List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

Jordan Henderson is set to face a decision over whether to stay at Liverpool amid interest from Saudi Arabia and the possibility of a lucrative transfer. Liverpool are yet to receive an offer for their captain but Henderson has emerged as a target for Al Ettifaq and their new manager Steven Gerrard. Henderson, 33, has two years left on his contract at Anfield but could face a battle for his place after Jurgen Klopp spent £95m revamping his midfield with the signings of World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. Now Liverpool’s Champions League-winning skipper must determine whether to extend his 12-year stay at Anfield or join a host of players, including his former teammate Roberto Firmino, in signing up to go to Saudi Arabia. Euro 2024 is likely to be a factor in his thinking. Henderson forced his way back into England’s starting 11 during last winter’s World Cup and remains keen to play for his country. Klopp may be reluctant to lose the former Sunderland player, who made 43 appearances last season, after three other midfielders – vice-captain James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – left at the end of the season. The 2020 Footballer of the Year succeeded Gerrard as Liverpool captain in 2015 and led them to their first English league title in three decades five years later. Read More The reason why Liverpool’s worst season under Jurgen Klopp can be a one-off Liverpool thought they’d bought the future – but two wrong moves left them counting the cost Why England will head into 2024 with their sense of optimism restored

Tottenham defender Ryan Sessegnon has been left devastated by his recent hamstring injury – but has vowed to come back stronger than ever. Spurs confirmed on Tuesday that Sessegnon had undergone surgery on his left hamstring following an injury in the first week of pre-season training under new boss Ange Postecoglou. Left-back Sessegnon was plagued by muscle injuries last season and now faces another lengthy spell on the sidelines. “Devastated and not really sure what to say right now, but I wanted to come on here and say thank you for all the kind messages I’ve received,” he said on his Instagram page. “Hopefully this provides a light at the end of the tunnel. I feel very hungry and motivated to return stronger than ever and be back doing what I do best, for you guys.” Sessegnon made 23 appearances for Tottenham last season, but his last outing for the club occurred back in February after a hamstring injury curtained the second half of his campaign. The ex-Fulham academy graduate was over the initial problem and returned to work at Spurs on July 1, only to suffer a reoccurrence of last season’s muscle issue. It is expected surgery will be a “permanent solution” to his hamstring troubles. Sessegnon has only made 56 appearances for Tottenham since joining in the summer of 2019 and will now miss the club’s upcoming tour of Perth, Bangkok and Singapore. Earlier on Wednesday, Spurs announced they would now play local side Lion City Sailors on July 26 in the Singapore leg of their pre-season tour after previous opponents AS Roma, managed by Jose Mourinho, pulled out of their tour to Asia. Tottenham have also added another fixture to their summer schedule with the club set to face Barcelona in the 58th Joan Gamper Trophy match on August 8. The pre-season friendly will take place at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys – the scene of the 1992 Olympic Games – due to construction work taking place Barca’s Camp Nou stadium. Meanwhile, Harry Kane, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Ivan Perisic were among the international players to return to training at Hotspur Way on Wednesday despite speculation over their futures. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live It has been a long time coming – Caster Semenya ‘elated’ over ECHR ruling Former Bristol and Bath back-rower Nick Koster dies at age of 34 Marketa Vondrousova prepares to take on ‘super woman’ Elina Svitolina

Sean Payton might owe the NFL $100K.

Bethany Joy Lenz was in a cult for 10 years, the National League won the All-Star Game, the NBA will implement a flopping penalty and more in the Roundup.

