كشف مهاجم نادي برشلونة السابق، فيتور روكي، المعار إلى صفوف ريال بيتيس هذا الموسم أسباب رحيله السريع عن قلعة “كامب نو” بعد حوالي 7 أشهر.

وكان روكي قد انضم إلى صفوف برشلونة في يناير الماضي قادمًا من أتلتيكو باراناينسي بمقابل 30 مليون يورو ولكنه لم يشارك كثيرًا.

وبالتالي، فضل برشلونة رحيل البرازيلي الدولي عن الفريق سريعًا على سبيل الإعارة من أجل الحصول على فرصة للمشاركة في المباريات.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ليفاندوفسكي يعرض مساعدة مالية على برشلونة

وتحدث روكي عن الأسباب التي جعلته يرحل، وقال في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “سبورت” الكتالونية: “كان الأمر معقدًا بعض الشيء بالنسبة لي”.

وتابع: “أتيحت لي بعض الفرص ولكن ليس بالطريقة التي كنت أفكر بها، لكن الآن الأمر مختلف، حيث إن كل تركيزي على ريال بيتيس”.

واستمر: “أشكر الله على عودتي لارتداء قميص منتخب البرازيل مرة أخرى”.

وواصل تصريحاته: “كانت المعاملة غريبة في برشلونة، كذلك الطريقة التي تحدث بها معي مجلس الإدارة، لكن هذا انتهى الآن لأنني سعيد بالحصول على الفرصة في الانتقال إلى ريال بيتيس”.

The former cricketer, commentator and coach reached his peak in 1981-82, being named International Cricket of the Year

Daniel Brettig27-Mar-2019Bruce Yardley, the former Australian spin bowler, coach and commentator, has died in far north Western Australia after a prolonged fight with cancer at the age of 71.Starting his cricketing life as one of many swing and seam bowlers in WA, Yardley found his niche after converting to off-breaks spun idiosyncratically from his right middle and ring fingers, first earning Test selection in the summer of 1977-78 during the World Series Cricket split that spirited away a host of Australian players to Kerry Packer’s breakaway competition.Not immediately successful for Australia, Yardley gradually improved as a bowler generating turn and bounce from a long, angled run-up and high action, while also smiting the intimidating West Indian attack for a memorable, 29-ball half century in a Test at Barbados in 1978 – a tour on which he was also called, once, for throwing in the tour match against Jamaica.The following season he turned out for Graeme Yallop’s “lambs to the slaughter” against England, and notably took the old ball for the start of the second innings of the final Test of the series at the SCG, as Yallop stretched the game’s laws by opting not to take a new ball, much to the indignation of his opposite number, Mike Brearley.Yardley returned to state ranks when Packer and the Australian Cricket Board reached a compromise ahead of the 1979-80 season, having toured India ahead of the home summer.A season later, however, Yardley returned as the nation’s No. 1 spinner, and enjoyed three summers in the national spotlight from 1980 to 1983.The most striking of these was 1981-82, when he plucked no fewer than 38 wickets in six home Tests against Pakistan and the West Indies, winning a cult following for the quality of his bowling and the infectiousness nature of his celebrations, his fielding at gully and his pesky lower order batting. These feats earned him the crown of International Cricketer of the Year, and he also winkled out 13 New Zealand wickets in three Tests across the Tasman.Yardley was to fall out of favour with the national selectors in 1983 despite taking seven wickets against Sri Lanka in his final Test, and retired from the game in 1985, though he returned to represent Western Australia in 1989-90.Following the end of his playing days, Yardley coached both close to home for Midland Guildford in Perth club cricket, and further afield as the national team coach of Sri Lanka from 1996 to 1998, where he was a noted advocate for Muttiah Muralitharan and a defender of his bowling action in contrast to many of his countrymen.He also coached and commentated internationally, before battling cancer back home in Western Australia, where he died at Kununurra District Hospital.”Bruce was a significant figure in Australian cricket, contributing in many ways on and off the field,” Cricket Australia’s chief executive Kevin Roberts said. ​”As a player, it took him more than ten years of persistence playing First-Class and Premier cricket to find the art of off-spin, earning him a Test debut at the age of 30.​”Bruce’s bowling dominates his career highlights with 126 Test wickets, holding the mantle as Australia’s most successful Test off-spinner before being surpassed by Nathan Lyon. He was also an excellent fielder and handy batter, holding the record for the quickest Test fifty for 38 years.​”Off the field, Bruce had an infectious personality and was regarded as one of the best spin-bowing coaches in the world, coaching Sri Lanka and mentoring the greatest Test wicket-taker of all time, Muttiah Muralitharan. On behalf of the Board and staff at Cricket Australia, we acknowledge Bruce’s outstanding contribution to Australian cricket, and our thoughts are with his family, friends and many of those in the cricketing community who knew him.”

