List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

Chelsea and other European clubs will no longer be able to spread a transfer fee across more than five years of a player’s initial contract after UEFA closed a loophole in its regulations. The Blues have signed a number of players on lengthy deals over the last two transfer windows, including handing eight-and-a-half-year contracts to Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk in January. The transfer fees are then spread evenly over the course of that contract, meaning the longer it is, the smaller the annual payments recorded on the club’s accounts. For instance, a £100million fee would be amortised at £20million a year with a five-year contract, but at only £12.5m a year if a deal was eight years. There is still nothing in the rules – which come into force from July 1 – preventing a club from spreading the cost by extending a contract, but for amortisation purposes that extension itself could not be for more than five years either. Clubs can still sign players to longer contracts if their national associations allow it, but the cost of the transfer fee must be amortised over the first five years unless the contract is extended. UEFA said the new regulations would not apply to deals already done, but would “ensure equal treatment of all clubs and improve financial sustainability”. European football’s governing body has also moved to prevent clubs colluding to inflate the value of players for accounting purposes. This follows the capital gains scandal involving clubs in Italy, which led to the entire Juventus board resigning in November last year. Clubs must assess whether a transaction counts as a straight swap, in which case it must be accounted for in line with international standards. International Accounting Standard (IAS) 38 states that if it is not possible to calculate the fair value of a player, profit on a sale cannot be recognised. UEFA confirmed Lisbon’s Jose Alvalade Stadium would host the 2025 Women’s Champions League final, and announced plans for a minimum standards framework for women’s national teams to ensure equality of player welfare standards and travel and training conditions. UEFA said the detail would be announced in due course. The 2024 and 2025 Europa Conference League finals are set to be staged in Athens and Wroclaw in Poland respectively. The Athens venue is a new arena, so will be assessed during AEK Athens’ European competition matches and Greece’s Euro qualifiers before being confirmed officially in December. Europe’s third-tier men’s club competition will be rebranded as the UEFA Conference League from 2024-25, dropping the word ‘Europa’ from its title following research among fans and commercial partners to further distinguish it from the Europa League. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jonny Bairstow steals the show at Lord’s – Wednesday’s sporting social Everton to consult with fans about potential midseason stadium switch in 2024-25 Josh Tongue enjoys taste of Ashes but Australia in control at Lord’s

Liverpool forward Fabio Carvalho is set to complete a loan move to RB Leipzig but the prospect of midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai swiftly moving in the opposite direction is currently unlikely. The Bundesliga club have been pursuing Carvalho for some time and it is understood they initially wanted an option to buy permanently. However, Jurgen Klopp was not prepared to countenance that but he does want the 20-year-old to gain more first-team experience after he made just 21 appearances, most of them as substitute, in his first season after joining from Fulham. Completely separate to the Carvalho deal, the PA news agency understands Liverpool have had a meeting with Hungary international Szoboszlai’s representatives but as yet he remains one of many options Klopp is hoping to bring in to reinforce his midfield. It is understood the 22-year-old has a buyout clause in the region of 70million euros (£60.5million) which expires on Friday but Liverpool have not made any move in relation to that, although that does not rule out them subsequently trying to negotiate a lower fee with Leipzig. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

FC Sorrento have become the latest club to backtrack on signing former Scotland striker David Goodwillie in the wake of a public backlash. The Australian second-tier side announced on Wednesday that they had recruited the 34-year-old, who was ruled by a judge at a civil court case in 2017 to have raped a woman in 2011. “SFC are pleased to announce we have added three players to our mid season first team. Clay Gibbs, David Goodwillie & Callum Dobbs have all joined!” read the initial statement from the Perth-based club. Sorrento head coach Steven McGarry, who played in Scotland when Goodwillie was beginning his career more than a decade ago, added: “With David, we get a player with real quality and experience. “He’s played in the top leagues in England and