واحدة وتوقيع غرامة مالية عليه قيمتها 5000 جنيه، وذلك بسبب حصوله على الإنذار الثالث.

إيقاف هشام صلاح عبد العظيم زنفل لاعب فريق البنك الأهلي مباراة واحدة وتوقيع غرامة مالية عليه قيمتها 5000 جنيه، وذلك بسبب حصوله على الإنذار الثالث.

Liverpool continue to fly high top of the Premier League table, despite Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Fulham at Anfield, which was, remarkably, just the fourth time in 23 matches since Arne Slot’s arrival that the Reds have failed to win in any competition.

This is truly remarkable given the aforementioned change of manager as well as Liverpool’s lack of outlay during the summer transfer market.

Federico Chiesa, who joined from Juventus for a fee of £12.5m, was the only senior addition to Slot’s squad.

The Italian has, to date, had a minimal impact since arriving on Merseyside however, making just three appearances totalling a miserly 78 minutes due to a persistent muscle injury, which was flagged as a potential issue when he arrived, with the winger himself admitting that injuries have “slowed down my career”.

Meantime, a reported £30m was spent to secure the services of goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, but he was immediately loaned back to Valencia, set to arrive next summer, which sets up an interesting dynamic as the Georgian, as well as Alisson and Caoimhín Kelleher, all battle for the number one shirt.

Thus, in summary, Liverpool’s success so far has been built upon a bed-rock of Jürgen Klopp’s core players, and it may have been the sale of one of Klopp’s most trusted lieutenants that has proved to be the best piece of business the Reds have done in recent times.

Jürgen Klopp's key players

Back in May, Klopp departed Liverpool as a true club legend, on par with Bob Paisley, Bill Shankly and Kenny Dalglish.

During nigh-on a decade on Merseyside, the German hoisted aloft a Community Shield, two EFL Cups, the UEFA Super Cup, a FIFA Club World Cup, an FA Cup, reached the Champions League Finals, winning one of them, and, most notably ended the Reds’ 30-year wait for a Premier League title, a draught that had defined the whole club’s identity for generations.

During this incredibly successful stint, Klopp certainly relied upon many tried and trusted figures, who will also go down as club icons.

Roberto Firmino

355

83%

Mohamed Salah

349

89%

James Milner

323

75%

Trent Alexander-Arnold

310

71%

Jordan Henderson

304

71%

Andy Robertson

297

76%

Virgil van Dijk

270

75%

Sadio Mané

269

82%

Alisson

263

79%

Georginio Wijnaldum

237

90%

Fabinho

219

79%

Joe Gomez

207

44%

Joël Matip

201

50%

Of course, Salah, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Van Dijk, Alisson and Gomez all remain, with the other seven players in the table above all having departed, one of which brought in an extremely high fee.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Fabinho's post-Liverpool career

Back in July 2023, Fabinho was sold to Al-Ittihad for £40m, which more or less saw the Reds break even, despite the fact the Brazilian was now 30 years old, having spent five seasons at Anfield.

While on Merseyside, Klopp called him “one of the best in the world at number six”, hence why he was reluctant to sell.

During the summer of 2023 though, Saudi Pro League clubs spent over £750m, making the money difficult to turn down, although spending, attendances and general interest in the league have all plateaued in recent months, with the high-profile players who’d moved to the Middle East disappearing into obscurity.

For Fabinho specifically, when he arrived at Al-Ittihad, they were reigning champions, but finished fifth last season, with manager Nuno Espírito Santo replaced by Marcelo Gallardo, but he only lasted 33 matches before returning to River Plate.

Now led by Laurent Blanc, the Jeddah-based outfit are top of the table, following Friday’s 2-1 victory over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.

The Brazilian’s time in Saudi Arabia has been blighted by injury, making 45 appearances but missing 19 games since his debut, underlining that Liverpool really struck gold by cashing in on Fabinho when they did, replacing him with Ryan Gravenberch for a similar fee, who is nine years his junior.

