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

Andrea Berta closing in on Arsenal sporting director role

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arsenal planning initial talks to sign Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez

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

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

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

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

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

Manchester United’s stance on Ruben Amorim’s future as head coach has been revealed following the Portuguese’s sack admission.

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• Appointed in November 2024
• Has won just 15 of 41 games at the helm
• Boasts full support of club's board

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils hoped that a change in their dugout would deliver a reversal in fortune during the 2024-25 campaign. After taking the decision to part with League Cup and FA Cup-winning coach Erik ten Hag, reins at Old Trafford were handed to Amorim.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  He has overseen just 15 victories through 41 games at the helm, giving him a miserly win ratio of just 36 per cent, and United’s latest setback saw them suffer an agonising 1-0 defeat to domestic rivals Tottenham in the Europa League final.

• WHAT RUBEN AMORIM SAID

  Amorim said in the wake of that contest, as uncomfortable questions continue to be asked of his ongoing presence: “If the board and the fans feel I am not the right guy I will go tomorrow with no compensation. But I will not quit.”

  He also told : “I'm confident that I'm still the guy. More than (in) the beginning. I know that it is going to be tough. I know that we lost against an English team. I know that the patience of the fans is going to be really short next season. But I guarantee you I will not quit, I will not go away, so at this time I am really confident.”

• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Amorim reportedly considered walking away back in January, following a difficult start to his tenure, but now boasts the full support of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the United board. report: “No change to previous Man United position following last night's press conference. Club and ownership still behind Ruben Amorim and feel the fans are too.”

He has not pondered what it would mean for him, or the team, if the move wasn’t a success

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-20240:51

Clarke on Smith: He’ll be the No. 1 Test opener within 12 months

A reinvigorated Steven Smith has not considered what it would mean for his future if the move to Test opener does not pay off for Australia.Three days out from the first Test against the West Indies, Smith’s life at the top of the order began when he faced the new ball in the Adelaide Oval nets on Sunday.One of Australia’s greatest ever batters, Smith revealed he first flagged the idea of replacing the retiring David Warner as opener during last year’s Ashes. He mentioned it again last month, but did not believe the idea was taken seriously until talking with coaches during the SCG Test against Pakistan.Related

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Undecided at first, selectors have been won over by a history of players succeeding when going to the top.”I’ve kind of been pushing it for a few weeks, even before Perth I think, and I might have been floated in England just randomly and said ‘I’ll get up top and I’m happy to play up top’,” he said. “In Perth, I kind of said ‘you know after Davey’s done I’m actually keen to get up there’.”I don’t think they sort of took me seriously until I got to Sydney and I was like ‘I’m actually being genuine here. I’d be keen to get up top and face the new ball.’ And they were like, ‘all right, well, we’ll take that under advisement and see how it all looks.’But the move doesn’t come without risk. And the question remains that if Smith does not succeed and Cameron Green excels at No. 4, what would it mean for the former captain’s place in the side?”I don’t like thinking that way,” Smith said. “I don’t want to think negative thoughts at all. I’m not sure. If someone gets injured in the middle and the next batters in are genuine openers, then maybe they slot back in [at the top] and I go back down. I don’t know the answer. But for right now we’ve got what we believe is our best six batters playing.”Steven Smith hopes to be able to score more freely•Getty Images

Smith does see significant upside in the move, having only dropped down from No. 3 to No. 4 in 2017 to juggle the demands of captaincy.The 34-year-old believes he is at his best against the new ball. He averages 106.2 when walking to the wicket in the first two overs.Warner has also said teams would be unlikely to continue to regularly bounce Smith early in the innings, a tactic which has slowed the right-hander’s scoring down in recent years.”It would be pretty game if you’ve got a brand new ball bowling short stuff and wasting it,” Smith added. “It helps the scoring rate when you’re facing the new ball and there’s a bit more attacking going on.”Over the last few years I’ve come in after quite a lot of runs, the ball’s a bit softer. “[They] have a cover in and maybe four on the legside, guys are bowling straight and able to control the scoreboard a little bit more. That’s probably kept me quieter and made me face a lot more balls to score runs.”Perhaps that changes a bit with the new ball. You obviously have a bit more attacking fields and more gaps out there to score runs. I’m looking forward to that.”Sick of watching and waiting to bat, Smith said a desire to move was partly driven by the idea of a new challenge at this point in his career.But he also felt it unfair that Green could be forced to open this early in his career if the selectors’ desire to have the allrounder back in the team landed him there.”It didn’t sit right having him come in and bat up top,” Smith said. “I’ve played for a long time and I’m an experienced player and think it’s something that I should have done. He’s suited to No. 4. Plays there in Shield cricket, does well there.”

