Allrounder Dhananjaya de Silva has been dropped for Sri Lanka’s one-off Test against Zimbabwe, which begins in Colombo on Friday. Batsman Kusal Perera and fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep will miss the game with injuries, while fast bowlers Vishwa Fernando and Dushmantha Chameera return to the squad.Limited-overs opener Danushka Gunathilaka, meanwhile, made his first entry into a Test squad, thanks largely to his excellent ODI form over the past six weeks. Gunathilaka scored 323 runs at an average of 64.60 to top the run charts in the recent Zimbabwe series, and had also made 76 in Sri Lanka’s Champions Trophy victory over India, at the Oval.Angelo Mathews, who missed Sri Lanka’s previous Test series – against Bangladesh at home in March – due to a hamstring injury that kept him out for several months in the first half of the year, also returned to the squad. Having quit as captain in all formats on Tuesday, Mathews will not be leading in a Test for the first time since 2013. It will be Dinesh Chandimal’s first Test as captain.De Silva’s exclusion is surprising on two fronts. First, he had suggested he was a batsman of substantial promise when he top-scored in Sri Lanka’s triumphant series against Australia last year. Second, he has prospered against Zimbabwe in the recent past, making scores of 25, 64, 127 and 9 in four Test innings against them in October and November last year. De Silva was said to have suffered an ankle injury in the recent past, but is now fully fit and available for selection.Despite Pradeep’s absence, the return of Chameera adds an edge to the seam attack. Between him and Lahiru Kumara, Sri Lanka have, for the first time in years, two bowlers who can consistently clock 145kph on the speed gun. Suranga Lakmal is the sole experienced hand from among the quicks, with left-armer Vishwa Fernando having only played one Test as well.The spin attack, meanwhile, bore no surprises. Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan made up the frontline contingent. Asela Gunaratne and Danushka Gunathilaka also provide slow-bowling options.Niroshan Dickwella is likeliest to take the gloves, with Chandimal now captaining the side. The one-off Test begins in Khettarama on Friday, and follows Sri Lanka’s 3-2 defeat to Zimbabwe in the ODI series.Squad Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Upul Tharanga, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Dimuth Karunaratne, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Asela Gunaratne, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara

Manchester City may ignite their interest in Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong this summer; however, it is doubtful that the Citizens would be able to land the Netherlands international, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Frenkie de Jong?

According to The Sun, Manchester City are 'mulling' over the possibility of making a £90 million bid for Barcelona midfielder De Jong, who earns £620k-a-week at the Catalan giants, following their decision to pull out of the race to sign Declan Rice.

Former captain Ilkay Gundogan has left to join Barcelona, leaving a void to fill in the midfield for Pep Guardiola as he prepares his side for their treble defence this term.

Manchester City has also looked at Celta Vigo star Gabri Veiga; however, Liverpool, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are all keen on the 21-year-old, with the latter pushing hard to tempt him to Ligue 1 instead of the Premier League, as per The Guardian.

Barcelona are also interested in Veiga, though Paris Saint-Germain are intensifying their efforts to sign the midfielder as they take a new direction after the reign of Christophe Galtier ended.

This window, Manchester City have already officially announced Mateo Kovacic as their first new addition from Chelsea. At the same time, Times Sport indicate that RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol looks set to join the Citizens in a transfer worth £86 million, which would make him the most expensive defender of all time.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones has stated that he thinks it is unlikely that De Jong will move from Barcelona to Manchester City this summer.

Jones told FFC: "They only really intended to go out and do Gvardiol and Kovacic, but we shouldn't rule out other players arriving and one of those is the potential for a midfielder. Frenkie de Jong has been linked; I can't see them being able to get Frankie in this window. Gabri Veiga has been linked; he's probably a bit more seeable. It'll be interesting to see if Man City it was a trick up their sleeve, but first and foremost, they'll look to get that Gvardiol deal done."

Who else has been linked with a move to Manchester City this summer?

De Jong formed a key part of Barcelona's La Liga title-winning side last term and made 43 appearances in all competitions, registering two goals and four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Despite this, it doesn't look likely that he will come through the door at the Etihad Stadium, leaving Guardiola in a position where he may need to assess alternative targets to bolster his fine squad.