Scotland while also representing Scotland at international level so he’s a massive addition to the club.” After the news was not well-received on social media, however, Sorrento released another statement just hours later revealing they had cancelled Goodwillie’s contract. “Sorrento Football Club has rescinded its contract with David Goodwillie,” it read. “David was scheduled to arrive in Perth within the next week to commence playing with the Club for the remainder of the 2023 NPLM season. “The arrangement was non-commercial in nature. “The Club has informed David of its decision and apologises to anyone in our football and broader community that may have been caused offence by his signing.” Sorrento are the third club in 18 months to have been forced into a climbdown over their efforts to sign Goodwillie. Scottish side Raith Rovers sparked an outcry when they signed Goodwillie from Clyde in February last year and he was released from his contract without playing a match. Then in February of this year, Northern Premier League side Radcliffe signed the former Dundee United and Blackburn forward and he scored a hat-trick on his debut against Belper Town. However, having made no prior announcement of his signing, the angry response from the public prompted a change of heart from Radcliffe, who admitted to making “a significant misstep” in signing him and that “our due diligence should have been of a much higher standard”. Goodwillie and fellow footballer David Robertson were deemed by a judge at a civil court in January 2017 to have raped a 30-year-old woman at a property in Armadale, West Lothian, after a night out in nearby Bathgate in January 2011. Criminal charges against Goodwillie were dropped in 2011 due to lack of evidence. Goodwillie left English club Plymouth “by mutual consent” days after the civil court ruling and just two months later, in March 2017, he signed for Clyde despite fierce criticism of the Bully Wee’s decision to give him a deal. A year later, in March 2018, Goodwillie was allowed to do a rare post-match interview in which he outlined his desire to return to full-time football. “Of course I’ve got aspirations of going back up a level,” he said after scoring his 25th goal of his first season at the club in a League Two win away to Cowdenbeath. “I want to play for as long as I can at whatever level I can. “I need to be respectful to Clyde, though, because they believed in me and gave me a chance and I’ll always be thankful for that. I’ll give everything I can to Clyde for as long as I’m here. “The way the fans and the chairman have been with me means a lot. I take that really deep. “The fans have taken me in when they might not have, so I’m really thankful for that and appreciate it every single time I step out on the pitch for them. “Ask any footballer and they’ll say they want to play at the highest level they can. I play football just to breathe and feel freedom. When you cross that line, you’ve got no worries, no stress.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ex-Essex player Jahid Ahmed: Racism probe being dragged out to protect accused Prime Minister praises ‘swift hands’ of Jonny Bairstow in halting Lord’s protest Josh Tongue gets late breakthrough as Australia dominate at Lord’s

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Kyle Lowry was a key piece of the Miami Heat Finals run. But whether by trade or cut, it seems like he won't be back next season.According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Kyle Lowry's time with the Heat is most likely over. Miami is reportedly waiting to try and trade for Damian ...

Chelsea’s biggest issue last season was the inability to simply put the ball in the back of the net. Only four teams scored fewer Premier League goals than the Blues (38), with even relegated pair Leeds and Leicester netting more. Strengthening the frontline was always the priority for a west London side in need of a refresh this summer. Yet they had to strike a balance. Chelsea’s squad remains incredibly bloated, though the departures of N’Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly have helped, at the very least, cut the wage bill. Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, Edouard Mendy and Mason Mount are expected to follow the pair out of the Stamford Bridge exit as the squad is streamlined. We’re not yet in July but the Blues have at least made their first move to correct their goal issues: Christopher Nkunku has arrived from RB Leipzig on the back of a solid Bundesliga campaign that saw him net 16 times – no player in Germany’s top tier scored more. The 25-year-old won’t be the only forward to rock up in the capital, however, with Nicolas Jackson set to follow suit. Jackson was prepped for a move to Bournemouth in January, only to fail a medical, and was subsequently linked with a move to Aston Villa this summer – yet Chelsea have won the race for the 22-year-old, who scored 12 goals and provided four assists in LaLiga last season, a fine