An opening Pakistan game at a World Cup is usually a bustling affair, but Friday’s contest at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium is unlikely to be played to a packed house

Danyal Rasool05-Oct-20232:59

Middle order and spin department a concern for Pakistan

Big pictureAfter years of will-they-won’t-they, months of administrative bickering and weeks of visa uncertainties, the moment has finally arrived. Pakistan will take to the field in a World Cup match in India, Hyderabad the somewhat unassuming venue, Netherlands the slightly inauspicious opponents. It’s a gentle start rather than an explosive one, but it’s a start nonetheless, between a side that at times felt like it didn’t really want to come to India, and one that would have done absolutely anything to be here.An opening Pakistan game at a World Cup is usually a bustling affair, though this one at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium is unlikely to be played to a packed house. With the ticketing rollout little short of shambolic, and almost all Pakistani citizens still waiting on their visas, the crowd may lack some of the atmosphere Pakistan games usually play out to. But it’s a city where they were made to feel extremely welcome, and they enjoyed warm support from the locals in the warm-up match against Australia. Pakistan won’t be in town too often, let’s be honest, so the opportunity to watch the likes of Babar Azam or Shaheen Shah Afridi in the flesh is difficult to scoff at.Related

Live Report – Netherlands vs Pakistan, World Cup 2023

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Pakistan thought they were in pole position less than a month ago when their three prime fast bowlers were fit and firing, but things have taken a nosedive since. Pakistan finished bottom of the Super 4s at the Asia Cup and Naseem Shah has been ruled out of the tournament since.Shadab Khan and Fakhar Zaman’s poor form has become something of a rut, and the warm-ups saw Pakistan lose by six overs to spare after posting 345 against New Zealand, before conceding 351 against Australia. They should be good enough for this Netherlands side not to worry them too much, but taking things for granted in a World Cup is dangerous business.Netherlands’ major disappointment stems from both their warm-up games being rain-affected – with one completely washed out – which means the last 50-over game of any sort they collectively played came in the final of the World Cup Qualifier three months ago. The gained momentum at that tournament as it went on, and towards the end demonstrated their quality and ability to cope with pressure few sides at the World Cup proper have to deal with. Their batting is the stronger suit, which may prove handy if the pitch is as flat as Hyderabad was for the two warm-up games held here. But with Roelof van der Merwe looking tidy against Australia, and an attack that includes Shariz Ahmed, Paul van Meekeren and Bas de Leede, Netherlands have something to work with.Form guideNetherlands LWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLWWWBabar Azam is all smiles at Pakistan’s training ahead of their World Cup opener•Getty ImagesIn the spotlightThere is truly only one man in this conversation. No one has the gaze of a quarter of a billion people fixed quite so forensically on them as Shadab Khan in this Pakistan side. The vice-captain’s indifferent form, particularly with the ball, and especially in this format, have seen once-unthinkable calls for his omission from the starting line-up.A poor Asia Cup saw him concede 218 runs in 35 overs at 109 per wicket in his last four matches, and he was similarly ineffective in the warm-up game against Australia. With little by way of runs to compensate either, Usama Mir’s legspin stock has risen over the past few weeks. While Shadab’s place shouldn’t be in danger against the Netherlands, his performance might well determine if that remains the case as the World Cup goes on.The defining image of the last Netherlands-Pakistan match in Perth last year featured Haris Rauf asking after Bas de Leede’s health after a bouncer from the bowler had given him a concussion and a nasty cut under the eye. “Go well,” Haris had said then, and de