Had Manchester United failed to beat Chelsea on Saturday evening, had they failed to capitalise on Robert Sanchez’s fifth-minute red card under the Old Trafford lights, Ruben Amorim might have reached a point of no return.

At least, the Portuguese tactician would have slid deeper into the pit which threatens to engulf him, having laboured to a woeful 15th-placed Premier League finish last year, losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur and enduring more inconsistency across the opening weeks of the season.

Amorim is under no illusions about the scale of the task still ahead of him, but he is determined to make it work at The Theatre of Dreams, and, with Bruno Fernandes still leading the ranks from the centre circle, there’s a belief that the club will rise again.

The significance of Bruno Fernandes

Had Man United failed to beat Chelsea, tensions would have boiled over. They didn’t, with the Red Devils scoring a hard-fought, well-deserved victory, lifting them to ninth in the standings.

Fernandes got the ball rolling, turning in from close range following Patrick Dorgu’s powerful header. He continued to provide United with a presence across attacking and defensive phases, so passionate and rousing from the middle of the park.

Thanks to data provided by Sofascore, we can observe that the Portugal international, 31, also won four duels and two tackles across his 87 minutes, replaced late on by Kobbie Mainoo.

He might be getting on a bit, but Bruno is still the leading force in this side, and that’s unlikely to change any time soon. If United are to rise once again, he will form the nucleus of the resurgence.

However, it’s worth noting that Fernandes has entered the penultimate year of his £300k-per-week contract, and while INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe would love nothing more than a renewal, that might prove difficult, for Fernandes will want to remain among the highest earners.

Surprisingly, the Iberian playmaker isn’t actually the top earner at the club. Indeed, the man above him is a controversial number one, and it may be that he needs to be sold in 2026.

Man United must sell their top earner

Casemiro’s Manchester United contract expires at the end of the current campaign, though the club have the option to extend the veteran’s stay for an additional year.

Curiously, the 33-year-old has enjoyed something of a revival under Amorim’s wing. “Leave the football before the football leaves you,” Jamie Carragher notoriously said of the Brazilian in 2024, but Casemiro has bounced back, providing an anchoring presence in the centre.

But it’s imperfect, there’s no doubt about that. Having signed for the Red Devils from Real Madrid for a whopping £70m fee in August 2022, Casemiro has played 130 matches for the club, scoring 18 goals and winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

This season, he has started four of his side’s five Premier League fixtures thus far, watching from the bench as Pep Guardiola’s side gave their neighbours a hiding in the Manchester derby.

Casemiro scored what proved to be the winning goal during the recent win over Chelsea, but it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows as he got himself sent off before the interval to hand the Blues a lifeline in a match they were struggling to find room to breathe in.

Perhaps he was unfortunate to have been shown a second yellow for hacking down Andrey Santos, but the fact remains there is a rash streak about the South American, who has now been dismissed three times in the Premier League.

United need to sign a new number six, and no mistake. Casemiro is still capable of putting in a “monster shift”, as has been said by Statman Dave, but there’s plenty not to like there too.

Casemiro

2026

£350k-per-week

Bruno Fernandes

2027

£300k-per-week

Mathhjis de Ligt

2029

£195k-per-week

Harry Maguire

2026

£190k-per-week

Matheus Cunha

2030

£180k-per-week

Last winter, for example, AS Roma had shown an interest in signing Casemiro, but the interest ultimately came to nought. Still, it underlines the abiding curiosity in one of the most accomplished midfielders of his generation, and is something INEOS must consider in the forthcoming January window.

Indeed, if Amorim truly wants his project to hit the heights he would have envisaged upon signing the contract, he would do well to inform the board that he wants Casemiro gone, perhaps then accelerating a bid for Carlos Baleba, with the Brighton & Hove Albion talent of a vested interest to the Devils during the summer, who had been willing to pay a figure in the region of £100m for him, but for the Seafulls to maintain an unwillingness to do business.

So be it. But Baleba’s head was turned by the thought of a move to Manchester, and the club’s interest isn’t going to have gone away, merely been shelved until the time comes when they can strike again.

Indeed, it’s already been suggested that United are preparing a January move for the Cameroonian prospect, who, aged only 21, has already established himself as one of the Premier League’s most exciting talents. It’s felt that a figure close to that which Chelsea paid for Moises Caicedo – £115m – would need to be forked out, so recouping finances from the wage bill would ease the cost and then some.