The Guardian report that RB Salzburg playmaker Oscar Gloukh is on Manchester City's radar this summer and is being tracked by the Premier League title holders, though Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona and Villarreal are also pursuing the Israeli.

Argentinian reporter Bruno Gonzalez Garcia has claimed that Thiago Almada of Atalanta United is also a target, stating on Twitter: "Manchester United and Manchester City consulted Atlanta United for Thiago Almada.”

Looking forward, the transfer window may just be about to start getting interesting for Manchester City as Guardiola gets his squad in gear for the start of the new Premier League season.

Arsenal star Beth Mead has made her return to the Lionesses after coming on as a substitute against Netherlands.

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Mead suffers ACL injuryReturns after one yearSparks England comebackGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Mead, 28, was brought on by Sarina Weigman at half-time during their UEFA Nations League clash, with her team down 2-0 at the break to the Netherlands.

Mead's return to the pitch in an England sparked a dramatic comeback in the must win game, with England levelling the score-line just after the hour mark, thanks to goals from Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The return arrives just over a year since her last appearance for England, which was a 4-0 victory against Japan in November 2022, after suffering a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

WHAT MEAD SAID

Speaking to last month regarding her comeback from injury, Mead opened up on her struggles throughout the last year. “In January I lost my Mum and because of the injury I couldn’t play football, which was always my escape, my happy place," she said. "Moments when people thought I was fine because of my outgoing personality, were very dark.

“It’s been a tough process to understand. Teammates, people at the club, family and friends that supported me were so important, without them I could have been in a far darker place. I want to help create an environment in which it’s totally normal to address mental health. There’s not a perfect way of dealing with it, but if you feel you’re not alone it helps so much. We need to normalise mental health and in doing so that would go a long way.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MEAD

Following the Nations League fixtures with England against Netherlands and Scotland, Mead will return to Arsenal and prepare for the upcoming clash against Chelsea on December 10. Emma Hayes' squad currently sit at the top of the Women's Super League, with a three point gap on Arsenal in second.

Manchester United have not given up on signing Harry Kane this summer it seems, with Football Transfers reporting that a fresh player plus cash bid could be lined up for the striker.

How many career goals does Harry Kane have?

There's no doubting that the Tottenham man is currently one of the most prolific forwards in the game, with the 29-year-old hitting one of his career best totals for goals in the Premier League last season. In 38 outings for his side in the top flight, he produced 30 goals and three assists – leading to a rate of 0.87 goal contributions per 90 on average.

It means that the Spurs attacker now has a total of 227 career league goals in just 373 games, with the majorityof those coming in the top flight. With the player still to enter his thirties too, it looks like he will continue to hit the back of the net for a good few years yet.

In fact, his league total of goals in the 2022/23 season actually saw him sit second in both the division's goal ranking and the Big Five European Leagues goal rankings too – only Erling Haaland had more for either category. Kane beat out the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Victor Osimhen and Robert Lewandowski – which shows he is clearly still one of the best in his position in world football.

Are Man United signing Harry Kane?

It's no surprise then to hear that Man United remain eager to try and add him to their squad this summer. The Red Devils had been linked with a transfer for the star for most of the window, only for it to seem like a potential deal might be dead in the water.

Now, according to a report from Football Transfers, in what is a big twist from the interest in making Rasmus Hojlund their marquee number nine, the Premier League side also want to try and sort out an agreement for Kane this summer – and could use a player at their disposal to try and tempt Tottenham into doing business.

That's because Spurs are believed to be keen on snapping up Anthony Martial themselves – and now United can use that to their advantage. With United chiefs still holding out hope of a potential deal for Kane despite interest from Bayern Munich, they could be prepared to offer both the Frenchman and a fee for Kane in order to convince their rivals into allowing the England international to move to Old Trafford.

It also appears as though Kane himself wouldn't mind a move to the Red Devils – so that will be a welcome boost in their continued pursuit of the forward this summer.

It would certainly help solve their attacking issues if they did sign him. His goalscoring exploits have led to him being recognised as one of the best in the game right now. Even Pep Guardiola, Man City's treble-winning manager, has been quick to highlight how good Kane is in attack. The Catalan called the forward "exceptional" and had even bigger praise for the Spurs man, adding that he is "one of the best strikers" he has ever watched.