Leede has done just that. A few months earlier, he had sparkled during an ODI between the two sides in Rotterdam, narrowly missing out on a century. But it was in the qualifiers for this World Cup that he really shone, scores of 41, 33, 41, 39 and a stunning 116-ball 123 catapulting his side towards the World Cup. That remains the last ODI he played, and a year out from that unfortunate Perth encounter, he has the opportunity to show how well he’s going.Netherlands have had little 50-over practice since the World Cup Qualifiers, with both their warm-up matches being affected by rain•Getty ImagesTeam newsMohammad Wasim bowled a fair bit during training on the day before, but Hasan Ali should get the nod over him. Pakistan’s combination is an issue if they want to fit Usama Mir in, which invariably comes at the expense of a batter.Pakistan (possible XI): 1 Fakhar Zaman 2 Imam-ul-Haq 3 Babar Azam (capt) 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk) 5 Saud Shakeel/Salman Ali Agha 6 Iftikhar Ahmed 7 Shadab Khan 8 Mohammad Nawaz 9 Hasan Ali 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi 11 Haris RaufNetherlands (possible XI): 1 Vikramjit Singh 2 Max O’Dowd 3 Wesley Barresi 4 Bas de Leede 5 Colin Ackermann 6 Scott Edwards (capt &wk) 7 Ryan Klein 8 Logan van Beek 9 Roelof van der Merwe, 10 Shariz Ahmed 11 Paul van MeekerenPitch and conditionsThere was rain in Hyderabad during a warm-up game the previous week, but none is expected on Friday, with the weather expected to be hot and dry. Expect another high-scoring contest.Stats and trivia Babar Azam is 26 runs away from becoming the first active Pakistan batter to make 500 ODI World Cup runs. Pakistan have lost the first World Cup match at the last two tournaments, and four of the last five. Netherlands have won just two of their 15 World Cup matches, their last success coming in 2007 against Scotland.

Glasgow Rangers turn their attention to the Europa League this evening as they prepare to travel away to Turkey to take on Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce side.

The Light Blues are fighting for a place in the last eight of the competition and will take on the Turkish giants, away and at home, in their next two matches, with a weekend off this week due to their loss to Queen’s Park in the SFA Cup.

Rangers come into this game off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership at the weekend, and interim head coach Barry Ferguson may look to make some changes to the starting line-up.

One player who could be taken out of the XI is Dutch central defender Robin Propper, who was hauled off at half-time in last weekend’s loss.

Why Robin Propper should be dropped

The former FC Twente star lost 100% (2/2) of his ground duels in the first half against Motherwell, before Leon Balogun came on to win three of his five as Propper’s replacement in the second half.

Ex-Gers defender Craig Moore said the Dutchman “is not a real physical player” and claimed that opposition forwards find it too easy to get the better of him in physical battles, which is backed up by his form in the Europa League.

The 31-year-old flop has lost 54% of his ground duels and 56% of his aerial contests in Europe this season, whilst Balogun has won 73% of his battles on the deck and 100% of his aerial duels across three appearances.

With this in mind, Ferguson should – as he did at half-time on Saturday – switch Propper for Balogun from the start for this clash with Fenerbahce to improve the physicality of the Rangers defence.

Chalkboard

The former Eredivisie defender is not the only player who should be taken out of the XI, however, as Cyriel Dessers should also be dropped to the bench.

Why Cyriel Dessers should be dropped

The Nigeria international, who journalist Josh Bunting claimed can be “awkward” to play against, did score in the defeat to Motherwell at the weekend, but he also missed a ‘big chance’ and lost all seven of his duels with opposition defenders.

That, more or less, sums up the Dessers experience for Rangers. He has the ability to step up with a goal but his general play, duelling with defenders, leaves a lot to be desired, and the forward is far too wasteful with the chances that do come his way.