Anti-discrimination body Kick It Out received a 65.1 per cent rise in reports of discriminatory behaviour during the 2022-23 season – with reports of sexism and misogyny up 400 per cent. Figures released by the organisation show 1,007 reports were made during the campaign from the grassroots and professional games and across social media, which Kick It Out puts down in part to an “increased awareness” of reporting procedures and fans becoming “less tolerant” of discriminatory behaviour. Reports of online abuse rose by 279 per cent, with the organisation receiving 207 more reports related to online forums and social media than in the previous 12 months. The significant leap in reports highlights that discrimination is still a serious issue within the game Kick It Out statement Racism was the most common form of discrimination, accounting for just under half (49.3 per cent) of all reports, while reports related to sexism and misogyny represented the largest rise in a specific discrimination type – up from 16 to 80. Faith-based discrimination fell slightly due to a 29.5 per cent drop in the number of reports received of an antisemitic nature, but Islamophobia (300 per cent) and sectarian chanting in the professional game (15.8 per cent) were both up. Discrimination reports in the professional game rose by 27.4 per cent to 484, which represents those received from the Premier League, English Football League and National League, domestic cups, European and international competition, Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship. A statement from Kick It Out referred to the rise in reports as a “significant leap” that “highlights that discrimination is still a serious issue within the game”. It added: “The record figures could also be attributed to an increased awareness of reporting procedures and fans becoming less tolerant of discriminatory behaviour.” Racism continued to account for more than half of grassroots reports (50.8 per cent) and 43.4 per cent of overall grassroots incidents received were from under-18s or younger age-group games. “Research conducted by Kick It Out suggests these numbers are the tip of the iceberg with many incidents still not reported,” the statement added. Social media abuse comprised a much larger proportion of overall reports compared to previous years, making up 28 per cent of all reports received, up from 12.1 per cent last year. Kick It Out chief executive Tony Burnett said: “The significant increase in reports across the game is alarming and strengthens our resolve to tackle discrimination in all areas of football. “Behind each of these statistics is somebody who has sadly experienced discrimination, and supporting the victims of abuse remains Kick It Out’s utmost priority. “While we continue to work tirelessly to Kick It Out, we call upon fans, clubs, leagues and governing bodies to help us with this cause, and we are encouraged that the number of reports per incident continues to increase, suggesting that people are becoming less tolerant of discriminatory behaviour and more likely to report abuse when they see it. “Our figures provide a snapshot of what is happening across the game, but we still don’t know the full picture because clubs, leagues and governing bodies aren’t currently mandated to share their reporting data. “This underscores why football urgently needs a centralised reporting mechanism to collate and monitor reports. Only once that happens can we understand the full extent of the problem within football and tackle it with the full force of the sport.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Haverfordwest CEO preparing for Europe after ‘devastating’ Arsenal redundancy West Brom partner with The Jeff Astle Foundation charity for coming season ‘Long live the captain!’ – Lewis Dunk boosts Brighton with new three-year deal

West Brom have announced The Jeff Astle Foundation as their official charity partner for the 2023-24 season. The Jeff Astle Foundation was launched to serve as a lasting legacy for former Baggies forward Astle, who died in 2002 aged 59 with early-onset dementia and had his verdict of death later recorded as being by industrial disease, owing to the repeated heading of a ball. Set up by Astle’s family, The Jeff Astle Foundation continues to campaign for greater research into the impact of repetitive heading for footballers, raising awareness of brain injury in all forms of sport and offering much-needed support to those affected. Astle scored 174 goals in 361 appearances for West Brom and netted the winner in their FA Cup triumph over Everton in 1968. A donation will be made to The Jeff Astle Foundation for every home shirt sold. Albion managing director Mark Miles said: “We are delighted to be supporting The Jeff Astle Foundation for the coming season. “The profile of the charity and its achievements to date are a direct consequence of one family’s dedicated quest to ensure the safety of everyone who plays the beautiful game. “We wholeheartedly support the charity’s aim to raise awareness of brain injury in all forms of sport, including football, and hope the partnership helps further build the profile of their incredible work.” Charity director Dawn Astle said: “We are honoured and overwhelmed to be named the club’s official charity partner for the 2023-24 season. “Dad loved this club and its supporters and to have next season’s home kit dedicated to him and the charity instils our family with a pride that is difficult to comprehend. “We are so, so thankful to the club for providing us with this opportunity to continue to celebrate dad’s legacy, raising awareness and funds for the charity in the process. “As a family we have been fortunate enough to have been involved in the kit’s design and we are confident the club’s supporters will love it as much as we do. “It’s a special kit for a really important cause, and every shirt sold will help us to continue our work with those affected by brain injuries in sport.”