One Aston Villa youngster looks set to leave the club this month, but his long-term future appears to be at Villa Park.

Aston Villa transfer rumours

It could be a busy month for Villa and Unai Emery in the transfer market, with owners NSWE ready to fund a January signing blitz. This comes after an incredible start to the season that has seen the club battling for top spot in the Premier League alongside the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City.

Premier League Top Four

Matches

Wins

Draws

Losses

Points

GD

1. Liverpool

20

13

6

1

45

25

2. Aston Villa

20

13

3

4

42

16

3. Man City

19

12

4

3

40

24

4. Arsenal

20

12

4

4

40

17

Reports have claimed that Villa want to sign two new attackers, with RB Salzburg attacker Oscar Gloukh one player who has been linked. Other forwards named as possible targets have been Timo Werner from RB Leipzig, Cyril Ngonge from Hellas Verona and Leicester City’s Keleci Iheanacho.

However, there could also be some exits to deal with, including looking at potential loan options for several young talents, and a new update as shared a development in that regard.

Kerr Smith update as defender leaves Aston Villa

Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke shared an update he’s heard from Aston Villa regarding youngster Kerr Smith. He stated that the 19-year-old has agreed a new two-year deal, with Villa also agreeing terms with St Johnstone for the player to complete a loan exit this month.

Villa are keen for the defender to get regular first-team experience and Smith will be ‘one of a number of Villa talents who will be loaned out in the January window as the club look to get their regular senior playing time’.

Related Aston Villa keen on Albert Gudmundsson, they've scouted him several times

He’s in great form and now he’s on Monchi’s radar…

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Jan 1, 2024

Smith arrived at the club in 2022 from Dundee United, with academy manager Mark Harrison heaping praise on the player following his arrival, saying:

“We are delighted that Kerr has joined us, he is a player we have tracked and monitored for a long time.

“He has lots of potential but has already gained some fantastic experiences at first-team level with Dundee United, which is rare for a 17-year-old. We are really excited to see how he develops and hopefully one day we will see him become a regular in our first team.”

He was also praised by veteran defender Mark Connolly during their time at Dundee United, where Smith made 12 senior appearances before moving to England. Connolly said:

“Kerr, who played beside me, was fantastic. He’s 16 years of age and it’s incredible.”

Smith has gone on to make 51 appearances for Villa’s youth sides over the last two years but is awaiting his senior debut. Therefore, a return to Scotland to gain some senior game time over the second half of the season could prove to be a shrewd move in the long run, and by the looks of things, Villa still have high hopes for Smith in the Midlands following news of a new deal.