Should Casemiro be sold – for what would inevitably be a small fee – Man United’s wage bill would indeed reduce dramatically, and then a concerted transfer assault on the south coast could be mounted.

Casemiro and Fernandes celebrated together when the Brazilian put paid to Chelsea’s resistance and made it two-nil before 40 minutes at Old Trafford.

He still offers something, the 33-year-old, but Man United wanted to spend big on a new holding midfielder this summer, and are expected to go again in 2026.

Given the staggering pay packet Casemiro takes home each month, is there really any justification for his continuing presence in Amorim’s squad?

Better than Casemiro: Ten Hag sold "incredible" Man Utd star for just £9m

Manchester United must now regret offloading one talent given his rise away from Old Trafford.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 22, 2025

Lionel Messi acknowledged that Inter Miami’s defensive lapses proved costly in their 2024 MLS first-round playoff loss to Atlanta United. Reflecting on that setback, the Miami superstar said the team has made progress under first-year head coach Javier Mascherano, as Miami opened the 2025 MLS playoffs with victory over Nashville SC.

AFP'We must be better'

Messi said the issues that impacted Miami in last year’s upset loss to Atlanta were tied to an "irregular" defense.

"There were moments where the team competed at a very high level, but it's also true that we were irregular, defensively, where we conceded a lot of goals, and that's something we still are lacking," he told Apple TV on Wednesday. "We must be better in that area if we really want to win the MLS Cup."

The Herons shipped six goals across the two-game series against Atlanta, only scoring four.

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Miami showed defensive improvement against Nashville at home in game 1 last week at Chase Stadium, but they did concede a goal to Hany Mukhtar in the dying minutes. Messi noted that improvement, saying, "I think this season, like last year, we've grown a lot."

Getty Images SportAdjusting to MLS playoffs

Unlike Europe, where Messi spent 19 years, the MLS Cup isn't decided by league play. The playoffs determine the champion. Messi admitted he's getting used to that reality, which is otherwise common across American sports. 

"I think the playoffs are a completely different competition, where the games are different," he said. "The teams are much more careful and attentive to every detail as with any given situation you can be knocked out. But obviously we're prepared to fight and try to win it, what we all want."

In four MLS postseason appearances, Messi has three goals and two assists. 

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Getty Images SportAll eyes on MLS Cup

Messi says Miami have what it takes to win MLS Cup.

"Yes, obviously yes, we can. It's not going to be easy," he said. "We have the experience from last year when we finished first in the regular season and then got knocked out in the first round."

Hampshire thwarted by 215-run stand after making most of the running across four days

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 25-Jun-2025Tom Westley and Michael Pepper combined for a 215-run sixth-wicket partnership that frustrated Hampshire and ultimately saved Essex from suffering their third Rothesay County Championship defeat of the season.The pair came together at 131 for 5, still 26 runs short of making Hampshire bat again, and were not parted for nearly three-and-a-half hours. Slowly but surely they took the game out of the visitors’ grip that had looked strong after gaining a first-innings lead of 157. Pepper was the hare to Westley’s tortoise, but both batters clocked up contrasting centuries, Westley his 30th in red-ball cricket and Pepper his highest first-class score.When handshakes were exchanged to signal the draw at 4.50pm, the Essex captain had batted for all but 12 overs of the 119 Essex faced in their second innings. He had struggled for runs this summer but his unbeaten 322-ball 130, with 12 boundaries, showed a high level of self-discipline and application.While Westley had dug in doggedly, Pepper changed the tempo of the innings with some big-hitting before he was eventually dismissed for 140 from 154 balls, including 20 fours and a six. Pepper had also played a similar key role in partnership with Matt Critchley to help Essex secure an equally unlikely draw against Yorkshire last month.Hampshire spinner Liam Dawson added two early wickets in the morning to the pair he had in the bag overnight, but while whirling away for a marathon stint of 41 overs could not improve on figures of 4 for 82.Essex had started the day requiring 49 more runs to make Hampshire bat again – or remain all day at the crease to hang on for the draw with seven wickets in hand.Hampshire hopes were high when overnight batsman Critchley was undone by a delivery from Dawson that turned and caught him on the instep of his front leg. He had dug in for an hour and a half for his 19, and had earlier set the tone for the opening exchanges by finally claiming the first run of the day from the 29th ball.Westley was particularly watchful, adding just a single to his overnight 50 in the opening 51 minutes and 35 balls before he went on the backfoot and drive Eddie Jack for a boundary. His concentrations was such that he added just 20 runs from 65 balls in the morning session.First-innings centurion Charlie Allison was slightly more expansive with two fours in 31 balls before he pulled Dawson to short midwicket. That wicket fell at 11.59am; the next came at 4.30pm.A sweep off Dawson for four by Pepper eased the Essex total into the black. It was at that point Pepper put his foot on the gas. He took 15 from an over by James Fuller, including a big yahoo for six.Pepper then cut Jack for another boundary that brought up the fifty partnership with Westley in 11 overs, of which the wicketkeeper-batsman contributed 42. Pepper’s own half-century, reached with his eighth four, driven to long leg, took just 43 balls. The pair took another 13 overs to pass three-figures together.Westley’s strike-rate increased in the hour after lunch when he added the 30 runs he required to reach his century, realised with a lofted drive off Dawson for his 11th boundary.Pepper was not long in following suit, a thick edge off Jack racing away to the third-man boundary took him to second century of the season. It also brought up 150 runs scored between the pair in 40 overs.A contrast in the pace at which the two batters had scored was shown starkly when Pepper caught up with Westley when both had 108; Pepper had got there in 152 balls fewer.However, Pepper’s knock came to an end when he attempted to launch Tom Prest out of the ground but only found Kyle Abbott on the long-leg boundary.