return for a player who registered just 1,603 minutes of game time. Of those 12 goals, 10 were scored since the turn of the year. Only former Real Madrid hitman Karim Benzema (12) bagged more in Spain’s top tier in the first half of 2023. Crucially, Jackson knows exactly where the goal is. Feed the Senegalese star and he’ll score. Of the 120 players to muster 25 or more shots, Jackson returned the best conversion rate (29.3 per cent) in the 22/23 LaLiga campaign. Despite a goal-shy season, Chelsea still averaged the eighth most key passes per game (9.9) in the Premier League, a return that can be improved upon, but a reasonable base nonetheless. In addition, the Blues ranked tenth for big chances created (57), yet in turn missed the sixth most (52). Kai Havertz was the biggest offender, missing 14 clear-cut goalscoring opportunities, but with the German set to leave for Arsenal there is room for a new striker at Stamford Bridge. Jackson, by contrast, performed superbly when the chances were laid out on a plate, returning a clear-cut conversion rate of 56.3 per cent, the best in Spain’s top flight last season. However, there is more to Jackson’s game than scoring goals. He’s not an old-fashioned No 9 but rather a modern-day forward, who looks to link the play as well as get on the end of chances. An average of 1.2 key passes per 90 minutes is a respectable average, while a pass success rate of 76.4 per cent from 17.9 passes per 90 are solid figures for a striker. With Mauricio Pochettino expected to use a 4-2-3-1 setup, he’ll need his leading frontman to work his way into the box and, where needed, hold up possession before laying the ball on for his teammates. Jackson, then, ticks the right boxes. Considering the exciting wingers at Pochettino’s disposal – who’ll undoubtedly benefit from a full pre-season in a settled environment under the Argentine’s watchful eye – and the possibility of Nkunku operating in the No 10 role as a second striker, Jackson’s willingness to bring others into play means Chelsea should quickly dwarf their 38-goal haul from last season. The Senegal star isn’t perhaps the same headline-stealing hitman in the form of Victor Osimhen that some supporters may crave, but then if Jackson is the ideal fit, is that really an issue? Chelsea will be landing a player who will benefit the current crop of attackers on the books at Stamford Bridge and, over the longer term, can become the complete centre-forward with the right coaching. Pochettino, after all, did turn Harry Kane into a world-beater. Read More Mateo Kovacic completes move from Chelsea to Manchester City Koulibaly exits Chelsea to become latest star joining Saudi Pro League Manchester United increase Mason Mount bid Chelsea owners buy stake in French team as part of multi-club ownership plans Robertson appreciative as Newcastle remember Tiote – Wednesday’s sporting social N’Golo Kante, the midfield miracle worker who changed football

England midfielder Rhyce Ramsden admits amputee football has opened doors he did not realise were accessible to him. The Everton player has just completed arguably the most successful couple of weeks of his life after scoring twice in the FA Disability Cup final victory over Portsmouth, just days after helping the national team win their first title since 1990. He has already come a long way since getting on his first flight with the England team just six months into his journey in amputee football. “I was 16 and had been playing for six months as an amputee when I got called up to go play in the 2017 Euros in Turkey,” Ramsden told the PA news agency. “Before playing football I’d only ever been on a plane once and been to one other country. “Now I travel the world – I’ve been to Europe, I’ve been to America, Mexico, it’s just a bit surreal what has happened. Playing in front of 42,000 in Besiktas’ stadium was a good experience.” Ramsden sports a floppy centre-parting and headband like Manchester City winger Jack Grealish and, while comparisons were made after his performance at the weekend, there were no post-match celebrations to match the treble winner’s party stop in Ibiza. “I got asked on Saturday when we won the FA Cup if I was going on a three-day bender, but I was back in work in Monday – that was the biggest reality shock,” he added. “Someone put out a post saying, ‘It’s the one-legged Jack Grealish’, but I wanted to reply saying, ‘No, he’s the two-legged Rhyce Ramsden’.” Someone put out a post saying, 'It's the one-legged Jack Grealish', but I wanted to reply saying, 'No, he's the two-legged Rhyce Ramsden' Rhyce Ramsden Ramsden was born with a tumour above his right knee which resulted in amputation at five months old. That did not prevent him playing sport alongside his able-bodied friends, but he admits once he joined the amputee football “family” things changed. “I used to play football with my prosthetic in net for school and one day a coach came down and showed me a couple of clips of amputee football,” he said. “I