Virat Kohli may be on top of the wishlist of every IPL franchise if they had the wherewithal to get him, but the batsman is going to stay put with Royal Challengers Bangalore, the only team he has played for across all editions of the IPL. “To me it has been a most special experience. I don’t see myself leaving or playing for any other franchise,” Kohli said at an event to launch a new app for the franchise.But while the India and RCB captain has decided that he would be staying, his IPL team has yet to lay its hands on the trophy after 11 seasons. This despite being among the most popular teams, one that has had some of the game’s biggest starts consistently playing for it and reaching the final three times. Kohli reckoned the lack of silverware for the second-most-expensive IPL franchise has been poor decision-making at key moments.ALSO READ: No cap on India players’ IPL participation – Kohli“The failure lies where decisions aren’t made properly,” Kohli said. “If I sit here and say our luck was bad, that won’t be right. You make your own luck, and if you make poor decisions and the other team makes good ones, you will lose. When we played big matches too, our decision-making wasn’t right.”When your decision-making is spot-on and balanced, those teams win the IPL. The teams that are more relaxed, don’t take the pressure too much, and take good decisions in pressure moments – they should get the credit for winning.”Gary Kirsten, who joined RCB in 2018 as a batting consultant and mentor and has now become one of the two coaches of the franchise alongside Ashish Nehra, said the team has tried to rectify the areas they had been weak in.”I don’t think it takes rocket science to work out where our weak points were,” Kirsten said. “We’ve certainly tried to address that in our recruitment for this year. But as much as sport is about getting the right players on board, we have no clue if someone we’ve recruited is going to fire in this IPL or not. What we do know is we try to build a balance as best we can, based on learnings from past tournaments.”You’ve got to have a hard edge around your performances, you’ve got to build some momentum in the competition. And if we’re able to do that, then some players that people think are not good enough might fire. There’s a lot of teams that wouldn’t have expected someone that did really well for them to do so. And we’re no different. A lot of doing well in this tournament is around how you build that momentum and how you understand to win games in really close situations.”Gary Kirsten spends some time by himself•BCCI

RCB endured a poor 2018 season, finishing sixth on the league table and suffering from questionable choice of personnel as well as glaring deficiencies in death bowling and support batting. Their misfortunes coincided with a marketing campaign built around a Kannada chant that went (This year the cup is ours)”. Kohli acknowledged that this was perhaps not the wisest move.”We realised this last year. You shouldn’t create an atmosphere even before the tournament has started, that ‘we are going to win this year’, because there are seven other teams too. You have to be realistic. It’s not a one-team dominated tournament,” he said. “From my point of view, I can ignore it. But if you can’t take a guarantee that everyone else is going to ignore it, then it can stay in your mind.”That’s why I said it’s very important to be aligned with the team’s culture and vision, and be a part of the team and not put expectations that are far away. No one wants to win more badly than the players, that anyone will guarantee you.”What Kohli said he wanted from his players this season was for everyone to buy into the team culture while being individually responsible for themselves.”What we’ve spoken about this year is to lay down a culture, which is the most important thing for any team,” he said. “One thing that remains an essence for any team is striving for excellence and being committed to what you want to achieve. That takes commitment on a daily basis, and that is something I’m looking forward to this season. We will require absolute professionalism from all our players. We’ll give responsibility to the players to handle themselves on the field, off the field, and take good decisions, be responsible about their life and the sport as well.”We all are here taking care of that culture for now. We’re not going to be here after a few years, none of us can be here forever. But RCB will remain for a long, long time and the next lot of players that come in should feel that culture, embrace it and be proud of being part of this franchise.”

After winning the Carabao Cup and earning a third-place Premier League finish last season, Manchester United were expected to progress further this campaign.

Instead, they have been woeful and sit eighth in the table, with Erik ten Hag struggling to inspire his squad.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

With that in mind, the Red Devils will look to strengthen their squad in January with the hopes of fixing their attacking issue, which has seen only two teams score fewer in the top flight – Burnley and Sheffield United.

Man Utd transfers latest – Timo Werner

According to a report from the Mirror earlier this week, Man United have set their sights on Timo Werner this January, with the German recognised as a key target.

Despite only being worth €30m (£26m), according to CIES Football Observatory, the move would be a loan deal, with Werner viewed as a temporary fix to a long-term issue.

RB Leipzig will allow the German to leave this winter, as he has failed to secure a spot in the starting XI so far this season.

Timo Werner’s style of play

Ex-Chelsea forward Werner has endured a tough spell this season, highlighted by the fact he’s started just two Bundesliga games all season and has been an unused substitute in Leipzig's last three league games. The signings of Lois Openda, Benjamin Sesko, and Xavi Simons have pushed the German further down the pecking order this campaign.