If Man United did manage to finally bring him to the club then, it would be a blow to their rivals but would also make the Red Devils a real force to be reckoned with next season.

Raza also acknowledged continuity, a theory endorsed by head coach Heath Streak and chief selector Tatenda Taibu, for their recent upswing

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Jul-2017On a track that has now begun to produce unplayable balls, Zimbabwe’s key to victory on day five will be discipline. So says Sikandar Raza, whose maiden Test century played a pivotal role in transforming the match situation.Zimbabwe are seven wickets away from history, and have 218 runs to defend. Though the overnight pair – Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews – have each produced great rearguard innings before, there isn’t much experience to follow. Niroshan Dickwella and Asela Gunaratne have played only 12 Tests between them; Gunaratne is carrying a hamstring injury in any case.”I think patience and discipline will play a huge role,” Raza said. “If we can stay disciplined and patient, I think there is enough for Sean Williams, Graeme Cremer and the other spinners as well – for balls to misbehave. You could get a jaffa that you can’t do much about. I think on a track like this, once you get the senior players out, with the way their batting is at the moment, it could open a door for us to sneak through.”As was seen with the dismissal of Dimuth Karunaratne, the pitch can also occasionally produce big-turning deliveries out of the rough. Karunaratne had in fact left a Williams delivery that pitched wide but leapt back at him to clip off stump. Williams persisted with a legside line, trying to find the same patch of rough, for many of the remainder of his overs in the day.”We discussed with Sean, and because there was a lot of turn with that dismissal,” Raza said. “The moment they try and get greedy to score, the slip could come into play, the off stump could be exposed, and we could sneak in a wicket there. We wanted to hold one end so that Cremer can attack from the other. While we are holding it, we’re still creating a few chances.”Of his knock, Raza partly credited the inspiration he derived from batting coach Lance Klusener. Zimbabwe had been 23 for 4 at lunch on day three, then 59 for 5 not long after. But by the time Raza departed, they had a lead greater than 300 and were running the match. Along the way, he had forged partnerships worth 86 with PJ Moor, and 144 with Malcolm Waller.”Yes, the heads were down for a little while during that lunch break when we were 23 for 4. Klusener had a word with us and said that it’s up to us – the guys who were still to bat – whether we go down without a fight, or we show some heart.”Zimbabwe have used the sweep shot to excellent effect throughout the tour, and Raza – in particular – combatted the spinners with a range of cross batted strokes. Almost all the batsmen have contributed at some point in the tour, and Klusener has played a role in the run-making, Raza said.”The batting plans come from us. Then we discuss and share our plans with Klusener and then he has his input. Of course he has a world of experience. If I have a plan which I think is too risky, Klusener will always advise me and say you could have a better plan – do XYZ. It’s quite a nice relationship all the batters have got with our batting coach.”If you look at the Sri Lanka tour, everyone has scored runs. In the ODI series we started with Solomon Mire, then Hamilton Masakadza. Then we had Tarisai Musakanda, who is a young guy who got into a team, batted in a difficult place, and did exceptionally. Craig Ervine, has been performing. Sean Williams had been performing.All the guys heading into the Test had runs behind them. Everyone has a different plan. Everyone has their own plan. All our plans worked around being positive. Some were around being aggressive. My plan was certainly like that.”Zimbabwe had not had the happiest year before coming to Sri Lanka, having lost a home ODI series to Afghanistan, and one ODI to Scotland as well. But in keeping the same players around since the start of the year has begun to pay dividends, Raza said.”I think since Heath Streak has become head coach and Tatenda Taibu has been chief selector, we have kept the same group of players. So, certainly it has been about six months that we’ve been together – this core of players.”We haven’t had a lot of changes in our touring 15 or playing XI either. Every time someone has got a chance in the playing XI, they’ve stepped up as well. We’ve had a very consistent squad, and I think that goes hand in hand with consistent performances as well.”

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has recalled Raphael Varane to his starting XI for Tuesday's crunch Champions League tie with Bayern Munich.