went to a training camp wanting to still be a goalkeeper, but in amputee football you have to be an arm amputee to be a goalkeeper so I had to get used to being outfield and once I started playing outfield I stopped wanting to be a goalkeeper straightaway. “Even if you don’t play sport there is always a place for you. “There are kids and adults who have lost their legs recently, who never mind playing don’t think they will walk again. “Then they come down and try it and next thing you know they’ve got the bug. “Even if you think the worst is going to happen, that’s not the case, always think positive, get yourself involved.” Ramsden is in good company at Everton as they have six England representatives in the team, who play seven-a-side games which last 50 minutes. Among his team-mates is Steve Johnson, Everton’s disability manager who was world amputee footballer of the year in 1999, has played in three World Cups and scored an extra-time winner against Brazil in the 1990 World Cup final, England’s last tournament success before their recent Nations League triumph in Poland. “I first started in 1987 and then there wasn’t social media, so it was just pitches in limb centres and finding players was a real challenge, but it has grown, social media has helped quite a lot,” said Johnson, who has been involved at Everton since 2003. “Everton has a long history working with disabled people, but we have to generate a lot of those funds ourselves. “The FA put a lot of resources into promoting the women’s game and that needs to happen for disability football, not just amputees, to get them challenging for trophies at major competitions.” Everton in the Community’s disability programme engages more than 200 disabled adults per week and over 400 disabled children and young people each year, offering competitive opportunities for 11 pan-disability and specific impairment teams for children and adults that are available to males and females. “It is open for anyone who wants to take part, it’s not set in stone. We recruit wherever we can,” said Everton Amputees manager and EitC disability co-ordinator Mark Dolan. “The pathway is there to go and play for England. We have various different players along the path and Rhyce is an example of one of the up-and-coming players at England.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Josh Tongue gets late breakthrough as Australia dominate at Lord’s Sir Nick Faldo: LIV Golf won’t survive proposed deal with governing bodies Alessia Russo fully focused on England after ‘tough’ summer of transfer talk

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Manchester City have ended their interest in Declan Rice after Arsenal made an improved £105million bid for the West Ham captain. The PA news agency understands the Gunners made their latest offer for the 24-year-old England international on Tuesday after two previous approaches were rebuffed by the Hammers. It was also reported City had a bid totalling £90m knocked back and the treble winners have now decided not to match or try to better Arsenal’s proposition. It is believed the Gunners have offered £100m and a further £5m in potential add-ons. It would make Rice the most expensive British player of all time and eclipses Arsenal’s previous record transfer. It is understood West Ham are unhappy with the payment structure put forward but, rather than dismiss the offer out of hand, are now looking to negotiate. By contrast, Arsenal’s pursuit of Germany forward Kai Havertz has been more straightforward. With a deal agreed with Chelsea, Havertz underwent a medical over the weekend and is expected to be announced as an Arsenal player within the next 24 hours as footage of his arrival video was leaked on social media. Meanwhile, a move for Ajax full-back Jurrien Timber is still being worked on as Arsenal aim to improve a squad that finished second last season. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Tottenham are close to the signing of James Maddison with the Leicester midfielder set to undergo a medical on Wednesday. Spurs entered advanced talks with recently-relegated Leicester earlier this week and have now struck a deal for the England international, the PA news agency understands. Maddison will move to Tottenham in a transfer worth £40m plus add-ons, having already agreed personal terms. The signing of Maddison will represent a major coup for Spurs, who have been long-term admirers of the 26-year-old. Ex-Tottenham boss David Pleat recommended Maddison to chairman Daniel Levy when the playmaker was still a teenager at Coventry, but no move was able to materialise and he instead joined Norwich. Spurs’ interest and desire to eventually sign Maddison never waivered with his time at Leicester only serving to prove he was one of the most creative players in England. During five largely successful years with the Foxes, who won the 2021 FA Cup, Maddison made 203 appearances, scored 55 goals and produced 41 assists. While Maddison was unable to prevent