There will be a reunion at the start of September. The pair who combined for the only Champions League-winning goal – penalty shootouts excluded – in Chelsea’s history will be together again. But not for a Chelsea game. When Kai Havertz, the 2021 scorer, and Mason Mount, his supplier, are due to share a pitch again, it is because Arsenal are hosting Manchester United. The pace of change at Stamford Bridge is so swift that, barely two years after Thomas Tuchel’s team triumphed in Porto, only three of the 14 men to take the field that day - Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and Reece James – are set to be at Chelsea next season. Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital can argue that the first of the departures, those of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, in effect predated their arrival, but not the rest. Chelsea now seem to exist in a state of permanent revolution. If Mount’s exit ought to provide Chelsea with most grounds for regret – Havertz, in contrast, spent three seasons as an enigma – United’s new No. 7 reflects a third phenomenon at Stamford Bridge. If Barcelona spent the summer of 2022 pulling various levers to permit them to trade, Mount is part of Boehly’s third lever. The first two have the air of loopholes; or, at the least, unique circumstances. Part one was based on amortisation over extraordinarily long contracts, thus allowing them to spread the fees – in their accounts, anyway – over much of the next decade. It is a loophole Uefa are closing but Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Nicolas Jackson have deals until 2031, Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto, Noni Madueke and Andrey Santos contracts until 2030 and Wesley Fofana, David Datro Fofana and Christopher Nkunku are tied down until 2029. Ridiculously, Chelsea have 17 players whose deals last at least another five seasons. Part two of the masterplan involved selling to Saudi Arabia. Perhaps Boehly, the man who acted as though he was cleverer than everyone else for much of a year of rampant stupidity, deserves credit for recognising and capitalising on a new market when some of Chelsea’s rivals are struggling to dispose of unwanted players. Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and, albeit on a free transfer, N’Golo Kante have gone to a newly wealthy league; Hakim Ziyech and Romelu Lukaku could follow and, if Chelsea have their way, perhaps Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will, too. But the third phase of the Boehly blueprint has entailed selling off the family silver. Letting Ruben Loftus-Cheek join AC Milan was understandable; Chelsea can lament what might have been if a huge talent had stayed fit but, at 27, he had only made 155 appearances for them. But Mount was different: Chelsea’s player of the year in two of the last three campaigns – a lazy trope he has had two bad campaigns shows ignorance – and a footballer who, along with Fernandez, James and Chilwell, looked among the best suited of their squad to Mauricio Pochettino’s demands, he should have been a Stamford Bridge lifer; maybe a future captain, possibly ending up with 500 or 600 appearances to his name. And yet over the last year Chelsea contrived to hire three managers and 18 players – plus bidding for dozens of others – and give several of their existing squad new deals without managing to extend Mount’s contract. It should have been one of the top priorities for the new regime; it did not feel that way and, while Chelsea can claim they had to sell the midfielder to prevent him from leaving on a free transfer, it has the air of a situation they created themselves. His sale was an indictment of their powerbrokers. They may deem it a triumph of negotiating, though, after forcing United to pay more than they wanted to. At an initial £55m, Mount has brought in one of the five biggest fees Chelsea have ever received. But from an accounting perspective, the key element is that it counts as “pure profit” in the books; sales of the homegrown are especially useful in that respect, particularly for a club who may face issues in their attempts to pass Financial Fair Play. It may point to the departures of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ethan Ampadu, who arguably need moves, but also to those who do not: perhaps Trevoh Chalobah or Conor Gallagher or Armando Broja. It may be telling that Chelsea tried to send Gallagher to Everton in January. Remove the word “pure” and the profit part is still rare. Chelsea sold Mendy at a loss, two years after he was named the best goalkeeper in the world. They sold Koulibaly for half the amount they paid last summer. The £65m they recouped for Havertz may be more than anticipated, but it was still less than his purchase price. Mateo Kovacic only had a year left on his deal and is 29 but he, too, went for a smaller sum than he arrived for. Lukaku, Ziyech and Christian Pulisic, if they go, will bring in under half of a combined cost of almost £200m. That is certainly not all the fault of Boehly and Clearlake: in several cases, their fortunes were declining before the takeover though the chaos of the last year has often compounded that. Being displaced by dozens of new signings can deplete value still further, while Koulibaly and Aubameyang can now be written off as bad buys. And Boehly and Chelsea are trying to fund their trading – or at least negotiate Financial Fair Play – by flogging anything and anyone they inherited. They have surpassed many an expectation by bringing in around £200m already this summer. There may well be another half a dozen players leaving, perhaps swelling the sum towards £300m. But Chelsea’s outlay already stands at the best part of £700m in little over a year. Whether it leaves them with a stronger squad than in 2021 is a moot point: after all, they have gone from being Champions League winners to out of Europe altogether. But by the end of this transfer window, Boehly’s third lever may have exhausted its use. Chelsea might be running out of players to sell. And at some point, they may have to call upon a fourth prong: a distinctly old-fashioned one called trading well. It may involve seeking value for money when buying, rather than repeatedly paying way over the odds, and selling some of their signings for a profit. It could entail keeping players for several years, rather than having a revolving door. It may sound crazy to Boehly and co but Chelsea might have to try it. Read More Mason Mount says it was clear ‘several months ago’ he was not in Chelsea’s plans Chelsea not willing to listen to offers for Levi Colwill amid continued interest Kalidou Koulibaly exits Chelsea to become latest star name joining Saudi Pro League Dybala or Vlahovic: Which Serie A striker should Chelsea sign? Chelsea target two Serie A players in quest for experienced strikers Mauricio Pochettino explains Chelsea ‘risk’ as club enters new era

