Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is believed to be open to a potential move away to Bayern Munich this summer but Daniel Levy will not make any deal easy.

How much is Harry Kane worth?

Despite the north London club enduring a seriously underwhelming 2022/23 campaign, it was not a season to forget for Kane on a personal note.

Indeed, the 29-year-old striker enjoyed one of his best individual Premier League campaigns after returning an impressive 30 league goals.

To put that into context, his return was only six short of the Golden Boot winner, Erling Haaland, who was operating in a Manchester City side which won the title.

And it is apparent his stunning displays across his career at Tottenham has earned him a lot of interested potential suitors.

The likes of Manchester United have been heavily linked with a possible move for the England captain this summer, but are believed to have since pulled out of the race.

Now, it seems as if a potential move abroad could potentially be opening up for the 29-year-old with the Bundesliga champions reportedly making their move in the last few days.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the striker is believed to be open to a possible move to Munich but any deal would be made difficult by Levy:

"From what I understand, and I always said even when he was linked with Real Madrid, Daniel Levy – Tottenham chairman – is going to make this deal very difficult. He wants to keep the player the club is still dreams of Harry Kane as Tottenham player for the next season and for the future."

"They don't want to give up on the story for Harry Kane also because they feel that the player will be open to make this move happen. So Harry Kane is not saying no to Bayern and this is why they sent an official bid and this is why they want to insist but it's also crucial to understand Tottenham's position in this story. They don't want to make it happen."

Should Harry Kane leave Spurs?

There was certainly a lot that went on in north London last season which could potentially make the England captain keen to find a new adventure this summer.

Tottenham's eighth place finish was largely as a result of the stunning form in front of goal shown by the 29-year-old who after he scored 43% of the club's leagues goals.

However, another season showing similar form in front of goal could potentially take him within 30 goals of matching Alan Shearer's all-time record.

It is apparent Levy will be in no mood to see his prized assed leave this summer under any circumstances which could potentially lead to a messy affair in north London.

But if Kane is adamant on leaving, then next summer would allow him free rein over his options and would even allow him a bigger scope to negotiate a better deal for himself.

There promises to be a lot of change at Spurs this summer with the arrival of Ange Postecoglou and the expected signing of James Maddison.

And perhaps the early signs being shown from Levy to wrap up the signing of Maddison, for example, may be enough to persuade Kane to give Spurs one more chance.