Leeds United have been hit with an injury blow ahead of their clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road in the Premier League on Saturday.

Wales international Daniel James has suffered an ankle injury that is currently being assessed by the club, although they are hopeful that it will not be a long-term issue.

Journalist Graham Smyth claims that the forward is set for “weeks” on the sidelines, debunking some speculation on social media that he was due to be out for months with an ACL injury.

If James misses several weeks and games through injury with this ankle issue, Daniel Farke should avoid relying on Jack Harrison as an alternative to Brenden Aaronson on the right flank.

Why Jack Harrison should not replace Dan James

The left-footed attacker returned to Elland Road this summer after spending the previous two seasons on loan with Everton in the Premier League, and he has yet to fully win the fans back over.

Harrison has produced no goals, no key passes, no ‘big chances’ created, and no assists in five appearances in the top-flight for Leeds so far this term, per Sofascore, which shows that he has offered virtually nothing at the top end of the pitch.

That should not come as a surprise to many, though, because the former Manchester City academy prospect struggled badly in the final third for Everton in the 2024/25 campaign.

As you can see in the table above, Harrison managed one direct goal contribution in 2,088 minutes of football in the Premier League for the Toffees before his return to West Yorkshire.

This is why Farke should turn to U21 talent Connor Douglas to replace James in the squad whilst the Wales international is missing through injury.

Why Leeds should unleash Connor Douglas

The 19-year-old attacker is a versatile star who can play through the middle as a number ten or out on the right flank, which suggests that he could be a suitable alternative to Aaronson in the short-term, given that the American is a similarly versatile wide option.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Douglas’ form for Leeds at academy level suggests that he is an exciting young player who has the potential to make an impact at the top end of the pitch, after he scored in a 1-0 win over Norwich City’s U21s on Monday night.

The English winger has scored six goals and provided six assists in 36 appearances for the club at U21 level, as well as six goals and three assists in 27 matches for the U18 side, per Transfermarkt.

These statistics show that he can contribute with goals and assists from a wide position, something that Harrison has struggled to do, and that is why he should be given a chance to see what he can do at first-team level whilst James is out with an ankle injury.

Douglas was described as an “electric” forward who is a “joy to watch” by PureFootball writer Trent Gaffney, which also suggests that he could get supporters off their feet with his front-footed and direct play.

Fans may prefer to see a talented young forward given an opportunity to shine and showcase his exciting potential in James’ absence, instead of Harrison being given yet another chance after failing to impress in the last 13 months or so.

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Dan Emery

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That is why Farke must unleash Douglas as the replacement for James in the Premier League, for however many matches he misses, instead of just using Harrison.