Appearances (starts)

8 (5)

xG

5.13

Goals

2

xG differential

-3.13

Big chances missed

9

Duel success rate

37%

As you can see in the table above, the former Cremonese striker has been particularly wasteful in the Europa League this season, underperforming his xG by more than three goals.

Dessers, who also scored one goal in seven matches in the Europa League last term, has proven himself to be unreliable in Europe and that is why Ferguson must ditch him from the XI for this big clash with Fenerbahce, playing Hamza Igamane in his place.

Football FanCast recently published an article explaining why the club’s prospective new owners, the 49ers, must part ways with the striker in the summer transfer window, and his lack of consistency as a finisher was the biggest reason.

Dessers, as shown by his aforementioned statistics, has not provided a physical presence to make the ball stick for Rangers in European matches, nor has he offered a clinical touch in front of goal, and Ferguson must drop him to the bench to ensure that his wastefulness does not cost the team this evening.

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ByDan Emery Mar 4, 2025

The fast bowler developed a pelvic inflammation during the first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2023South Africa fast bowler Gerald Coetzee has been ruled out of the second Test against India that starts on January 3 in Cape Town because of pelvic inflammation. South Africa have not named a replacement.Coetzee developed the inflammation during the first Test in Centurion, and his discomfort got “progressively worse while bowling” in India’s second innings, a Cricket South Africa release said. He was sent for scans on Friday, which revealed the extent of the injury. South Africa’s Test coach Conrad Shukri opted to release Coetzee from the squad “as a precautionary measure,” but there is no indication if he will be fit for the SA20, which starts on January 10.Coetzee bowled only five overs in India’s second outing on day three before leaving the field as the hosts romped to a thumping win. He did not return, and Tristan Stubbs took over fielding duties for the rest of the match.Related

• Questions aplenty for India as SA look to give Elgar the perfect farewell

• Shardul Thakur hit on the shoulder at India's nets session

• Injured Bavuma ruled out of Cape Town Test

• Jubilant South Africa put their name up in lights

• Avesh to join second Test squad to replace Shami

Coetzee becomes the second South Africa player to get injured in the first Test against India, with captain Temba Bavuma ruled out of the New Year’s Test with a hamstring injury. Zubayr Hamza has been called up as a batting replacement, with Stubbs also in the squad, but South Africa already have two other fast bowlers they can call on to play in Coetzee’s place. Lungi Ngidi has recovered from the ankle injury that kept him out of the T20Is against but not selected for the first Test because he was deemed not to be match fit. He was seen training during the match. Allrounder Wiaan Mulder is another option in the squad but it is likely South Africa will turn to Keshav Maharaj in what should be a more spinner-friendly surface in Cape Town.In Centurion, Coetzee was South Africa’s most expensive bowler in both innings with the ball, and picked up just one wicket.

This has been a year for both the elite tactical masterminds and man-managers, but who achieved the most relative to the resources at their disposal?

So there we have it! The five champions of Europe's major leagues have all been confirmed: Liverpool, Barcelona, Napoli, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. Arne Slot, Hansi Flick, Antonio Conte, Vincent Kompany and Luis Enrique all made a piece of history at those respective clubs, and each of them now holds a special place in the hearts of supporters as a result.

However, those five men were by no means the only coaches in Europe to impress over the last 12 months. Oliver Glasner, Eddie Howe, Vincenzo Italiano and Sebastian Hoeness ended agonisingly long trophy droughts for Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Bologna and Stuttgart, respectively, as the so-called lesser clubs got one over on the elite for a change in the domestic cups.

Some of the standout managers didn't even lift any silverware, they simply made fans believe again. Nuno Espirito Santo falls into that bracket after bringing Nottingham Forest back into Europe, and so too do Claudio Ranieri and Nico Kovac, who were both tasked with daunting mid-season salvage jobs and ended up exceeding all expectations.