If you thought for a moment that this was like any other win for Australia, think again. It was so special, so rare, that Steven Smith knew the length of the drought his men had broken. “We haven’t won a game here for 4502 days,” he said after Australia’s triumph in Pune. The number rolled easily off his tongue in every interview. It might be imprinted in his brain forever.When Australia last won a Test in India – in late 2004 – Smith was 15 years old, Matt Renshaw was an eight-year-old English boy living in New Zealand, Mitchell Starc was a 14-year-old wicketkeeper, and Steve O’Keefe was a 19-year-old yet to make his first-class debut.Here, Smith made a century he will remember for the rest of his life, Renshaw scored more runs than any Indian batsman, Starc scored more runs than any Indian batsman (to go with a couple of important wickets), and O’Keefe gained better figures than any visiting spinner had ever before achieved in a Test in India.And all of this on a pitch that should have suited India. “It was one of the most difficult wickets you’ll bat on,” Smith told ABC radio after the win. “This was, from day one, the driest surface and most inconsistent sort of spinning surface that I’ve ever seen. It’ll be interesting to see what they’ll come up with [for the second Test].”Yet for all of that, Australia outperformed India in every facet of the game, more than doubling India’s total in each innings. Their batsmen found ways to score, their bowlers created more chances, their fielders snapped them up. Australia’s frontline spinner, Nathan Lyon, took five wickets for the match, but the stand-out was O’Keefe, who claimed 12.Compare this to India’s two lead spinners: R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja managed “only” 12 wickets between them. Smith said the result was credit both to the way O’Keefe adjusted his bowling to suit the Indian conditions, and to the way Australia’s batsmen resisted the urge to chase deliveries that might turn away.”A lot of our right-handers – and left-handers – got beaten on the outside edge of the bat,” Smith said. “Those guys are big spinners of the ball, and generally it’s the one that goes straight that gets you in a bit of trouble. It’s great the guys are learning and actually playing for that straight one and allowing the other one to spin past the bat. That has been a big learning curve for us as a team for a while.”It’s great that we were able to implement the things that we’ve practised and talked about in the game. In regards to our spinners, I think SOK [O’Keefe], compared to Jadeja, probably goes a little bit wider of the crease and a little bit more side-arm, so potentially doesn’t have to get the ball to straighten quite as much to find the outside edge. It’s really smart bowling and you reap the rewards for that.”In the first innings, O’Keefe picked up three of his wickets through outside edges and one from a stumping that beat the edge; in the second, five of his six wickets came from attacking the stumps for lbw or bowled dismissals. His match haul of 12 for 70 was second only to Ian Botham’s 13-wicket bag in Mumbai in 1980 for a visiting bowler in India.”I love SOK’s willingness to learn, and try different things and adapt to different conditions,” Smith said. “He’s able to bowl differently to what he does back home. Back home he gets over the top of the ball a lot more, and here he comes around it and changes his seam positions and gets the most natural variation out of the wicket – very similar to Jadeja.”O’Keefe was Man of the Match, but Smith’s contribution was also significant. In the second innings, he came to the crease at 10 for 1 and soon Australia were 23 for 2; they had a healthy lead already, but a collapse could have handed the momentum back to India. Smith had some fortune, dropped three times, but went on to make 109. Among Australians, only Mark Taylor and Damien Martyn had previously made second-innings hundreds in India.”I obviously rode my luck throughout the innings and had a few lives, but you need a bit of luck on a wicket like that,” he said. “I was pleased with myself to score a second-innings hundred here in India and formulate some different sort of plans than how I normally play and problem-solve on the spot. From that aspect I’m pleased with myself and it was great we were able to get such a big lead.”That Australia emerged with a win in India for the first time in 4502 days was a remarkable achievement, and Smith was understandably proud of his men. But he was also at pains to note that much work remained in order to win the series – although as the holders of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy one more victory would be enough for Australia to retain it.”It’s only one game,” Smith said. “It’s a four-match series, and we’d like to win the series. For us it’s about taking it one day at a time.”

The Islamabad United coach believes his team can bounce back after a win and a loss in their first two matches of the 2017 PSL

Umar Farooq in Dubai11-Feb-20171:03

WATCH – Misbah-ul-Haq smashes 61 off 36 balls

Islamabad United coach Dean Jones said his side has “been through hell” over the last few days after two of their players, Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif, were provisionally suspended by the PCB as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged attempts to corrupt the 2017 Pakistan Super League. Three other players – Mohammad Irfan, who also plays for Islamabad, Zulfiqar Babar and Shahzaib Hasan – were questioned by the PCB’s Anti-Corruption Unit as part of the investigation.Sharjeel and Latif were suspended a day after the defending champions won the opening match of the 2017 edition, beating Peshawar Zalmi by seven wickets (D/L method). They lost their second match, however, on Saturday, going down by six wickets against Lahore Qalandars.”Emotionally and physically the team has been through hell,” Jones said after the match on Saturday. “All in all, we’re trying to prepare these guys coming into the match and it’s not been the best preparation, I’ll be honest with that. The boys came here, they wanted to get out here and have some fun and play. Unfortunately it hasn’t worked that way.”Irfan made way for Rumman Raees in the XI for the second match, while Asif Ali took Sharjeel’s place. Put in to bat, Islamabad made a solid start with a 73-run opening stand between Dwayne Smith and Sam Billings. They went on to score 158 for 7, with captain Misbah-ul-Haq hitting 61 not out off 36 balls.Islamabad United could not check Lahore Qalandars’ chase led by a confident Jason Roy half-century•PCBQalandars, however, chased down the target with 10 balls to spare. “When you lose, it’s always difficult,” Jones said. “It’s our first loss in seven games if you want to look back from last year to now. It was a big game for us in a lot of ways but it’s one and one [a victory and a loss in 2017], and we are in a position a lot of teams would want to be in.”The good thing is we’ve got a four-day spell now before our next game, when we go down to Sharjah. We’ll regroup, go out and enjoy each other’s company like we always do. It’s my job as a coach to remind them that we failed a bit today but we’re in a pretty good position.”Jones said that Misbah had been a calming influence on the side.”Misbah’s always calm, cool and collected,” he said. “He doesn’t give a lot of emotion away, that’s the good thing about him as not many people see the humorous side of him, but we’ve seen a bit of that over the past 24 hours to loosen things up. From our owners to Wasim and our senior players, it’s been a bit of a tough time but now we’ll regroup and we’ll get together and move on.”Can I just say well done to the PCB? I think they have handled everything over the past 48 hours really well. We’re here to keep this great game clean and we’ll do everything we can to do that.”