The Dutchman has been widely praised for his performances this season, Dinesh Kumar describing him as “absolutely sensational” against Fulham on Sunday, also ranked as Liverpool’s joint-third best player by Sofascore, and Gravenberch may not be at Anfield had it not been for the well-timed sale of Fabinho.

Dream Salah replacement: Liverpool in talks to sign "Europe's best player"

Liverpool reportedly have this exceptional star on their radar.

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No Chelsea supporter could have envisioned the immediate impact Enzo Maresca would have had during his opening months in charge at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian raised some eyebrows after his summer appointment from Leicester City, with many questioning the appointment after the dismissal of Mauricio Pochettino at the end of last season.

However, he’s exceeded all expectations during the first few months at the helm, leading the Blues to second place in the Premier League after 15 matches, just four points off current leaders Liverpool.

He’s also led the club to a 100% start to the Europa Conference League campaign, remaining as just one of two sides winning every one of their matches on the European stage.

Todd Boehly has massively backed the club since his takeover, with the summer window of 2024 no different after bringing the 44-year-old in and tasking him with the challenge of leading the club back to the top of the English top division.

Chelsea’s transfer window in the summer of 2024

After his failed stint with Manchester United, winger Jadon Sancho was given a lifeline to resurrect his once-promising career after completing a move to join the Blues.

The Englishman arrived on loan with an obligation to buy, already making an impact in West London after his summer move to the club.

Sancho has already registered two goals and four assists in his first ten matches for the Blues, starring at the top end of the pitch, helping them reach the early heights during Maresca’s reign.

Pedro Neto was another attacker who joined the club, aiming to bring added firepower to the squad to supercharge their top-four ambitions – something which now looks like a real possibility after their recent form.

The Portuguese has registered the same number of goal contributions as fellow forward Sancho, catching the eye with his direct dribbling ability and pace off either flank.

However, the same can’t be said for another summer addition, who has simply been unable to transfer his skill set onto the current side, with his future already up in the air just months after his big-money move.

The £80k-p/w player Chelsea need to cut their losses on

Boss Maresca wasn’t the only person to arrive in London from Leicester during the off-season, with midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall also swapping the East Midlands for the capital.

The 26-year-old moved in a £30m deal after helping secure promotion last season, registering 12 goals and 15 assists in the process – winning the Foxes’ Player of the Year award.

However, despite all the promise of playing a starring role under the Italian, Dewsbury-Hall has barely had the chance to flourish, making the big-money fee now look like a complete waste of money.

As a result, reports have suggested that Aston Villa are interested in making a move for the Englishman in the upcoming January transfer window, with former side Leicester also targeting a surprise return for the ace.

Given the fact the midfielder, who earns £80k-per-week at the Bridge, has only featured for a total of 56 minutes in the league to date, it could be the right call to allow him to leave and cut their losses.

Games played

6

Minutes played

301

Pass accuracy

91%

Successful dribbles

5

Goals scored

1

Tackle success rate

67%

Chances created

7

It’s a real shame that he’s yet to impress for the Blues, especially after receiving huge praise from the manager, who dubbed him as “fantastic” after their time together at the King Power last season.

However, ultimately, given his age, he’s coming into the prime years as a professional, desperately needing regular game time to progress after his stellar campaign in the Championship throughout 2023/24.

Villa could be a great opportunity for him to feature in England’s top flight whilst also featuring in the Champions League this season, something which he’s currently unable to do at Chelsea.

There’s no denying Dewsbury-Hall is a hugely talented player, as seen from his time at Leicester, but the move hasn’t worked out, with Maresca and Boehly needing to cash in to prevent losing millions on their recent investment.

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رفض نادي أوساسونا رفع راية الاستسلام فيما يخص الشكوى التي تقدم بها ضد نظيره برشلونة فيما يخص مشاركة اللاعب إينيجو مارتينيز، في مباراتهما نهاية شهر مارس الماضي.