The question is: who should go down as the best manager of the 2024-25 European season? GOAL ranks the top 10 contenders below…

Imago Images10Niko Kovac (Borussia Dortmund)

When Kovac was appointed Borussia Dortmund boss on January 29, the team had slipped to 11th in the Bundesliga table with just seven wins from 19 games, and sat 22 points behind leaders and arch-rivals Bayern Munich. His predecessor, Nuri Sahin, had overseen progress into the Champions League knockout rounds, but the first half of the season was unquestionably a disaster for a club the size of BVB.

The tide did not immediately turn under Kovac, either, as the new manager lost four of his first six league matches in the dugout and a top-four finish faded into the distance. But, crucially, the Croatian then ditched Sahin's 4-2-3-1 formation for a 3-4-3, which made Dortmund far more cohesive as a defensive unit, and results subsequently began to improve.

Changing Dortmund's setup also sparked the forward line into life, with Serhou Guirassy, in particular, going goal crazy. Dortmund won seven and drew one of their final eight Bundesliga fixtures, scoring 26 goals, and clinched fourth place ahead of Freiburg on the final day of the season.

Kovac didn't just pull the club out of a crisis, he turned Dortmund into one of the most effective transition sides in Europe, as we also saw during their run to the Champions League quarter-finals that they can still mix it with Europe's elite. Suddenly, the future looks bright again for the Yellow and Blacks, and, as resurgent BVB forward Karim Adeyemi so eloquently put it, that's all because of the "kick in the ass" Kovac provided.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport9Nuno Espirito Santo (Nottingham Forest)

What a job Nuno has done at Nottingham Forest! He didn't get enough plaudits for keeping the club in the Premier League after walking into a dire situation midway through the 2023-24 campaign, and most outsiders expected another relegation battle this time around.

But Nuno had a plan for rapid growth and has executed it flawlessly. After strengthening with the summer additions of Nikola Milenkovic, Elliot Anderson and Morato, Forest quickly rose into top-four contention playing an effective brand of counter-attacking football that allowed Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White to flourish in the final third.

Forest's Champions League bid ran out of steam down the finishing stretch, but a Conference League berth for 2025-26 should not be sniffed at. The City Ground faithful hasn't seen any continental action in 30 years, and Nuno has cemented a place in Forest's Hall of Fame for bringing the team to this point so quickly – even if he ends up leaving amid reports of a breakdown in relations with controversial owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Getty Images Sport8Claudio Ranieri (Roma)

Former Leicester City manager Ranieri's reputation as a miracle-worker precedes him wherever he goes – that's what happens when you guide 1000-1 underdogs to a Premier League title. The Italian also performed the great escape with Cagliari in 2023-24 to end his career on a high, only for him to reverse his retirement decision six months later.

That's because Ranieri's beloved Roma were in dire straits, and he couldn't just sit back and do nothing. He returned to Stadio Olimpico for a third spell in charge in November, at which point the Giallorossi were down in 12th in Serie A, with both Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric paying the ultimate price for club's worst start to a season since 1979.

Bringing Ranieri back felt like an act of desperation at the time, and three losses in his first four games only fuelled that narrative. But he soon started to get the best out of Roma's biggest stars, most notably Mats Hummels, Leandro Paredes, Gianluca Mancini, and Matias Soule, and the team embarked on a thrilling 19-game unbeaten run in Serie A that ran from December 15 to May 12.

Incredibly, Roma went into the last day of the season knowing a top-four finish would be theirs if they beat Torino and Juventus failed to secure a win at Venezia. Ranieri's men did their job, but, in the end, so did Juve to leave the Olimpico faithful deflated. Make no mistake, though, Ranieri is still going back into retirement as a hero; at 73 years old, he defied all the odds again and reminded the entire world of his unparalleled skills as a man motivator.

AFP7Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace)

Glasner made an instant impact at Palace after replacing Roy Hodgson in February of last year, winning seven of his first 13 Premier League games to steer the team to an unlikely 10th-place finish. But then the German saw the core of his team ripped out as Michael Olise, Jordan Ayew, and Joachim Andersen all departed in the summer transfer window.