Manchester United have not accepted "a more flexible offer" from Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS, and any potential deal that sees the Glazer maintain their position at United would need the board's support, claims journalist Ben Jacobs.

Manchester takeover news – What's the latest?

Another week passes, and yet the potential sale of one of the biggest sports teams in the world still seems no closer than it did a few weeks ago.

It has been seven months since the Glazers first announced they were looking for outside investment for the club, news that was celebrated almost like a title win by many fans of the club who have long opposed the American families' ownership of their football club.

Yet, over half a year later, they are still firmly in control.

There have been three rounds of bidding for the Red Devils, which have left Ratcliffe's INEOS-supported bid and the Qatari bid fronted by Sheikh Jassim as the two most serious parties.

While it is hard to genuinely gauge the feelings of such a massive and international fan base, Ratcliffe's offer to buy just 51% of the club and allow the Glazers to keep a stake of around 20% is unlikely to sit well with much of the support.

What has journalist Ben Jacobs said about the Manchester United takeover?

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "INEOS, with a more flexible offer for control of the football club, have never at the point we're recording this anyway been put in exclusivity, nor have they obviously completed a deal for the football club.

"And the reason for that is because even if the Glazers like the offer on the table that could allow Joel and Avram to stay, it's still got to get board approval."

What other sports teams does Jim Ratcliffe own?

Should Ratcliffe and INEOS get their way this summer and become the majority owners of United, it'll be the British Billionaires' fifth sports organisation and his third football club for which he will be the majority owner.

The first football team he purchased was the Swiss super league outfit FC Lausanne-Sport. He bought the team back in 2017, and things immediately went wrong, with the side being relegated in his first year of ownership, coming back up the following year.

The second side in his stable of European football teams is the slightly more prestigious Ligue 1 side, Nice.

INEOS took control of the French club in 2019, and since then, things have gone okay for the club, finishing fifth in 2020, ninth in 2021, fifth again in 2022 and finally ninth again last year.

The 70-year-old businessman also owns the sailing team Ineos Britannia and the cycling team Ineos Grenadiers which has competed in the Tour de France.

If the lifelong United fan really wants to add the historic club to that list and win the fans onside, he might want to reconsider the offer to keep the Glazers onboard.

A round-up of the ICC Women’s World Cup qualifier matches in Colombo on February 19, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2017