If United were to sign the Bundesliga striker, they could be getting their own version of Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez, as according to Tony Cascarino of talkSPORT, the Uruguayan reminds him of Werner, who apparently "couldn't buy a goal" during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Nonetheless, the few statistics below from the last year do suggest that Cascarino's judgement may have been accurate.

xG

0.41

0.70

Goals

0.37

0.46

Shots total

2.44

4.18

Goals/shot

0.13

0.10

Both players aren’t exactly the most composed finishers, as shown by the stats above, but they have elite movement to get into goal-scoring positions. That is also highlighted by the underperformance of xG, it proves that the German and Nunez are both wasteful in front of goal. Given that United have the joint third-worst attack in the Premier League, they could do with a striker who is clinical, not someone who could squander the only opportunity they get each game.

With Nunez – who has netted just five league goals this season – hardly setting the world alight at Anfield, for United to sign their own version of the former Benfica man would be a headscratcher, particularly with Werner scoring just ten league goals during his spell with the Blues.

Furthermore, the Champions League winner is rather injury-prone and has already suffered two separate setbacks this season, ultimately making him miss seven matches. It would take a while for him to get up to speed due to his time out, and Ten Hag needs reliability after an injury-disrupted few months.

2023/24

Adductor pain

5

2023/24

Back problems

2

2022/23

Syndesmotic ligament tear

7

2021/22

Strain

7

Overall, Werner’s time at Chelsea came to an end with a lack of playing time being one of the reasons for his departure, and he will leave Leipzig once again in search of game time.

However, even though United have been poor in attack, it is difficult to see Werner taking on a constant starting XI role with the talent in Ten Hag’s side. The move for the German is simply the best that United can get, rather than what they need.

Tamim Iqbal, who scored 74, and Abu Jayed, who dismissed both New Zealand openers cheaply, ensured the match remained on an even keel

The Report by Mohammad Isam in Wellington09-Mar-2019

Neil Wagner is pumped up after taking a wicket•Getty Images

Neil Wagner used the short ball to telling effect once again as New Zealand bowled Bangladesh out for 211, before Abu Jayed took two wickets in an impressive opening spell to even out the game for the visitors. They could have been in a stronger position at stumps had they built on the efforts of Tamim Iqbal, who made his third successive 50-plus score of the series, but a collapse from the solidity of 119 for 1 ensured they didn’t post a particularly challenging first-innings total.Until rain forced play to end at 5pm, the Basin Reserve saw a nearly full day’s play, which was a welcome change after the first two days were washed out.A good contest was developing when Tamim and Shadman Islam took on the New Zealand attack in the first hour, their shot-making defying the fear of everyone at the Basin Reserve that the lavishly grassed pitch would be overly helpful to the seamers. They put on 75, their third successive 50-plus stand of the series.Bangladesh’s confidence, however, gave way to carelessness. Shadman edged Colin de Grandhomme behind, before Neil Wagner removed Mominul Haque and Mohammad Mithun in almost identical circumstances in a 15-minute burst before lunch. Mominul survived a caught-behind decision via review, but fell next ball, caught behind down the leg-side. In Wagner’s next over, the last one before lunch, Mithun successfully reviewed a caught-behind decision, and nicked the next ball, a shortish one angling away from him.Tamim, who had been forceful at the other end with some excellent drives through the off side as well as pulls and cuts square of the wicket, fell nine balls into the second session, top-edged an attempted pull off Wagner. Soumya Sarkar got out playing a similar shot against a similar length, with Matt Henry, playing his first Test in more than a year, picking up the wicket.Wagner then had Mahmudullah caught in two minds – between a pull and a flick – and caught at square-leg, to leave Liton Das, the last recognised batsman, shepherding a long tail. He added 38 for the seventh wicket with Taijul Islam but the rest folded quickly as the tea interval approached.Post tea, Jayed had Tom Latham caught behind after a string of testing deliveries to the in-form left-hander, who made 161 in the Hamilton Test. Jeet Raval then spooned Jayed to cover to make it 8 for 2, before Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor batted out the remaining 3.1 overs before rain arrived.