The first hour or so of play on the opening day of the Galle Test belonged to Sri Lanka. But after that, it was all Bangladesh, as Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim struck centuries during an unbroken stand of 247, to seize control of day one.By stumps, Shanto was unbeaten on 136 and had Mushfiqur right behind him on 105 not out. Seamer Milan Rathnayake was the most economical of the Sri Lanka bowlers, his 12 overs going for just 19 runs, but the bulk of the overs were bowled by the spin pair of Prabath Jayasuriya and debutant Tharindu Rathnayake. The wickets were split between Asitha Fernando and debutant Tharindu, but once Shanto and Mushfiqur were set, Sri Lanka rarely caused them trouble.Winning the toss and opting to bat is usually the obvious call in Galle, but this time in particular, with conditions more favourable than usual for batters, Shanto was rightfully chuffed when the toss fell his way. That smile though, had become closer to a grimace when he stood at the non-striker’s end watching a third Bangladeshi batter fall with not even 50 on the board.When Mushfiqur walked out to join him, Shanto himself had faced just three deliveries; it took him only until his sixth though to show that he would not be cowed by the situation, skipping down the track and smoking one back over Tharindu’s head. That set the tone, if not outright aggression and displayed resolute confidence.Najmul Hossain Shanto celebrates his first Test century since November 2023•Associated Press

Tharindu had at that point been building up a head of steam. Mominul Haque had gone after him, but the ambidextrous spinner had the last laugh. And prior to that, he had removed opener Shadman Islam. Shanto though, made it a mission to put Tharindu off his rhythm; he would end the morning session having struck at better than run-a-ball against the spinner, and would continue to target him as a release valve of sorts throughout the day. Of Shanto’s 15 boundaries (14 fours and a six), ten came off Tharindu.Tharindu eventually settled in and brought down his economy rate, but Shanto and Mushfiqur continued steadily on, the run rate always hovering around 3-3.5 an over. The session counters reflected as much – 90, 92 and 110. The last session might have been less, after Sri Lanka began utilising defensive lines for the first hour, but they got tired in the final hour and it allowed Bangladesh to tick along at nearly four an over during that period.Considering the batter-friendly nature of the pitch, an argument could be made for Bangladesh perhaps having been able to go harder at the Sri Lankan bowlers, but even with the pitch taking less turn on day one than what it has in the past, the conventional wisdom in Galle has been to bat first and long, and Bangladesh are set up to do just that.Angelo Mathews receives a guard of honour in his final Test•AFP/Getty Images

Sri Lanka for most of the morning, would not have imagined proceedings ending up like this. The day had begun with a felicitation and a guard of honour for the retiring Angelo Mathews, and then just 4.3 overs into the day’s play, Asitha got one to seam away and catch Anamul Haque’s edge.Tharindu then added to the celebratory mood, grabbing two wickets in consecutive deliveries (across two overs), a dream start to his Test career. But then things took a turn with the experience of Shanto and Mushfiqur coming into play.Sri Lanka too were guilty of perhaps over-bowling the debutant when it was clear he was being targeted, while they could also have possibly refrained from pairing him with Milan, who was creating pressure at one end only for it to be alleviated at the other. For instance, it took until an hour after the lunch break for Jayasuriya to be reintroduced, and by that time, both batters had neared fifties.That said, both Shanto and Mushfiqur batted with clear purpose and it meant that when Sri Lanka erred, they were waiting and ready to capitalise.

'Give Erling Haaland the ball and he will score' had proved to be a pretty effective tactic for Manchester City over the previous two months, but Aston Villa have exposed its flaws. They found a way to blunt the Norwegian's edges on Sunday, ending Haaland's run of scoring in 12 matches in a row for club and country while also becoming the first team to keep a clean sheet against Pep Guardiola's side in nine games.

Villa are far from the only team to have noticed that stopping Haaland means stopping City this season, but they were the first ones to see their plan through. It should be said that Unai Emery's side were a touch fortunate, and on another day Haaland might have scored. However, Haaland instead fired straight at Emi Martinez when played in by Bernardo Silva before heading a late cross straight at the Argentine goalkeeper. He even managed to find the net at the death, clattering into the post in the process, but the goal was ruled out by a marginal offside against Omar Marmoush.

It was a reminder that, contrary to what you might think looking at the jaw-dropping runs of form throughout his career, Haaland does not actually score all the time and cannot be expected to either. And unless City come up with a contingency plan, they will not be able to win the title back.

• AFP
  

  'Put the ball in the net'

  Guardiola's diagnosis of the game was that City had not played badly and simply failed to take their chances: "It was just the finishing. Put the ball in the net. We made a more than good game, we were impressive. We played against a very good team. Sixteen shots [it was actually 18] not bad, in general a hard match, little details. The spirit in the side was really, really good. We (only) missed the last action to shoot better, to cross better."