Pakistan Women qualified for the upcoming Women’s World Cup in England despite being demolished by India Women by seven wickets at Colombo’s P Sara Oval. Ekta Bisht’s career-best returns of 5 for 8 in 10 overs toppled Pakistan for 67. India required just 22.3 overs to chase down the target, with seven wickets in hand, and finished the Super Six stage as table toppers.Before Bisht, it was Shikha Pandey, the new-ball bowler, who set the tone for Pakistan’s slide after Mithali Raj decided to bowl under overcast conditions. Pandey removed the in-form Nahida Khan and Javeria Khan for single-digit scores. Pakistan were 30 for 2 after 10 overs when Bisht struck for the first time, off her very first ball, trapping Ayesha Zafar lbw for her 50th ODI scalp. Zafar had made 19.Apart from Zafar, only Bismah Maroof got into double figures before Pakistan folded in the 44th over. Bisht had ample support. Pandey took 2 for 9 from her seven overs, while spinners Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma and Devika Vaidya picked up a wicket apiece.India’s innings began in bright fashion, with a boundary off the very first ball, but they quickly stuttered with Sana Mir and Sadia Yousuf reducing them to 23 for 2. Opening batsman Deepti Sharma then steered the chase with a 42-run third-wicket stand with Kaur, who became Yousuf’s second victim when she was caught by Zafar with just three needed. Five balls later, Veda Krishnamurthy closed out the game with a four off left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu as India’s innings ended the same way it began.Sri Lanka Women also secured their spot in the World Cup after a 42-run win via the Duckworth-Lewis method in their last Super Six tie against Bangladesh Women in a rain-affected tie in Colombo. Chamari Atapattu hit 84 at the top to help Sri Lanka to 197 for 9 in their 50 overs. In reply, Bangladesh, chasing a revised target of 111, could only reach 68 for 5 in their allotted 21 overs.Atapattu walked out with Sri Lanka 39 for 1 in the 11th over and started off with a half-century stand with Hasini Perera. After Perera’s dismissal for 32, the onus fell on Atapattu to build Sri Lanka’s innings. Atapattu nearly hung around till the end of the innings, before Salma Khatun took her out in the first ball of the 49th over. Sri Lanka could only collect four runs from the 11 remaining balls as they fell short of the 200-mark.Bangaldesh used seven bowlers, six of whom were among the wickets. Khatun was the pick of the lot, striking thrice and giving away just 18 runs in nine overs.Bangladesh began poorly in the chase, with Udeshika Prabodhani and Inoka Ranaweera reducing them to 25 for 3 in the eighth over. Nigar Sultana (24) and Shaila Sharmin (21) made contributions, but a double strike from Inoshi Priyadharshani in the 15th over hurt Bangladesh and they finished well short of the target.Rain affected proceedings at the Colombo Cricket Ground too where South Africa Women came out on top by 36 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method against Ireland Women. South Africa’s win was set up by a strong bowling performance that helped them bowl out Ireland for 166 in 49.5 overs. South Africa were 82 for 1 in 21 overs in their reply when rain stopped play. South Africa needed to be 47 for 1 at that stage, and with play never resuming, they emerged comfortable winners and secured second spot in the Super Six table.All seven of the bowlers used by South Africa chipped in with wickets as Ireland’s innings never got going. Cecilia Joyce struck 29 at the top of the order. Isobel Joyce and Gaby Lewis got off to starts with knocks of 30 and 21 respectively, but most of the rest largely failed to impress. That Ireland got to 166 was down to wicketkeeper Mary Waldron’s unbeaten 33 at No. 8, and her last-wicket partnership of 43 with Ciara Metcalfe, who contributed just 10.Lizelle Lee, Sune Luus and Dane van Niekerk took two wickets each for South Africa.Kim Garth snuffed out Lee for 14 in the third over, after which Laura Wolvaardt and Mignon du Preez got together for an unbroken second-wicket stand of 59. When the rain came down, Wolvaardt was unbeaten on 32 and du Preez was not out on 29.The four qualifying teams – India, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan – will be joined by England, Australia, New Zealand and West Indies in the World Cup which begins in June in England.

Sunderland look good value to challenge for the Championship play-offs once again next season after getting the majority of their transfer business sorted early in the window.

However, questions regarding the future of Jack Clarke refuse to go away, while Tony Mowbray has also confirmed he will be without some key men when the new campaign gets underway in a month's time.

What Sunderland players are injured?

Speaking on Monday, Mowbray revealed in quotes carried by Chronicle Live that Corry Evans and Ross Stewart "won't be making the start of the season".

Dennis Cirkin, meanwhile, is "touch and go" for the big kick-off, while new signings Jenson Seelt and Nectarios Triantis are both nursing injuries and are being monitored.