Palace were able to bring in Eddie Nketiah, Maxence Lacroix, and Ismaila Sarr to fill those positions in time for the new season, but they still plummeted to the bottom of the table after eight matches, and Glasner faced uncomfortable questions over his future. CEO Steve Parish and the rest of the Eagles board resisted the urge to pull the trigger, though, and were soon rewarded for their patience.

After the turn of the year, Palace picked up eight Premier League wins, a total matched only by champions Liverpool, to pull well clear of danger. In fact, Glasner's side weren't too far away from the European spots, which was amazing considering they also put in a herculean effort to reach the FA Cup final, despatching Fulham and Aston Villa along the way.

The Eagles then pulled off one of the competition's greatest-ever upsets in the Wembley showpiece as they downed Manchester City courtesy of a wonderful breakaway goal from Eberechi Eze. Glasner became an instant immortal for delivering Palace's first-ever major trophy, and it could be the start of something very special if he stays for their 2025-26 Europa League campaign, because his team are now a high-octane powerhouse capable of going toe-to-toe with the very best.

أجرى روبن أموريم مدرب مانشستر يونايتد مؤتمراً صحفياً قبل لقاء بيرنلي غداً على ملعب أولد ترافورد في الجولة الثالثة من الدوري الإنجليزي لكرة القدم.

وتحدث أموريم عن مشاعره بعد مباراة جريمسبي خلال مؤتمر صحفي: “بصراحة في كل مرة نتلقى فيها هزيمة مثل هذه، أكون على هذا النحو، أحياناً أقول إنني أكره لاعبي فريقي وأحياناً أقول إنني أحبهم، هذه هي طريقتي في التعامل مع الأمور”.

وأضاف: “في تلك اللحظة شعرت بخيبة أمل كبيرة وحزن شديد لأنني أعتقد أننا قدمنا فترة تحضيرية رائعة، كنا نلعب بثبات وثبات، الآن مباراة جديدة وأركز عليها، أحتاج لأن أعيش هذا يوماً بعد يوم”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. بعد خروجه المدوي في كأس الرابطة.. مانشستر يونايتد ينهي التكهنات حول مستقبل أموريم

ورد أموريم على تفكيره في الاستقالة من تدريب مانشستر يونايتد: “إذا كنت في موقف ما، إذا كان لديك هذا النوع من السلوك فعليك أن تفهم أن لديك أحياناً أمور جيدة وأخرى عكسية، أحياناً أرغب في تقديم استقالتي وأحياناً أخرى أرغب في البقاء هنا لعشرين عاماً”.

وحول كوبي ماينو الذي انتشرت عنه تقارير صحفية بأنه سيرحل عن مانشستر يونايتد: “لا أستطيع قول الكثير حتى يصبح الأمر رسمياً، أريد بقاء كوبي ماينو، عليه أن يقاتل من أجل مكانه ونحن بحاجة له، أتفهم خيبة أمل اللاعبين الذين لا يلعبون حالياً وعلينا أن نقاتل طوال الأسبوع”.

وحول ما أزعج أموريم ضد جريمسبي: “أعتقد أن هذا هو أصعب ما في الهزيمة، أحياناً لا تكمن المشكلة في النتيجة بل طريقة خسارتنا أو تعادلنا، إنها التفاصيل الصغيرة مثل القتال على الكرة والركض”.

 

 

Baroda, Punjab, Delhi, and Assam booked their places in the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy semi-finals on Thursday. While Baroda eliminated defending champions Mumbai, Punjab won a closely-fought contest against a Rinku Singh-inspired Uttar Pradesh. In the other two games, there were relatively straightforward wins for Delhi, who knocked out Vidarbha, and Assam, who outplayed Kerala to reach the semis for the first time in the T20 competition.