Wrexham have been handed a positive boost going into the summer as they look to sign Arsenal loanee Arthur Okonkwo on a permanent deal.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Okonkwo spent season on loan at Wrexham
• Arsenal won't offer new contract to keeper
• Wrexham want to sign Okonkwo permanently

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wrexham secured automatic promotion to League One this season and Okonkwo played a major role in securing the Red Dragons' defence after a poor start with Ben Foster in goal. Manager Phil Parkinson has already clarified that the club intend to sign the 22-year-old goalkeeper permanently this summer as they head into the third tier of English football.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  As per The Mirror, the Wrexham target, whose contract ends this summer, will not receive a contract extension from the Gunners. The decision will now open up the path for the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney-owned club to sign their primary target as they target a third straight promotion next season.

• Getty
  

  WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Speaking to BBC earlier this week, the 56-year-old said: "Obviously we’re keen to keep Arthur and we’re working on that. It could take time but there’s one thing for sure, we’ll give it everything that we’ve got to keep Arthur at the club."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  With Oknokwo's current deal with Arsenal set to expire in June, the Red Dragons will be eager to enter talks with the goalkeeper's entourage as they will want him to be on the plane to the United States, where Wrexham will head for the pre-season.

Luke Ayling's Leeds United career could come to an end during the January transfer window. Sky Sports reported this week that fellow Championship side Middlesbrough are interested in signing Ayling, who's out of contract at the end of the season.

Ayling has started eight second-tier matches this season, but hasn't featured at all in the competition since a brief substitute appearance in the 1-0 win at Leicester in early November. Indeed, he's only made the bench four times since (Transfermarkt). If the Englishman does go, he might not be the only significant exit from Elland Road this month, with another player who's been struggling for game time potentially on his way out too.

Everton deep in Gnonto talks

Leeds paid around £3.9m to sign Wilfried Gnonto from Swiss club FC Zurich just last year, and he played 28 games for the first-team in his debut campaign. This year, he's racked up 21 outings, but only seven of those have been Championship starts (Transfermarkt).

All of this may have increased Everton's confidence about being able to sign the forward. The Toffees have regarded him as a "main target" since November and, according to journalist Rudy Galetti, they've been in talks with Leeds over a transfer "for weeks".

49ers Enterprises and their counterparts at Goodison Park are "working" towards finding an "agreement" on the transfer fee, and then it will come down to whether Gnonto can agree personal terms.

Gnonto deserves bigger chance at Leeds

Based on Gnonto's limited opportunities under Daniel Farke this season, it wouldn't be particularly suprising if he wanted out. But that doesn't mean it wouldn't be a shame to see him leave Yorkshire.

While his numbers this season are nothing to write home about – he's only notched two direct goal contributions – that can partly be put down to his relative lack of involvement, and at the age of 20, he still offers plenty of promise. Indeed, despite his youth, he's already amassed 13 caps for the reigning European champions in Italy (Transfermarkt).

Gnonto holds the honour of being his country's youngest-ever goalscorer after finding the net in a 5-2 Nations League defeat to Germany in 2022 (Reuters). If you're Everton, he's certainly worth a punt.

EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

During his time with Leeds, he's also produced real moments of promise. Then-caretaker boss Michael Skubala dubbed him a "special player" after he scored in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United (Viaplay Football), while his scissor-kick volley in a 5-2 FA Cup win over Cardiff City drew comparisons to Paolo Di Canio's iconic Premier League goal in West Ham's 2-1 win over Wimbledon in 2000.

Di Canio himself sent a congratulatory message on the back of that strike, telling Gnonto that he had "fitted in very quickly" into the "most beautiful, most coveted, most spectacular [and] most difficult championship in the world" (Leeds Live).

On that basis, you could certainly argue that Leeds should give him more time, and more opportunities to show what he can do. However, it seems that discussions over a move to Merseyside are already well advanced, and so it remains to be seen if he lives up to the early hype elsewhere.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em um confronto direto por uma vaga na Copa Libertadores de 2021, Santos e Corinthians se enfrentam na noite desta quarta (17), às 19h, na Vila Belmiro, em partida atrasada da 33ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

O Santos é o nono colocado, com 50 pontos, enquanto o Corinthians é o décimo, com 49. Uma das equipes vai superar o Athletico-PR (que tem 50 e ocupa a oitava colocação) e seguir dependendo apenas dele para garantir a classificação para a Libertadores nas duas últimas rodadas.