All four would arguably have made Sunderland's starting line-up to face Ipswich Town on August 6 – and the latter two still might – with the absence of Stewart, in particular, a blow for Mowbray.

Are Sunderland going to sign Ellis Simms?

Stewart scored ten goals and assisted a further three in just 13 Championship outings last season – his average of 1.12 direct goal involvements per 90 minutes being the best of any Sunderland player, as per FBref.

However, the Achilles injury that cut his 2022-23 season short in January is also going to rule him out for the start of the 2023-24 campaign, and it remains to be seen how long it will take the striker to return to his previous best – if he ever does.

Sunderland also saw Amad Diallo return to parent club Manchester United at the end of the previous season, while Premier League clubs will continue to circle for Clarke, meaning Mowbray must surely move for another attacker to join fellow new recruit Hemir.

In Everton striker Ellis Simms, they could have the perfect choice. Simms was next on the list of the Black Cats' most proficient players last season, averaging as he did 0.72 goals and assists per 90 minutes across 17 regular-season matches.

The 0.56 goals per 90 scored by Simms last season came from an expected goals (xG) value of 0.39, meaning he scored 0.17 goals per 90 more than expected on the basis of his chances, whereas Stewart's 0.86 goals came from an xG of 0.84, so he scored near enough at exactly the rate you would expect.

What this tells us is that Simms is a deadly finisher at Championship level – or an "absolute nuisance" for opposition players, as Sunderland Echo reporter Phil Smith put it last season.

Simms struggled to have as big an impact in the Premier League last season when being recalled by Everton in January, and the Toffees appear to be ready to cash in if the right offer is made.

Ipswich Town are believed to have already had a £4m bid rejected for Simms, who is reportedly on as little as £3.3k a week, suggesting Sunderland had better follow up on their own interest swiftly.

Rather than gamble on the fitness of Stewart, Sunderland's hopes of promotion to the Premier League may well come down to whether or not they can bring Simms back to the Stadium of Light.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in Juventus star Federico Chiesa, as Unai Emery prepares to add big names to his plans at Villa Park.

The Spaniard, along with Monchi, has already signed Youri Tielemans from Leicester City, and with his former player Pau Torres with one foot in the door, it’s set to be an exciting summer in the Midlands.

Are Aston Villa signing Federico Chiesa?

Things could get all the more thrilling, with GIVEMESPORT adding substance to the rumours that the Villans hold an interest in Italian sensation Federico Chiesa.

Corriere dello Sport mentioned, via Sport Witness, the Midlands club as one of the Premier League representatives interested in the £53m winger, who is contracted to Juve until 2025.

Journalist Dean Jones has since revealed via GIVEMESPORT that Villa are “interested” and are one of the clubs expected to “explore” a potential deal for the 25-year-old:

“Aston Villa are interested. But the most interesting thing about this is that Juventus are willing to listen to anything people have got to say about making an offer for him.

"There's a bit of an exodus in Serie A at the moment, and I think that Villa are one of the clubs looking to explore how they can exploit that.”

Where could Federico Chiesa play at Aston Villa?

A player that’s versatile across the front line of attack, Chiesa is primarily deployed on the left wing, using his favoured right foot to cut in and cause havoc out wide.

Hailed as “dangerous" by scout Antonio Mango, the Italian has produced some glorious moments in Serie A, representing both Juventus and Fiorentina, in which he has contributed to 77 goals throughout his league career.

It could, however, be time for the Genova-born ace to take up a new challenge, after seeing a slight dip in performance since making the switch to Turin, in three seasons that have been tainted by injury.

Time on the sidelines has subsequently seen the 25-year-old slip up and down the pecking order, however, his talent has never gone unnoticed.

For Villa, signing a player of the calibre of Chiesa would be monumental, especially in introducing him into the positive environment that Emery has created at the club.

The youngster has shown certain attributes that suggest he could operate effectively for the Spaniard in his system, with his numbers likening him to a certain Premier League ace.

As per FBref comparisons, Chiesa shares similar statistical averages to treble-winner Riyad Mahrez, who has been a stellar member of Pep Guardiola’s squad over the years.