Sopariya, Solanki knock Mumbai out

Right-arm medium pacer Soyeb Sopariya ran through Mumbai’s top order to set up a memorable victory for Baroda in Mullanpur. After inserting Mumbai to bat, he trapped opener Jay Bista lbw in the first over. He also sent Ajinkya Rahane back in the third over, and then had Yashasvi Jaiswal nicking off for a 14-ball 8 right after the powerplay.Sopariya eventually finished with figures of 3 for 16, while fellow quick Lukman Meriwala took a wicket and conceded just 18 runs.Shivam Dube (48 off 36) and Sarfaraz Khan (33 off 22) tried to get Mumbai’s innings back on track, but Abhimanyusingh Rajput dismissed both set batters to help restrict Mumbai to 148.Baroda lost an early wicket in their chase, but opener Jyotsnil Singh and No. 3 Rajput steadied them till the eighth over. Then, Mumbai effected a mini-collapse as Baroda slid from 64 for 1 to 88 for 4 in 21 deliveries.But Vishnu Solanki, at No. 5, ensured Baroda got the job done, even as he lost three partners at the other end. Solanki hit two sixes and five fours in his unbeaten 49 off 30 as Baroda chased the target with seven balls to spare.File photo: Rinku Singh blasted 77 off 33 but it went in vain•Sportsfile via Getty Images

Rinku fireworks not enough for UP

Rinku Singh added another sensational rescue knock in his already glowing resume, smashing 77 not out off just 33 deliveries, but Punjab still trumped Uttar Pradesh in a thriller in Mohali to reach the semi-finals.Rinku came out to bat with UP struggling at 53 for 3 in the 12th over. He started quick, hitting a boundary off the third ball he faced. Rinku found support in Sameer Rizvi as they plundered 116 in 53 balls. Rizvi finished unbeaten on 42 off 29, hitting four sixes and a four, while Rinku notched up four fours and six sixes, three of which came off the final over bowled by Arshdeep Singh.Punjab slipped to 14 for 3 in the fourth over thanks to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohsin Khan. But Nehal Wadhera and Anmolpreet Singh rescued them with a 72-run stand.UP bounced back, courtesy Mohsin. He removed Anmolpreet for 43 off 29 and Wadhera for a 39-ball 52 in the 13th and 15th over, respectively.Punjab still needed 55 off 31 deliveries and Sanvir Singh and Ramandeep Singh brought their big-hitting prowess to the party. Sanvir made 35 not out off 13 deliveries, while Ramandeep scored 22 to take Punjab home in the final over.

Rawat, Dhull inspire Delhi into the semis

A 105-run partnership for the second wicket between Anuj Rawat and Yash Dhull set the base for Delhi’s win over Vidarbha in Mullanpur.After Umesh Yadav’s strike in the third over, Rawat and Dhull kept the scorecard ticking for Delhi. Rawat mainly played the anchor’s role, scoring a 53-ball 68, while Dhull made 43 off 29.Ayush Badoni also chipped in with a 17-ball 28 at the death to take Delhi to 176, even as Umesh registered a four-wicket haul.Vidarbha could never find their momentum with the bat, losing wickets in regular intervals and slipping to 85 for 6 in the 13th over. Vidarbha’s No. 6 Shubham Dubey tried to defy the Delhi bowlers with his 44 but it wasn’t enough. In the end, Vidarbha fell 39 runs short.Related

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Assam coast past Kerala

After unprecedented seven fifties in a row in this competition, Assam captain Riyan Parag failed to fire in Mohali, but they had little trouble in defeating Kerala to reach the semi-finals for the first time. Assam had gotten better of Kerala in their league-stage encounter as well.However, unlike their league stage match, the quarter-final was one-sided with Sumit Ghadigaonkar starring with his composed 75.He controlled the chase of 159, putting on important partnerships with opener Rishav Das and No. 5 Sibsankar Roy.Earlier, Assam had Kerala on the mat early as they slipped to 44 for 5 in the seventh over. But Salman Nizar and Abdul Basith hit half-centuries each and put on a 101-run stand to take Kerala to 158.After losing opener Denish Das trapped lbw in the first over, Ghadigaonkar and Rishav stitched a 69-run stand with the former dominating the partnership.With Roy, Ghadigaonkar added 49 runs and when he departed, Assam were only 14 runs away from victory. They got there in the end with 17 balls to spare.