Brighton captain Lewis Dunk has signed a new three-year contract with the Premier League club. Academy graduate Dunk went past the 400-appearance mark during the 2022-23 season and helped the Seagulls qualify for the Europa League with an excellent sixth-placed finish. Dunk’s previous terms with Brighton were due to expire in two years’ time, but he has flourished under Roberto De Zerbi and will now be contracted to the club until 2026. De Zerbi said: “Long live the captain! “I’m really happy he has signed this new contract. It’s good news for Lewis and the club.” Centre-back Dunk repeatedly received praise from his manager for his commitment during the final weeks of the last season, after playing through the pain to help Brighton qualify for Europe. It subsequently meant the defender had to pull out of the England squad for their June qualifiers. Dunk made his debut for Brighton in 2010 and has been a key figure in their journey from Sky Bet League One through to the Championship and eventually the Premier League. The 31-year-old signed a five-year deal with the club in 2025, but these fresh terms will continue his association with his boyhood club. He has previously stated his desire to finish his career as a one-club man. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Edwin van der Sar remains in intensive care but is communicating and “not in life-threatening danger”, his wife has said. The former Manchester United and Netherlands goalkeeper was admitted to a hospital in Croatia last Friday after suffering bleeding around the brain. Annemarie van der Sar said in a statement issued via Dutch club Ajax: “Edwin is still in the intensive care unit, but is stable. He is not in life-threatening danger. “Every time we get to visit him, he’s communicative. We have to wait patiently to see how his situation will develop.” Van der Sar, 52, had been on holiday in Croatia when he reportedly suffered a cerebral haemorrhage. The Dutchman retired in 2011 after winning 130 caps for his country and a club career that included Champions League wins with both Ajax and United. He also claimed four Premier League titles with United and had spells with Fulham and Juventus. He later took up a position on the Ajax board and became chief executive in 2016. He stepped down at the end of last season. Read More Ajax give ‘concerning’ update on Van der Sar after bleed around brain Support for Edwin van der Sar and Lionesses arrive – Friday’s sporting social Edwin van der Sar in intensive care after suffering bleeding around the brain