وتلاقى الفريقان في مباراة مؤجلة على ملعب “مونتجويك” في بطولة الدوري الإسباني، حيث فاز برشلونة بثلاثة أهداف دون رد.

واعترض أوساسونا على مشاركة إينيجو مارتينيز في تلك المباراة رفقة برشلونة، بحجة عدم المدة القانونية الموضوعة من جانب الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم.

وتم استبعاد إينيجو مارتينيز من معسكر منتخب إسبانيا، في شهر مارس الماضي خلال فترة التوقف الدولي، بسبب الإصابة.

وتشير إحدى قوانين فيفا إلى ضرورة مرور 5 أيام على آخر مباراة في التوقف الدولي، قبل مشاركة اللاعب المصاب رفقة ناديه.

ولم يطبق برشلونة تلك المادة على إينيجو مارتينيز، حسب رؤية أوساسونا، مما استوجب تقدمهم بشكوى، تم رفضها بشكل رسمي اليوم.

ورأت لجنة المسابقات في الاتحاد الملكي الإسباني لكرة القدم أنه لم يكن هناك أي مخالفة من جانب برشلونة، حيث تم تنفيذ عملية انسحاب اللاعب بشكل صحيح ووفقًا للوائح.

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ولكن نادي أوساسونا أبدى غضبه الشديد في بيان جديد، اليوم الجمعة، حيث قال: “تلقينا صباح اليوم إخطارًا من جانب لجنة المسابقات بقرار رفض الطعن المقدم بشأن مشاركة إينيجو مارتينيز لاعب برشلونة في مباراتنا يوم 17 مارس، وفي ضوء قرار لجنة المسابقات، نبدي الملاحظات التالية:

1- تنص المادة 5 من الملحق 1 من لوائح فيفا على ما يلي: “لا يحق للاعب الذي يستدعيه اتحاده لأحد فرقه، ما لم يوافق الاتحاد المعني على خلاف ذلك، اللعب للنادي الذي ينتمي إليه خلال فترة إجازته أو التي من المفترض أن تستمر، وفقًا لأحكام هذا الملحق، بالإضافة إلى فترة خمسة أيام إضافية”.

ومن المؤكد أن هذه الأيام الخمسة لم تكن قد انقضت وقت مشاركة إينيجو مارتينيز في المباراة مع برشلونة، وبناءً على ذلك استندت لجنة المسابقات في قرارها إلى عبارة “ما لم يوافق الاتحاد المعني على خلاف ذلك”.

مع ذلك، فإن البلاغ الصادر عن الاتحاد الملكي الإسباني لكرة القدم بتاريخ 17 مارس بشأن انسحاب إينيجو مارتينيز من المنتخب الإسباني يقتصر على إجازة طبية، ويتضمن معلومات طبية تمثل سبب الانسحاب ومبرره.

لذلك، نرى أن الانسحاب لا يستند إلى “اتفاق” مع الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم، بل إلى مجرد إجازة طبية للاعب.

2- ينص قرار لجنة المسابقات على أنه “في هذه الحالة، يوافق الاتحاد على مغادرة اللاعبين معسكر التدريب دون أي قيود، وإصداره شهادة الانسحاب لاحقًا، ومن ثم عدم تطبيق هذه القاعدة المُحظورة، مع العلم أنه بإمكانهم اللعب لناديهم”.

لا نوافق على أن الإعلان المذكور سلفًا يتضمن “إشعارًا ضمنيًا بنية الاتحاد الإسباني عدم تطبيق القاعدة”.

ومن ثم، فإن الأمر الواضح والموضوعي والملموس هو البلاغ الصريح، الذي لم يتضمن أي إشارة إلى “السماح للاعبين بمغادرة معسكر التدريب دون فرض أي نوع من القيود”.