Leicester suffering a shock relegation to the Sky Bet Championship last season, he was still able to hit double figures in terms of goals. Leicester’s battle for survival saw them turn down advances for Maddison in the January transfer window but they have now agreed for him to depart. Newcastle had registered an interest in bringing the midfielder to St James’ Park but decided to pursue a move for AC Milan’s Sandro Tonali, which left the door open for Tottenham to swoop in for their key target. Maddison’s creativity and versatility will boost a Spurs squad that has lacked a player in his mould since Christian Eriksen left in 2020. Once his medical is completed, Maddison will become new Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou’s third signing following Dejan Kulusevski’s permanent transfer and Tuesday’s arrival of Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. Read More Arsenal submit British-record bid for Declan Rice Football rumours: Man City ‘to submit improved offer’ for Declan Rice after Arsenal bid Harry Kane must take Bayern Munich transfer chance – and so should Spurs Tottenham complete signing of Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario Kane must take Bayern transfer chance - and so should Spurs Osimhen and five Man United transfer alternatives to signing Kane

Millie Bright has expressed her confidence that she will be ready for England’s World Cup opener as she continues her recovery from knee surgery. The defender, captain of the squad heading to the tournament in Australia and New Zealand in the absence of ACL injury victim Leah Williamson, underwent an operation after limping out of a Chelsea match in March. While Bright expects Saturday’s World Cup warm-up game against Portugal in Milton Keynes will come too soon for a return to action, she is feeling positive about the Lionesses’ opening Group D fixture against Haiti in Brisbane on July 22. The 29-year-old, who has been doing individual work during the squad’s camp at St George’s Park, said: “The knee’s really good. “I think we are a little bit ahead (of schedule) actually. Coming into it, there’s a big chunk of time before the first game, so we’re really confident and everything is going exactly the way we wanted it to go. “I think Saturday will be a little bit too soon. I’m not back with the girls yet and I don’t think we want to rush that. Obviously, we have a lot of time until the first game.” Asked if she thought there was any danger of her being undercooked, Bright said: “No, not at all. “I think the amount of minutes I’ve played leading up to this has been ridiculous, through the roof, so if anything I feel mentally and physically fresher than I’ve ever felt. “I can’t remember the last time I had longer than two weeks off. It’s been a fair few years now. A blessing in disguise I call it, that I’ve mentally and physically been able to completely just have a clean slate and let my body recover. I’ve played through many injuries but this one, I just couldn’t quite get there.” There had been concern for Alex Greenwood after she went down with an injury during Tuesday’s training session, but the Manchester City defender has said she “will be OK”, adding: “(It is) on the shin. It’s sore, but it’s football. It was a tackle, part of the game.” Meanwhile, Aston Villa midfielder Lucy Staniforth has been added to England’s standby list in place of forward Jess Park, who is returning to Manchester City for rehabilitation on a shoulder injury. Staniforth joins Maya Le Tissier on standby and both will remain with Sarina Wiegman’s 23-player squad until the Haiti match, with the European champions set to fly to Australia next Wednesday. Staniforth said: “I looked at my phone and saw it was Sarina and I was thinking ‘what’s going on?’ “I kind of thought once the first week (of England’s pre-World Cup camp, which started on June 19) was out of the way, if there was any chance of getting brought in, it would be then. I was surprised obviously. “I got her to repeat the whole tournament schedule again for me about three or four times because I just kept saying ‘sorry, when are we travelling?’ I just hadn’t followed it because I wasn’t involved. I was so out of the loop. I was buzzing. I wanted to get in the car quick and get straight down there. “I was supposed to go to Ibiza with my mum on Monday which is obviously very unfortunate. My mum was buzzing for me and of course wanted me to go. She wasn’t bothered about Ibiza. She will still go on her own. If anyone sees someone on their own in Ibiza, she’s looking for a bit of company!” Read More Lucy Staniforth added to England’s World Cup standby list amid injury concerns Happiness key to ‘best season’ of my career, says England’s Rachel Daly Kane must take Bayern transfer chance - and so should Spurs Man City ‘to submit improved offer’ for Declan Rice after Arsenal bid