>> Confira a classificação atualizada do Campeonato Brasileiro

RelacionadasSantosSantos apresenta projeto e aguarda resposta de Ariel Holan até domingoSantos16/02/2021CorinthiansPara vencer o Santos, Corinthians terá que quebrar tabu na Vila BelmiroCorinthians16/02/2021CorinthiansÁrbitro de Santos e Corinthians já errou o nome do Timão em súmulaCorinthians16/02/2021

PEIXE TEM DESFALQUE NO ATAQUE

O Santos terá um desfalque importante no clássico desta quarta. Com uma lesão muscular, o atacante Kaio Jorge está fora do jogo e não deve atuar mais no Campeonato Brasileiro. Ele deve ser substituído por Marcos Leonardo.

Na defesa, Laércio sofreu um entorse no tornozelo e pode ficar fora. Caso isso aconteça, Luiz Felipe deve ser o escolhido para começar a partida.

TIMÃO TEM DESFALQUE NA DEFESA

O técnico Vagner Mancini tem um desfalque importante no sistema defensivo. O lateral-direito Fágner recebeu o terceiro cartão amarelo na partida contra o Flamengo e terá de cumprir suspensão automática. Ele será substituído por Michel Macedo.

O treinador tem uma dúvida no meio-campo entre Otero e Matheus Vital, que cumpriu suspensão diante do Flamengo. A volta de Gabriel está confirmada.

FICHA TÉCNICA
SANTOS X CORINTHIANS

Data e hora: 17 de fevereiro de 2021, às 19h
Local: Estádio Vila Belmiro, em Santos (SP)
Árbitro: Vinícius Gonçalves Dias Araújo (SP)
Assistentes: Evandro de Melo Lima (SP) e Luiz Alberto Andrini Nogueira (SP)
Árbitro de vídeo: Márcio Henrique de Gois (SP)

Onde assistir: Premiere e tempo real do LANCE!

SANTOS
João Paulo, Pará, Luiz Felipe, Luan Peres e Felipe Jonatan; Alison, Sandry e Soteldo; Marinho, Marcos Leonardo (Jean Mota) e Lucas Braga. Técnico: Cuca
Desfalques: Kaio Jorge, Carlos Sánchez e Raniel

CORINTHIANS
Cássio; Michel Macedo, Jemerso, Gil e Fábio Santos; Gabriel, Cantillo, Otero (Mateus Vital), Ángelo Araos e Gustavo Mosquito; Léo Natel. Técnico: Vagner Mancini
Desfalque: Fágner (suspenso)

MatériaMais Notícias

Contratado para substituir o técnico Abel Braga, Miguel Ángel Ramírez, que já acompanha os jogos do Internacional, tem tudo para fazer a sua estreia no fim de semana contra o Ypiranga-RS.

+ 26 fatos que o novo mapa de patrocinadores dos clubes brasileiros mostra

O debute do espanhol pode dar um pouco mais de confiança ao elenco de reservas/juniores do Colorado, que até o momento, venceu um confronto, em três disputados.

Apesar da presença do comandante, o time principal do Internacional só volta a jogar em pelo menos duas semanas.

+ Neymar conversa com Messi sobre ida ao PSG, Vidal faz post sobre o Flamengo… O Dia do Mercado

Calendário

Em sua primeira temporada no Brasil, Miguel Ángel Ramírez terá pela frente o Gauchão, Copa do Brasil, Brasileirão e Libertadores.

RelacionadasFortalezaGustavo Blanco se aproxima do FortalezaFortaleza09/03/2021CearáAtacante Jael é apresentado pelo CearáCeará09/03/2021Futebol LatinoAgora é oficial! Valdivia assina por um novo clube na América do SulFutebol Latino09/03/2021