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• Varane back in from the cold
• Starts alongside Harry Maguire in defence
• Will come up against Harry Kane at Old Trafford

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ten Hag has raised a few eyebrows with his team selection for United's must-win Champions League tie against Bayern Munich. The Dutchman has recalled Varane to his starting XI for the first time since United's 1-0 win over FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on October 24. The Frenchman starts alongside Harry Maguire in the heart of the Red Devils' defence. Ten Hag has opted to use Jonny Evans, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof ahead of Varane recently and has previously said he has dropped the World Cup winner for "tactical reasons."

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• THE EXPLANATION

  Ten Hag explained his decision to bring Varane back in from the cold in an interview with TNT Sports before kick-off. He said: "You see his quality. We need strong defending today. He's very experienced. Together with Harry [Maguire] he will be playing in the centre-half positions. Especially against Bayern, we need to defend very strongly and as we all know, he's a very strong defender."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Kane has been involved in nine goals in his last 11 appearances against United in all competitions (five goals, four assists). He could become the first English player to score a Champions League goal at Old Trafford for a team other than Manchester United.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR VARANE?

  United's clash with Bayern offers Varane a great opportunity to try and force his way back into the team. The defender has been linked with a move away from the club in the January transfer window but is believed to be in no rush to leave. Varane will certainly have his work cut out against Bayern, with the Bavarian giants naming a strong team including Harry Kane, Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman.

England Under-19s suffered a chastening eight-wicket defeat by India in front of the TV cameras in Canterbury to leave them 2-0 down in the five-match Royal London One-Day Series.

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Aug-2017 India U19 177 for 2 (Rana 74) beat England U19 175 (Roy 4-27) by eight wicketsEngland Under-19s suffered a chastening eight-wicket defeat by India in front of the Sky Sports cameras in Canterbury to leave them 2-0 down in the five-match Royal London One-Day Series.As in the opening match of the series in Cardiff on Monday, England’s batting floundered against the Indian spinners, as they crumbled from 84 for 1 to 123 for 7.Anukul Roy took four wickets for the second consecutive game with his left-arm spin, and there were three for legspinner Rahul Chahar, and two for Abhishek Sharma, another left-armer.The tourists cruised to victory with more than 16 of their 50 overs remaining, with Himanshu Rana, an 18-year-old opener from Haryana who has been struggling for runs on the tour, making 74 from 85 balls.England made four changes from the team beaten in Cardiff. Harry Brook, who had originally been appointed captain for the series before being called back by Yorkshire for their Specsavers County Championship match against Essex, replaced Hampshire’s Felix Organ at number three, and also took over the captaincy from Surrey’s Will Jacks.Essex seamer Ben Allison and Derbyshire off-spinner Hamidullah Qadri received their first England caps before the start from Graham Thorpe, the ECB’s lead batting coach, and Warwickshire seamer Henry Brookes also came into the team – with Nottinghamshire’s Liam Patterson-White, Worcestershire’s Adam Finch and Jack Plom of Essex dropping out.Brook won the toss and England made a promising start after he chose to bat, with Durham opener Liam Trevaskis hitting two boundaries in the first over. Trevaskis and Warwickshire’s Liam Banks both played India’s new-ball partners with comfort, sharing an opening stand of 48 in eight overs. But as soon as India turned to their spinners, it was a very different story.Chahar made the first breakthrough, having Banks stumped for 23 from 28 balls with five boundaries.Brook’s initial response was impressive, as his first scoring shot as England captain was a six over mid-wicket off Chahar. He also drove two straight fours off the medium pace of Yash Thakur, as England reached 84 for one in the 16th over.But then Roy, picking up where he left off in Cardiff, claimed the key wicket of Trevaskis, bowled for 35 from 52 balls. In Roy’s next over Brook top-edged a sweep to mid-wicket, and suddenly the pressure was on England’s middle order.Jacks swept one six in his 21 until he was also bowled by Roy, and Somerset’s Tom Banton fell in the same manner. Kent wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson had a nightmare on his home county ground when he was run-out for a duck off a free hit, and Brookes also failed to score as he was stumped off Sharma.Somerset’s Tom Lammonby played sensibly and found some support first from Qadri in an eighth-wicket stand of 19, and then from Nottinghamshire’s Jack Blatherwick in adding another 33 for the ninth wicket.But Blatherwick and Allison fell to consecutive balls from Chahar to leave Lammonby unbeaten on 30 from 46 balls, and it was obvious from the start of India’s reply that England’s total was inadequate.Rana and Prithvi Shaw put on 110 inside 17 overs before Jacks had Shaw snapped up by Banton at midwicket. Shubman Gill then joined Rana to make steady and untroubled progress towards the target, and leave England with much to ponder before the third game of the series in Hove on Saturday.At least Allison claimed the consolation of his first England wicket, as with India needing only five for victory, Rana top-edged a pull to Blatherwick at deep square leg. The Essex youngster had earned commendable figures of one for 13 from his first five overs, dented only slightly when Shubman Gill clipped him for the winning boundary.