Back in 2019, Mauricio Pochettino came perilously close to linking up with compatriot Paulo Dybala. The then Tottenham manager had hoped to bring the Argentine to north London to strengthen their frontline following a 2-0 Champions League final to Liverpool a few months earlier. The deal, of course, fell through, as Dybala remained at Juventus before moving to Roma last summer. The 29-year-old was welcomed to the Italian capital with open arms, and he enjoyed a solid debut season at the Stadio Olimpico, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists for Jose Mourinho’s Roma outfit. And yet, Dybala’s time in Rome could already be drawing to a close. The forward has a €12m release clause, active for overseas sides, which is valid until the end of July. That does present the opportunity for a potential link up between Dybala and Pochettino. Chelsea are in the market for another striker this summer, this despite the additions of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson from RB Leipzig and Villarreal, respectively, and this has led them to Serie A. As per The Independent, Chelsea are exploring the possibility of turning their attention to Italy’s top tier in a bid to bolster their frontline, with Dybala and Juventus hitman Dusan Vlahovic both emerging as potential targets for the Blues. Two different striker profiles, but the reasoning for considering one or the other is sound. The arrivals of Nkunku and Jackson means the Blues are versatile in their approach for another forward, with Dybala operating better as a second striker and Vlahovic considered more of an out-and-out frontman. Initially a move for Dybala perhaps makes more sense financially. €12m for a forward of his calibre is a steal in the modern market, but even if Chelsea are able to pay that release clause, agreeing terms with the player is another matter entirely. Dybala, who turns 30 in November, is said to be happy in Rome, and even if Chelsea could strike a deal with the Argentina international, is he worth the risk? Dybala’s injury issues are well documented, and his fitness concerns meant he started just 22 of a possible 38 league matches for Roma in 2022/23. Furthermore, with the capture of Nkunku, do Chelsea really need a similar forward on the books? The Frenchman, likely Dybala, is able to lead the charge, but is better playing off a striker in the number 10 role, rather than as the lone striker in Pochettino’s favoured 4-2-3-1 setup. As such, why invest so much in Nkunku to then sign an injury-prone attacker who operates in the same role in order to half-heartedly bolster the attack? Chelsea have made a habit of making poor tranfer decisions in recent seasons, but if they are looking to add another forward, then a move for Vlahovic would make more sense. The towering Serb hasn’t quite lived up to expectations at Juventus following his arrival from Fiorentina 18 months ago, but 17 league goals in a disfunctional Old Lady outfit isn’t to be scoffed at. Of course, he’d cost significantly more than Dybala - one report states that Juventus are willing to consider offers in the region of €75m for the ex-Viola man - but at 23 years of age, he’d be a far better investment in the long-term, and match Chelsea’s current approach of signing the best young players. What’s important to note is that Vlahovic is a striker who, to put it bluntly, knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. This was better evidenced during his time with Fiorentina, but is a quality to his game that fans have bore witness too in fits and spurts at Juventus. Summer signing Jackson is another consistent finisher having returned the best conversion rate (29.3 per cent) in La Liga last season, yet Vlahovic’s arrival would afford Pochettino some attacking flexibility. While he did play up front for Villarreal last season, Jackson has been considered a winger in the past. Factor in Nkunku’s ability to play a number of roles on the frontline and Vlahovic’s biggest strength being to operate as the lone forward, and Pochettino would have an impressive array of strikers on the books that each offer something different. So while Chelsea are considering their Serie A striking options in a bid to strengthen in the final third, they should focus their efforts on Vlahovic rather than Dybala if the Blues do have their heart set on raiding Italy for another frontman this summer. Read More Chelsea target two Serie A players in quest for experienced strikers Mauricio Pochettino explains Chelsea ‘risk’ as club enters new era Mauricio Pochettino tells Chelsea to banish last season and deliver from day one Chelsea target two Serie A players in quest for experienced strikers Mauricio Pochettino explains Chelsea ‘risk’ as club enters new era Arsenal transfer news: Record Rice bid, Timber and Xhaka latest

What the papers say Nottingham Forest are reportedly looking to capitalise on Manchester United’s pursuit of Andre Onana by going after England international goalkeeper Dean Henderson who was on loan at the club last year, the Telegraph reports. The Telegraph say promoted Burnley have set their sights on Coventry midfielder Gustavo Hamer. Coventry, who lost to Luton in the Championship play-off final, are set to lose their striker Viktor Gyokeres to Sporting Lisbon for a deal worth around £20million, according to the Daily Mail. Manchester Evening News says Manchester City are close to signing 16-year-old young gun Harrison Parker from Manchester United as “revenge” after United attempted to sign City’s 16-year-old twins Jack and Tyler Fletcher. Social media round-up Players to watch Gabri Veiga: The 21-year-old Celta Vigo midfielder is has attracted interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, French media outlet Le10Sport said. Alex Scott: Bournemouth are looking most likely to sign the 21-year-old, but Tottenham, West Ham and Wolverhampton are all interested in the Bristol City midfielder.

Nick Saban hired offensive coordinator Tommy Rees to join Alabama football just this offseason, but is there a chance he leaves before a single game?It was time for a change with Alabama football this offseason and, though the argument could be made that Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide waited to...