ولم تتم الإشارة إلى ذلك لا في البيان العام المنشور على موقع الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم، ولا في المراسلات التي تلقاها ناديا أوساسونا وبرشلونة في 17 مارس الماضي بشأن غياب لاعبيهما برايان سرقسطة وإينيجو مارتينيز لأسباب طبية.

3- يؤكد قرار لجنة المسابقات ببساطة أن الخدمات الطبية للمنتخب الوطني قد صدقت على المعلومات الطبية التي قدمها برشلونة، دون تقديم أي تفاصيل إضافية.

ونرى أن الظروف الطبية المحيطة بهذه القضية ذات أهمية خاصة، نظرًا لأن غياب اللاعب عن الفريق لأسباب طبية وتعافيه السريع هو ما يستلزم مشاركته في مباراة الدوري.

ولذلك، نرى أنه من المناسب تناول هذه المسألة بمزيد من التفصيل أكثر من قرار لجنة المسابقات.

ووفقًا للملف الذي اطلعنا عليه، وافقت الخدمات الطبية للمنتخب الوطني على أن إينيجو مارتينيز لن يحضر إلى المقر في لاس روزاس للخضوع للفحص الطبي الإلزامي، حيث أكد برشلونة أنه سيجري اختبارات على اللاعب عند وصوله إلى النادي بعد مباراة أتلتيكو مدريد في الليجا.

في الواقع، أرسلنا برايان سرقسطة إلى لاس روزاس يوم الإثنين 17 مارس، لأنه لم يتمكن من ضمان إجراء هذه الاختبارات الإضافية في بامبلونا في الوقت المناسب، لذلك من المدهش أن التقرير الطبي لـ برشلونة، المدرج في الملف والمصدق عليه من قِبل الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم، مؤرخ في 16 مارس، وهو التاريخ الذي انتهت فيه مباراته ضد أتلتيكو مدريد في نفس اليوم، الساعة 11:00 مساءً، وأنه أُرسل عبر البريد الإلكتروني إلى الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم الساعة 2:33 صباحًا يوم 17 مارس، دون أي ذكر للفحوصات الإضافية، والتي لم تُدرج أيضًا في الملف.

ولا يوجد حتى أي ذكر في الملف أو في قرار المسابقة لإجراء مثل هذه الفحوصات، التي طلبها رئيس الخدمات الطبية في الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم، كما أن التقرير الطبي لا يتضمن أي تفاصيل.

وأخيرًا، نعرب عن تعجبنا من تعليق نادي برشلونة القائل بأنه “من غير اللائق بناديٍ بتاريخ نادي أوساسونا إثارة شكوكٍ حول احتمالية الاحتيال”، في حين أنه من المنطقي تمامًا إثارة شكوكٍ جدية في ضوء الحقائق المذكورة.

ومن المثير للدهشة أن هذا التعليق، على الرغم من سخريته وخلوه من المضمون، يصدر عن أشخاصٍ يفترض بهم مراجعة تصرفاتهم خلال الفترة الأخيرة من تاريخ نادي برشلونة.

وبالنظر إلى رفضنا القرار المعلن عنه اليوم، سنتقدم باستئناف لدى لدى لجنة الاستئناف التابعة للاتحاد الملكي الإسباني لكرة القدم، وهي جهة مشاركة بوضوح في القضية المذكورة.

Enzo Maresca is now insisting that Chelsea move on from Victor Osimhen and sign a different striker to complement Nicolas Jackson at Stamford Bridge, according to a fresh report.

Chelsea's striker situation unclear

Jackson has enjoyed an excellent start to the season, grabbing six goals in ten Premier League outings so far and a further three assists. His form has been rewarded with a new contract, which ties him to the club until 2031, and his future in west London appears set in stone just 12 months after his arrival from Villarreal.

But beyond the Senegal international, Chelsea’s striker situation is far less clear. David Datro Fofana has been sent out on loan, but has started just two games so far in Turkey, while the signing of Marc Guiu from the Barcelona academy over the summer has had similar results, with the Spaniard not having been in any of Maresca’s last six Premier League squads.