In signing the Italian, Emery could have his own answer to the five-time Premier League-winning Algerian, as highlighted by their in-game strengths on the flank.

Over the past year, the 25-year-old Italian has excelled in areas typical of a dynamic winger, averaging 2.26 successful take-ons and 4.52 progressive carries per 90, highlighting his strengths in possession, via FBref.

Similar numbers were recorded by Mahrez, who averaged 3.82 progressive carries and 1.37 successful take-ons over the past year, showing exactly how much of a threat Chiesa could add to Emery’s side in relation to the danger of the Manchester City star.

With an audacious price tag, it’s a decision for Monchi to make as to how strong Villa opt to be in their pursuit of the Italian, however, the winger could be the big-name signing that fires the side to new highs next term.

Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Adama Traore is expected to leave the club this summer when his contract expires, according to Dean Jones.

What's the latest on Adama Traore?

After joining the club permanently back in 2018, Traore is getting ready to call quits on his Molineux career. The forward's contract expires this June and it looks as if the Spanish international is readying himself for a move across Europe.

The baby-oiled winger has consistently flattered to deceive at Wolves, showcasing his raw pace and power on a frequent basis but often failing to find the finishing touch in key moments.

On his day, the 27-year-old is unplayable, but those days have been few and far between in recent seasons, with the former Barcelona player only managing three goals and two assists in 40 matches last term.

Stefano Pioli's Milan could very well be his next destination, while Jose Mourinho holds an interest in the attacker at Roma. Traore is currently on £55,000-a-week and, given he will require no transfer fee, could be a sensible option for both Italian clubs in the market.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Dean Jones stated: "Adama Traore is likely to go soon. He has got a couple of options, being looked into at the moment, that will probably accelerate over the course of this week."

Wolves have already lost another star player in Ruben Neves, who joined Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia for £47m, while Joao Moutinho and Diego Costa will leave the club when their contracts expire in June. Meanwhile, Conor Coady is set to leave for Leicester City on a permanent deal.

In terms of incomings, Adama's namesake Boubacar Traore has already agreed a permanent switch to Molineux following his loan from Metz last season, while Matheus Cunha will follow the same path from Atletico Madrid.

Julen Lopetegui will be hoping to have enough funds to bolster his squad this summer and will need to reinvest the money received from Neves' transfer wisely.

Who are Wolves signing?

There hasn't been a vast amount of transfer news coming from Molineux, with most of the focus on outgoings so far in the window.

One man that has been linked with a move to Wanderers is Sevilla's Lucas Ocampos, fresh from his Europa League triumph with the Spanish club. The Guardian report that a £13m switch could be on the cards, although Fulham are also in talks for the winger.

The Argentine spent the first half of last season on loan with Ajax, before returning to Seville, and has 11 caps for the Argentina national team.

Wellington were denied the chance to move closer to the top of the table by a defiant Otago lower order at the Westpac Stadium. Otago’s eighth-wicket pair of Sam Wells (118) and Nathan Smith (59) added 141 as their team survived having been made to follow-on. They began the final day 59 for 4 in their second innings which became 135 for 7 – still a deficit of 69 – but Wells and Smith repelled Wellington for the next 53 overs. Wells made his fourth first-class hundred and when he fell there was enough resistance from the last two wickets – Smith batted for three and a half hours – to ensure Wellington would not have time for the chase. On the opening day Michael Papps had become New Zealand’s first century maker against the pink ball. Hamish Bennett then helped conjure the chance of a result after the second day was washed out as his 4 for 19 skittled Otago for 98 – the last eight wickets falling for 44 – but despite the continued effort of Bennett, alongside Brent Arnel, they were thwarted.Canterbury remained leaders after their match against Auckland at Eden Park turned into a quest for bonus points following the middle two days being washed out. On the ground set to host the floodlit Test against England next year, Canterbury slipped to 25 for 4 before they were rescued by fifth-wicket stand of 183 between Ken McClure (92) Andrew Ellis (103) which lifted them to 305 for 8 after the opening day. The next two days were lost and on the last Auckland made 333 as wicketkeeper Ben Horne (93) fell just short of a maiden first-class hundred. Legspinner Todd Astle finished with 5 for 75. There had been a first-class debut for Glenn Phillips, who made his New Zealand T20 debut against South Africa last month, while it was Mitchell McClenaghan’s first first-class outing since December 2015.Rain also ruined the match-up between Northern Districts and Central Districts in Hamilton, but Ish Sodhi and Seth Rance achieved significant personal success. On the opening day Sodhi, who was left out of the Test squad to face South Africa, claimed 7 for 107 as Central Districts fell from 176 for 2 to 272 for 9 when they declared in the night-time session. The move worked a treat as Rance ripped through the Northern Districts top order, ending the first day with 4 for 6 and a career-best 6 for 31 overall. Adam Milne, also making a first-class comeback after 15 months, bowled 14 wicketless overs but scored an unbeaten 51. Northern Districts remained second and Central Districts bottom with three rounds to play.