Jack Leach claimed a five-wicket haul•Getty Images

It says a lot about why Warwickshire are in their present predicament that after Jonathan Trott (804 Championship runs) their next most successful batsman is Keith Barker, their 30-year-old opening bowler.Granted, Barker is more technically proficient with bat in hand than most in his trade. Accomplished enough to be regarded as an allrounder, Barker has averaged around 500 runs and 50 wickets every year since he became established in the Warwickshire side and his contribution this year has been in line with that, although he is a little behind on wickets.He went to 536 runs with his half-century here, his sixth of the season. Yet he is the only Warwickshire player, other than Trott, to get even halfway towards a thousand. Ian Bell has managed just 388 in Division One, fewer than wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose and offspinner Jeetan Patel.Barker, in fact, has passed 50 as many times as Trott – and this was a particularly worthy effort in the circumstances, following the departures of Trott, Bell and Ambrose in consecutive overs against Jack Leach’s left-arm spin.The dismissal of that once prized trio left Warwickshire 40 for 5 in reply to Somerset’s increasingly formidable-looking 282. But Barker shared partnerships of 53 with young Matthew Lamb and 49 with Chris Wright, which were enough to ensure that his side avoided the follow-on, even though they may not dodge defeat. He had one significant slice of luck on 33, when Steven Davies failed to pull off a routine stumping, but that apart he dealt with Leach and Dom Bess better than anyone on this pitch of extravagant turn.Indeed, it was Barker’s resistance that persuaded captain Tom Abell to give Craig Overton a second spell he may have thought would not be required. It was Overton who dismissed Barker in the end, before ripping out Wright’s middle stump. He went off with figures of 4 for 33, having earlier removed both openers to catches in the slips in a new-ball spell that was comfortably the most impressive contribution among the seamers on both sides.Barker, though, was in some pain at that stage, having been moving gingerly for an over or so, periodically stopping to flex his back. He did not emerge when Somerset began their second innings, although happily a rubdown was all that was required.Bell, facing the possibility now of completing an English summer without a century for the first time in 15 years, perished for 14 on this occasion, although to be fair to him it was to a ball that would have done for most batsmen, spinning sharply from well outside leg stump. Bell prodded at it and Marcus Trescothick, standing well forward and almost square at second slip, took a good catch.No such excuses could be forwarded in defence of Trott, who drove to a precisely placed short extra cover, or Ambrose, who carved straight to backward point. Lamb succumbed to a moment of extravagance, too, in the end, although he had at least been vigilant for an hour or so.Bess, who possibly deserved more for his 17 overs, spun one past Patel’s bat to pick up his solitary wicket and Leach made Sunny Singh his fifth victim, Davies taking the chance to atone for his earlier error.Warwickshire have been short of much to be positive about in this match. There is a sense that relegation will be not so much likely as inevitable should they lose – and it is difficult to imagine that they will not from this position.They can at least enthuse to a small degree about Singh, their tall Indian-born left-arm spinner. Somerset, already in a position of strength after Davies and Abell had put on 85 for the fifth wicket, lost their last six wickets for 66, shared equally between Patel and his 21-year-old apprentice.Singh, the first professional cricketer to emerge from the Cricket Foundation’s Chance to Shine scheme, finished with 5 for 72. He had the luxury of a pitch more helpful than most he will come across and the added benefit of being an unknown quantity at this level, yet two five-wicket hauls in his first five first-class matches bodes well.A lack of emerging talent has been as much a factor as the rising age profile of their established players in Warwickshire’s demise. Perhaps Singh is one to buck the trend.Ryan Sidebottom removed the two rookies in the Somerset top order when he dismissed Eddie Byrom and George Bartlett with consecutive balls but Trescothick and James Hildreth ended the day looking ominously well set.