Christopher Nkunku has also been overlooked regularly, with the Frenchman not having started in the top flight since the opening day of the season, and summer signing Joao Felix is yet to start a Premier League game.

The Blues were linked with a move for Napoli star man Victor Osimhen over the summer, only for a deal to fall through and the Nigerian striker to join Galatasaray on loan instead, where he has scored four times in five Turkish Super Lig outings.

Chelsea have reportedly remained in contact over a potential January move, but other options are also under consideration, and Maresca is pushing to sign an alternative.

Maresca wants Spanish star

Now, a fresh report from Spain has claimed that Chelsea boss Maresca is pushing hard to try and get Chelsea to sign new Porto star Samu Omorodion in place of Osimhen. Chelsea were in talks to sign the Spanish U21 international over the summer as part of the deal to sell Conor Gallagher to Atlético Madrid, but the deal fell through, and they moved to sign Felix instead.

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Omorodion still left the Wanda Metropolitano, heading to Porto in a deal worth £12.7m plus potential add-ons, and handing Atleti a mammoth 50% sell on clause for any future deal.

He has hit the ground running in Portugal too, netting seven times in seven outings for Porto as well as four times in three Europa League outings, delivering on the “elite” label placed upon him by Football Analyst Ben Mattinson, who warned on X that he was “far too good” for the Portuguese league.

Now, Maresca is ‘insisting’ that Chelsea push to sign him once more as they look to bolster their frontline, but they will have to pay almost seven times what Porto paid to sign him, with the striker having a €100m (£84m) release clause, of which Atletico are due to get half.

It is added that “Samu is very happy with the Portuguese team”, but that should an offer come in, he could see his head turned by the prospect of a new project.

A deal in January seems unlikely, but with Omorodion having slipped through Chelsea’s net once already, they may be keen to avoid a repeat if he continues to perform.

The former Nepal coach will return to the position following the resignation of Dav Whatmore

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2021

Pubudu Dassanayake has been reappointed as head coach of the Nepal men’s national team, Cricket Association of Nepal announced at the end of their board meeting held earlier today. Dassanayake will fill the vacancy that opened up after Dav Whatmore stepped down from the position in September at the end of Nepal’s ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 matches in Oman.Dassanayake has had a successful run as coach at the Associate level over the years. From 2007 to 2011, he was with Canada, who he represented as a cricketer after migrating from Sri Lanka in 2001. He helped the team qualify for their third straight ODI World Cup, and was then appointed as Nepal coach.”I am simply gratified and blessed that I have got this opportunity to work with Cricket Association of Nepal,” he said after his appointment. “I am hopeful I would be able now to take Nepal cricket to a great height as we have immense talent not only in senior level but also in the junior level.”Related

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He was involved with the Nepal set-up from 2011 to 2016, guiding them from Division Four of the World Cricket League (WCL) to Division One, the WCL Championship, and to their first major ICC tournament, the 2014 T20 World Cup.After that, he served as the head coach of USA for just under three years, before resigning in July 2019. He was in charge as USA moved up from Division Four of the WCL, in November 2016, to ODI status in April 2019 after they secured a top-four finish at WCL Division Two.As a cricketer, Dassanayake, now 51, played 11 Tests and 16 ODIs as a wicketkeeper for Sri Lanka between 1993 and 1994, before Romesh Kaluwitharana became the preferred keeper for the national team. By the turn of the millennium, he was spending his off seasons playing as an overseas club pro for Centurions CC in the Toronto suburb of Brampton. By 2001, he had left Sri Lanka for good.Though he didn’t have hopes of continuing as a cricketer in Canada, his performances with Centurions CC helped him make the Canada team once he had completed his four-year residency requirement. He made his debut at 34 in the 2005 ICC Trophy in Ireland, where he helped Canada qualify for the 2007 World Cup. He couldn’t take part in the tournament, though, because of his commitments as a duty manager at the Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club.At 36, after the 2007 World Cup, he took over as the coach of the Canada side, and has been a professional coach since.Whatmore, whose shoes Dassanayake will fill, was appointed to the position in Nepal in December 2020 and took charge in early 2021, with qualification for the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia the stated focus. Whatmore, however, decided to step down shortly into his job, and it was understood at the time that his decision was influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic, which had made it difficult for him to see his family because of travel restrictions.