تحدث تشافي هيرنانديز المدير الفني لبرشلونة، بعد فوز فريقه أمام لاس بالماس في منافسات الدوري الإسباني، مساء السبت.

وحقق برشلونة فوزًا على لاس بالماس، بهدف دون مقابل، أحرزه لاعبه البرازيلي رافينها، في الدقيقة 59.

وقال تشافي في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، بعد المباراة: “النتيجة بالنسبة لي قليلة، كانت لدينا فرص واضحة للغاية للتسجيل”.

وأضاف: “سارت المباراة بشكل جيد بالنسبة لنا بعد الطرد، لقد سجلنا هدفًا وأعتقد أن الهدف لم يكن كافيًا، لقد حصلنا على فرص للفوز بشكل أكثر راحة، إنه ملخص الموسم، من الصعب علينا إنهاء المباريات”.

وعن عدم البدء بجواو فيليكس أساسيًا، أردف: “اليوم كانت لدي شكوك حول التشكيلة، ثم فهمنا أن المباراة تتطلب موهبة جواو، وتمريرته الأخيرة، ومن هنا جاء الهدف، قدم جواو لعبة رائعة، تمريرة رائعة وتسديدة جيدة من رافينها، إنه هدف عظيم”.

وأشار إلى خصمه لاس بالماس: “لقد اختاروا اللعب المباشر بصورة أكبر بعد الطرد (طرد حارس لاس بالماس) وفي النهاية عانينا من فرصة موليرو، لو كنا أكثر فعالية قليلا اليوم لكنا فزنا بشكل جيد”.

اقرأ أيضًا | ثلاثي برشلونة يغيب عن مباراة قادش ويتجنب الإيقاف أمام ريال مدريد

وأكمل بشأن مواصلة المنافسة والضغط على ريال مدريد: “أول شيء هو الفوز أمام قادش وهو ما سيتطلب منا الكثير، إنها حرب، نريد المنافسة في الدوري ضد ريال مدريد لكن من المؤسف أن الأمر لا يعتمد علينا، آمل أن نتمكن من المنافسة، آمل أن نقلص الفارق في هذين اليومين”.

وأشاد تشافي بلاعبه رافينها مواصلاً: “رافينها ديناميكي للغاية لدرجة أنه يشارك في جميع مراكز الهجوم الأربعة أو الخمسة، يصنع الفارق، في بعض الأحيان يتحرك بشكل أسرع من المتوقع، لكن هذا أيضًا يعمل بشكل جيد بالنسبة لنا في بعض الأحيان” .

وسُئل تشافي عن إمكانية استمراره مدربًا لـ برشلونة، خاصة بعد التصريحات التي أدلى رافا يوستي نائب الرئيس، بأنه سيحاول إقناعه بالبقاء.

وأجاب: “الآن، يجب أن أرتاح لبضعة أيام وأفكر في باريس سان جيرمان، لم يتغير شيء، رافا يوستي صديق، هذا السيناريو أفضل من إقالة المدرب”.