An age-old argument, without any definitive answer: when do you let your best player go if the rest of the team needs serious improvement? Is it at the point of emotional guilt-tripping, or when the finances make most sense? Is it when the individual starts creating negativity around the dressing room? Or is it in fact not at all – you keep the top performers and that’s the end of it? Daniel Levy, chairperson at Spurs, has been placed in this position before, but perhaps not when Tottenham have been in such a period of weakness and at such a moment of crossroads. When Luka Modric departed in 2012, Spurs had finished fourth and reached the FA Cup semi-final. A year later when Gareth Bale made his exit, Spurs finished one place further back in the Premier League but actually earned three points more than the campaign previous. The rebuild money across those two summers was perhaps spent in mixed fashion, but it was at a time Tottenham were trying to crack into the top clubs on a regular basis. This time, it’s Harry Kane who looks set for a departure, with Bayern Munich offering up an initial bid – big money, but perhaps not quite big enough just yet – for the striker who has only one year remaining on his contract. Kane has been better, more important, more consistent and longer-serving for Tottenham than either of the two aforementioned stars, or indeed any others they’ve had of late. Yet the club also finished eighth last season, their worst league placing in 14 years, and it’s time for both Kane to move on and Spurs to move on without him. It is not for any reason so crass or emotive or frankly ludicrous as “they owe him”. Spurs do not owe Kane anything. He has been excellent for them, and they have given him the platform to be so. But he clearly has kept his level when the club has lost its own, starting at the most uppermost points of the hierarchy downwards. Kane should be seeking a move for his own prospects, for his own ability to win trophies and his own capacity to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the greatest centre-forwards of this generation. At Bayern in particular, he’ll very much have the opportunity to do that. Of course, the flip side of the player-based argument is twofold: winning silverware at Spurs might mean more, and so too might claiming the Premier League goalscoring record. Only Kane himself can answer those two factors truthfully, but even if he were to head to the Bundesliga to rack up three or four titles now, there’s very little to suggest his playmaking and goalscoring prowess would have deserted him by the time he turns 33 or 34. A comeback to Spurs once they’ve rebuilt and he’s filled his boots elsewhere? Don’t rule it out. A move abroad is also a risk of its own kind, between adaptation to culture and club, especially in a Euros season. But Gareth Southgate isn’t likely to be leaving out his captain any time soon even if form does desert him – let alone the question of whether there’s even an alternative candidate. And so the decision heads once more to Levy, in charge yet again of overseeing transfers after Fabio Paratici’s enforced exit, and tasked with coming up with a price he finds acceptable for a player the fans value above all others, yet will otherwise surely lose for free in a year. To be blunt, Spurs cannot afford the kind of bluster and brinkmanship Levy has shown before with a far stronger hand. The team needs investment. The team might need outright reshaping, given Ange Postecoglou is almost as far removed from Antonio Conte tactically as he is by way of club interim appointments. Without any kind of European football this coming campaign, Spurs have the chance to make the most of the Australian’s excellent coaching capacity on the training pitch with the additional time between matches the schedule will afford him, so to maximise a season on the fringes they should also be seeking to build the group of players which will benefit him most. While Kane the player is irreplaceable, Spurs can provide Postecoglou with a group to more than make up for what they lose through his sale, if the proceeds are reinvested well and existing players nurtured. Richarlison is the most obvious example, especially as the potential replacement No 9, but Dejan Kulusevski has so much more to give too. Spurs don’t need to gut the building entirely, but they certainly need a better structure than they had last season. Selling Kane is a hard choice, but the right one for the club to move into a new phase of more normalised expectations with long-term prospects for improvement – and the right one for the striker to prove himself on a whole new level, too. Read More Man City ‘to submit improved offer’ for Declan Rice after Arsenal bid Tottenham standing firm on Harry Kane amid interest from Bayern Munich Football rumours: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain weighs up Saudi Arabia move Osimhen and five Man United transfer alternatives to signing Kane Football rumours: Manchester United make last-gasp attempt to sign Harry Kane Range of armband options for Women’s World Cup as FIFA aims to avoid repeat row