England captain reiterates claim that he did not witness any instances of racism in the Yorkshire dressing-room

Andrew Miller29-Nov-2021Joe Root, England’s Test captain, has reiterated his claim that he did not witness any instances of racism in the Yorkshire dressing-room, but acknowledges that cricket still has a “huge amount of learning to do” in the wake of Azeem Rafiq’s allegations.Root’s initial statement on the subject earlier this month led Rafiq to claim he was “incredibly hurt” by his former team-mate’s failure to back up his claims of discrimination during their shared time at Yorkshire. And though Root added that the pair had exchanged a “couple of messages” since, he doubled down on his position while speaking ahead of England’s four-day Ashes warm-up in Brisbane.”I stand by what I said. I don’t recall those incidents,” Root said. “If they are an oversight on my part then that’s an area that we all have to learn from, and I have to learn from.”Hopefully when we finish this tour, we will get the opportunity to sit down and talk about this whole situation,” Root said of his relationship with Rafiq. “Along with talking to Azeem, I mentioned in my statement that I want to talk to Lord Patel [the chairman] at the club – those dialogues have started. I think it’s important we keep finding ways of bettering the sport, finding ways how we can individually affect things for the better and make a real change in it.”There is still education that I need to undergo to develop myself further, and I think everyone does,” he added. “There’s so much work that has to be done, so much energy that has to be thrown into this and there has to be a real drive to make a real difference.”Joe Root: I think it’s important we keep finding ways of bettering the sport•Getty Images

Root said he was unable to comment, however, on Rafiq’s separate allegation that the nickname “Kevin” – a term he said had been coined by his former team-mate Gary Ballance to describe people of colour – had been an open secret within the England dressing-room. Rafiq’s testimony before Parliament also included the claim that Alex Hales had even named his dog “Kevin” as an in-joke, and the ECB has since opened an inquiry into the issue.”That’s part of a live investigation and I’m currently not able to discuss matters on that because of that investigation,” Root said. “But clearly that is a phrase that should never be used whether in the dressing room or any part of society. I don’t think I’m in a position to comment more about that.”Root did, however, insist that there had since been moments when “I feel like I have stepped in and called things out” – namely his on-field criticism of the West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, for making homophobic comments during a Test match in St Lucia in 2019.Related

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“That comes from growth and learning and understanding and education,” he added. “Discrimination in general is something we have to look to stamp out as much as we can. If there are mistakes, maybe we call them out straight away, and we find a way to keep improving the environments we are playing and working in.”I’m not saying we’ve always got things completely right, we haven’t, but we clearly have to look to keep getting better and better the sport as much as we can and have those difficult, uncomfortable conversations sometimes. Hopefully that makes a game better for everyone.”I look at the group of players that are around this team right now and the other two England men’s teams,” Root added. “We have spent a lot of time talking about these topics and what’s happened, and how we can make a real difference.”I certainly feel like there are a lot of good conversations happening which hopefully can follow into action and we can start to drive the game from our position at the spear point of the sport. That will only come in time from proving it and actually delivering on some of the things that we’ve discussed as a group.”

West Bromwich Albion have struggled in recent matches to string together some positive form in the Championship, as cracks begin to show in Carlos Corberan’s camp.

The Baggies are now winless in their last four games in the league, with the sweet taste of victory evading them throughout October so far, as a trip to Blackburn Rovers awaits the out-of-form West Midlands outfit tomorrow.