Celtic have added yet another name to their transfer wishlist this summer it seems, with Mail + reporting that exciting young defender Xavier Mbuyamba is now one of their main targets.

Who is Xavier Mbuyamba?

The 21-year-old currently plays for FC Volendam in the Netherlands, which is where the youngster is from. He began his career with MVV Maastricht's youth team setup, before being given the chance to play for their first-team. He did this at just 16-years-old – showing how highly he was thought of by the club – and made eleven league appearances for the side that campaign despite being in his teens.

His showings over six years with the club led to interest from elsewhere, and he was eventually tempted into making the switch to Barcelona. It proved to be a less successful time with the Catalan giants. Whilst he was given the opportunity to play for the La Liga outfit's reserve teams, he never got any gametime with their first-team squad. Still, even his time in the youth side for Barca wasn't as prosperous, as he managed just three outings for them.

Chelsea though were prepared to give him another chance and signed him up themselves, bringing him to Stamford Bridge in 2020. That led to more action, albeit again not in the league. Instead, he was given the chance to prove himself in both the EFL Trophy and their Premier League 2 team – and he did well, managing four goals in 28 games in the latter competition.

With Mbuyamba still struggling for first-team football though, he was allowed to leave and join Volendam in his native country at the beginning of the 2022/23 season. The 21-year-old has since thrived being put back into the first-team picture and has produced five goals and one assist in 28 starts for the side.

Are Celtic signing Xavier Mbuyamba?

Now, according to a report from Mail +, the defender could be on the move once more. That's because Celtic have now placed him "high" on their own transfer wanted list, with the Hoops eager to add more defensive reinforcements to their ranks this summer.

The Scottish Premiership side have yet to launch an official bid for the services of the youngster, but it seems Brendan Rodgers and the board have made adding another centre-back a "priority" this window – and Mbuyamba appears to be the man they want to join up with the club.

Mbuyamba has played on both the left and right positions in the centre-back role, so could slot in nicely for Celtic in that area if they did decide he was the way to go in their defender hunt. He adds an extra little bit of versatility too, as he has also been used as a right-back in the past.

The youngster has proven that when given gametime he can step up and produce the goods – and considering his age and the Hoops' longing for another defensive option, it could be a bit of shrewd business by the Scottish club if they sign him this summer transfer window.

The Real Madrid-bound forward is still only 17 years of age but he's played a pivotal role in a nail-biting title race

Football can be a cruel game. It's never over until the final whistle blows. Titles can sometimes be lost even after they appear to have been won. Nobody will ever forget Newcastle and Kevin Keegan cracking under the pressure applied upon the Premier League's great entertainers by Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson's mind games in 1996.

Or the time a Real Madrid team containing Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Luis Figo, David Beckham and Roberto Carlos went from first to fourth in La Liga after losing six of their final seven games.

And there's Steven Gerrard's infamous slip in 2014, when Liverpool were perfectly placed to end a championship drought that stretched back to 1990, only to see their captain gift Chelsea a goal that still haunts him today.

However, when it comes to spectacular collapses, the almost-unbelievable Botafogo bottle-job of 2023 trumps the whole lot. Never before have we seen a team in one of the world's top leagues squander such an advantage at the top of the table, through a costly combination of misfortune, mismanagement and the sensational form of a 17-year-old striker who looks set to take the Santiago Bernabeu by storm next season…

Getty A stunning fall from grace

On Sunday, August 12, Botafogo beat Internacional 3-1 at home to complete a record-breaking first half of the Brasileiro Serie A season. They had dropped just 10 points in 19 games – and were 13 clear at the summit.

A first league title since 1995 appeared a formality. Some excited supporters even got tattoos of the trophy. Perhaps they should have known better. Botafogo and bad luck have long been bedfellows. Perhaps an implosion was inevitable.