Corberan will want plenty more from his troops in the games to follow, as the likes of midfield stars Tom Fellows and Alex Mowatt had quiet games away at Oxford United last time out, with the promotion-chasing side succumbing to a late 1-1 draw.

West Brom could do with a more forceful presence in the middle of the park to try and take games by the scruff of their neck, akin to former Baggies ace Okay Yokuslu, with the Championship club even once dead set on the fact that they had the next Patrick Vieira in their ranks.

West Brom's next Vieira

Obviously, that is an outlandish tag to put above anyone’s head, with the ex-Arsenal brute a Premier League legend, having notched up a ridiculous 405 appearances for the Gunners across his celebrated stay in North London.

Vieira was known to be a feisty, no-nonsense presence in the middle of the park for his side, alongside also collecting an impressive 32 goals and 50 assists to help Arsene Wenger’s side routinely compete near the summit of the top division.

No pressure on young Rekeem Harper’s shoulders at the Hawthorns, therefore, who was tipped to be a talent similar to the Arsenal great back in 2019, with Harper himself revealing that academy manager Mark Harrison wanted to mould him into a box-to-box midfield presence like the well-known Frenchman:

West Brom even pondered about handing Vieira the managerial reins around this time, which could have resulted in Harper exploding into life, but the homegrown Baggies man would end up never living up to his outrageous billing as the second coming of the Gunners legend.

Harper's time at West Brom

Harper would go on to make an unmemorable 42 appearances for the Baggies in the first-team fold, with just two league appearances coming his way during his final season on the books of his boyhood employers as West Brom wrestled with fighting off relegation from the Premier League.

Only managing a lacklustre return of two goals and one assist too, there wouldn’t have been too many disappointed faces when Harper was moved on to Ipswich Town in the summer of 2021, with the once-promising midfielder failing to live up to the hype that previously surrounded him.

Club played for

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

Ipswich

19

0

1

Crewe Alexandra

15

0

0

Burton Albion

34

0

1

The now 24-year-old has struggled to breathe life into his playing days away from his old employers too, with the £500k switch to the Tractor Boys not working out for him either, before then finding himself further down the EFL food chain with the likes of Crewe Alexandra and Burton Albion.

Harper even had his contract with the Brewers ripped up this September, after only managing one sub-par season at the Staffordshire outfit, with the midfielder once compared to Vieira just six years ago now unemployed after various failed stints away from West Brom.

He will be on the hunt for a new club to call home soon, with West Brom left to wonder whether they could have got more out of their rising star when he was emerging up the ranks.

Harper was even on the radar of Serie A titans Juventus when he was tipped for great things in the West Midlands as a teenager – with Liverpool also among those interested – but now finds himself clubless, as Corberan and Co aim to nurture the next generation coming through at West Brom in the here and now more successfully.

West Brom ace was in the TOTY alongside Eze & Watkins, now he's unemployed

West Bromwich Albion never managed to get the best out of this midfield talent.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 17, 2024

Seven matches. Just two wins in those. And Kolkata Knight Riders are seventh on the table of eight in IPL 2021 as the second leg of the tournament begins from September 19 in the UAE. The poor start, according to head coach Brendon McCullum, was because the players were “being paralysed a little bit by fear” at times in those early games, but he feels the two-time champions “can end it right”.”In regards to the tournament which is upcoming [the second part of IPL 2021], we can end it right,” McCullum told . “We can take the game on and we’re in a situation where we need things to go our way. We need to hit the ground running, challenge one another privately, support one another publicly and try and get the best out of one another in the next four-five weeks. Who knows where we can go with this.”The Knight Riders began their campaign with a ten-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, but then lost four games in a row before bouncing back with a dominant five-wicket win over Punjab Kings, before losing one more, to Delhi Capitals.That more-down-than-up run has been down to inconsistent performances. Dinesh Karthik (123 runs at 30.75, strike rate 138.20), Andre Russell (163, 27.16 and 155.23) and Rahul Tripathi (187, 26.71 and 135.50) have been good with the bat, but captain Eoin Morgan has been poor, with just 92 runs in seven innings, and a strike rate of 112.19, while Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill, regulars at the top of the order, haven’t been able to get a move on either. With the ball, Varun Chakravarthy and Pat Cummins – the Australian is unavailable for the remainder of the tournament – have been the star performers, but the rest of the bowlers haven’t been as tough to get away.”There were sometimes throughout the season when I just felt we were being paralysed a little bit by fear,” McCullum said. “I wasn’t able to free the guys up enough to understand that and that’s sort of a challenge for me. But it is also a good challenge for the guys as well that they need to push the envelope of their own thinking as well.Related