Still, nobody could have foreseen what unfolded: a second half of the season as historic as the first – just for all the wrong reasons.

Botafogo face Internacional again on Wednesday night – but are now fifth in the table going into their final fixture of a truly astonishing campaign, their title dream already dashed in the most devastating of fashion.

Incredibly, the former runaway leaders have gone 10 games without a victory and will equal their worst-ever winless run in the Brasileiro if they fail to triumph at the Estadio Beira-Rio.

AdvertisementGetty Ronaldo key to Castro's shock exit

So, how did it come to this? Well, funnily enough, Cristiano Ronaldo played a part, with the striker recommending that Al-Nassr hire Botafogo boss Luis Castro as their new head coach during the summer.

Castro quit at the end of June to join his fellow Portuguese in Saudi Arabia and, despite some positive early results, Botafogo slowly began to unravel under his successor, former Wolves manager Bruno Lage, who was appointed on July 8 but sacked less than three months later after losing the dressing-room during three consecutive defeats in September.

The players convinced the club to put Under-23s coach Lucio Flavio in charge until the end of the season. However, the fan favourite failed to stop the rot, overseeing just two wins in eight outings in all competitions, and Tiago Nunes took over at the tail end of last month.

Incredibly, the situation was still salvageable at that stage, but Botafogo have since drawn all four of their league games under Nunes and last weekend's scoreless clash with Cruzeiro meant that the Rio-based side could no longer win the league, prompting a bitter fan backlash at the Nilton Santos. Some supporters had even thrown popcorn at the players before kick-off, as '' in Brazil is associated with wasting strong starts.

Getty Botafogo's bad luck begins

The fans' frustration is understandable, in fairness. The way in which Botafogo have contrived to drop points has been truly astounding.

Luck certainly hasn't been on their side at times. The winless run began in October against Athletico-PR, when Botafogo went 1-0 up early on through top-scorer Tiquinho Soares only to see a floodlight failure result in the suspension of play.

When the game resumed, the VAR technology stopped working and that proved crucial, as Athletico equalised with a goal from Pablo that should have been disallowed for offside.

However, even accounting for bizarre occurrences or clashes with the coach, the players have to take a significant share of the blame for Botafogo's capitulation.

The likes of Lucas Perri, Adryelson, Victor Cuesta, Eduardo and Tiquinho Soares have suffered dramatic dips in form, while the team has repeatedly failed to hold onto big leads.

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Endrick fuelled by the 'fire of hatred'

At the start of November, Botafogo hosted Palmeiras in a game that would have a colossal impact on the title race. The home side went 3-0 up inside 36 minutes and the game appeared to be over. However, Endrick dragged the defending champions back into the contest with a scintillating solo strike shortly after half-time before Adryelson was sent off with 14 minutes of normal time remaining.

Even then, though, Botafogo had the chance to finish Palmeiras off for good, but Tiquinho missed an 83rd-minute penalty.

Just over 60 seconds later, the ball dropped for Endrick on the edge of the Botafogo box. He sat down one defender with an outrageous dummy before finding the bottom corner with a low strike.

Jose Manuel Lopez levelled in the dying embers of normal time and then Murilo struck in the 99th minute of the craziest of encounters to leave Botafogo and their fans crestfallen.

Local hero Lucas Verthein was particularly upset, as he had inadvertently played a part in an incredibly driven display from the game-changing Endrick.

The teenager admitted after the game that he was fuelled by the "fire of hatred" in his heart after hearing Botafogo fans seemingly singing about their team being crowned champions.

"I wasn't going to let them shout that, given our fans had come here to support us," Endrick explained afterwards. "Botafogo has everything it takes to be champions, but that's what Palmeiras already are – and Palmeiras will never stop chasing.

"And I'm going to fight every minute, every second, to win this Brasileirao. As my friends, my father, my managers say, I'm a player who shows up at times when it's difficult. I like games like this."

In reality, though, the Botafogo fans had merely been paying tribute to Verthein winning a gold medal at the Pan-American Games in Chile.

"Not even in my worst nightmares would I have imagined that my victory could be responsible for having Endrick like that," the rower wrote on social media.