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“Hopefully we will be able to strip away a bit of the angst which had built up in the first part of the season, just go out there and try and enjoy ourselves. That’s the ambition that I have got for the franchise and hence why I am unapologetic and unrelenting in my belief that we need to play a braver style of play.”McCullum, a Knight Riders player when the IPL kicked off in 2008 – remember innings – took charge as chief coach of the Kolkata franchise, as well as at Trinbago Knight Riders, in 2020. While Trinbago went on to win the CPL title in 2020 at the end of a remarkable unbeaten run [they topped the table and are in the semi-finals this season too], the IPL team didn’t have it as good, failing to qualify for the playoffs. This season has not been much better.As far as McCullum is concerned, though, his focus is on the bigger picture. “When we left India [in May], I think everyone understood me as a coach on how I want our team to play,” McCullum said. “I am unapologetic about that as well because my job is to try and build something at KKR that is going to last far longer than I am going to last for the franchise.”

Welsh Fire beaten for third game running after losing key moments against experienced visitors

ECB Reporters' Network06-Aug-2021

A quickfire 46 from Samit Patel and a superb spell of death bowling from Wahab Riaz took Trent Rockets to the top of the Hundred table as they brushed aside the Welsh Fire in Cardiff.Fire had looked set for a very big total after a 72-run stand between Glenn Phillips and Leus du Plooy, but Wahab brought Rockets back into the game at the death.The early dismissal of D’Arcy Short and a cluster of wickets in the middle of Rockets’ innings had given the Fire hope of defending the 140-run target but Patel’s intelligent innings took the Rockets to a straightforward win. Victory takes Rockets to eight points, two points clear of the chasing pack with three group matches still to play.Fire lost two early wickets with Tom Banton and Ian Cockbain both falling inside the Powerplay. Phillips and Ben Duckett looked to rebuild after the loss of both openers, taking the fire to 53 before Duckett was the third wicket to fall when he skied a catch off Steven Mullaney to Riaz.That brought together du Plooy and Phillips who put on the biggest stand of the match. Phillips brought up his first half-century of the competition from just 34 balls. Unfortunately for the home team he could not go on from there, falling to the very next ball.With Phillips and du Plooy well set Fire were eyeing up a total 150 or more. That became 139 for 8 at the end of their 100 balls thanks to a superb final 10 from Wahab Riaz in which he conceded just 11 runs and claimed three wickets.Rockets looked to build a solid platform at the start of their innings, reaching 31 for 1 at the end of their Powerplay. Qais Ahmad removed Dawid Malan and Alex Hales while Mullaney fell to David Payne, giving Fire a chance of defending the total. But Patel and Lewis Gregory put on an undefeated stand of 69 from just 33 balls to take their side to victory.Gregory was bowed by Payne with 25 still needed but a no-ball was picked up by the third umpire and the Rockets pair quickly finished the job in Matt Milnes’ next set.Patel’s innings included five sixes, including a big shot over the bowler’s head to win the game. Rockets won by six wickets with 10 balls to spare and they are very well placed to claim one of the three spots in the latter stages of the tournament.