  Villa boss Emery, meanwhile, said his team "needed everything to stop him" when asked how they had nullified Haaland. The coach took a physical approach, adding more height in midfield with Amadou Onana alongside Boubacar Kamara while encouraging his centre-backs Ezri Konza and Pau Torres to double up on the Norwegian, who had just four touches in the hosts' box. 

  It's an approach many managers have taken before, only for City's other stars to capitalise on the extra space. But that did not happen on Sunday.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Argument doesn't add up

  Half of City's 18 attempts on goal were blocked by Villa's stubborn defence. Of the nine attempts that made it towards goal, Haaland had three of them, getting all of them on target.

  Josko Gvardiol and Tijjani Reijnders both missed the target twice while Matheus Nunes also had a stray shot, and the only other player to actually test Martinez in addition to Haaland was Savinho. Bernardo Silva and Oscar Bobb had zero attempts and so too did Jeremy Doku, who got more than half an hour from the bench.

  So if Guardiola felt the only problem was his team not putting the ball in the net, then only Haaland and Savinho were to blame. That seems unfair, and instead the coach needs to ensure that other players are also taking on the burden of scoring.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Lack of support

  The trend of leaving it to Haaland did not begin at Villa Park. When Bernardo scored City's second goal against Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday, he interrupted a run of eight consecutive goals that had been scored by Haaland. 

  The last player other than Haaland to score for City in the league was Burnley's Maxime Esteve one month ago. That leads us to an awkward fact about City's leading scorer behind Haaland in league games: It's Esteve, who scored two own goals when City blitzed the Clarets 5-1. 

  While Haaland has a chart-topping 11 goals in the Premier League, only four of his team-mates have managed to score at all. Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, Reijnders and Nunes are the lucky ones to have found the net while neither of the team's two main wide forwards, Savinho and Doku, have hit the mark. 

  Foden and Doku, meanwhile, are the only players aside from Haaland to have scored in City's three Champions League fixtures to date.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Shadow of treble team

  Haaland outscoring his team-mates to a large degree is not a new phenomenon. In his first season at City, he scored a record-breaking 36 Premier League goals and a frankly ridiculous 52 in all competitions. But despite that being his most brutal campaign to date, he was not doing it all alone. In fact, City won the treble because all the other big hitters also had rip-roaring campaigns. 

  Six other players scored at least five goals in the league, with Foden notching 11 and Julian Alvarez nine. Ilkay Gundogan got eight and Kevin De Bruyne seven, as well as a bucket load of assists. Haaland drew blanks in the FA and Champions League finals but City still took home the trophies thanks to Gundogan and Rodri scoring at Wembley and the Ataturk Stadium, respectively.

  When City won a fourth consecutive title the following season, Haaland's team-mates further reduced the burden on him. His 28 goals were still enough to land him a second Golden Boot, but Foden stepped up with 19 strikes, Alvarez got 11 and even Rodri, ostensibly a holding midfielder, got eight. Opponents knew that if Haaland didn't get them, then someone else would.

Chelsea hasn’t always been viewed as the perfect environment for youngsters to thrive in.

Indeed, both Jamal Musiala and Declan Rice spring to mind as notable examples here, with both world-class players once part of the Blues academy set-up as wide-eyed starlets, before having to make an unbelievable name for themselves away from the stifling nature of Cobham.

Thankfully, this negative image the Premier League giants once had attached to them seems to be changing in real time, with Estevao arguably a Musiala-style talent in the making for Enzo Maresca right now.

Estevao's blistering form since moving to Chelsea

It had been a long time coming for the Brazilian to announce himself in West London.

Indeed, way back in the summer of 2024, Chelsea unveiled that they had forked out an initial £29m to land the hotly-tipped 18-year-old, with suggestions even coming from scout Jacek Kulig – despite Estevao still being just a teenager at Palmeiras – that he was a “world-class” prospect.

Kulig’s comments don’t look so far-fetched now, with Estevao going to become the youngest Brazilian to ever score a winning goal in the Premier League when he was in the right place, at the right time, to break Liverpool hearts, just before the international break.

He hasn’t downed tools over the break, either, with a quickfire brace against South Korea, handing his nation a comprehensive 5-0 win.

Having averaged just 44 minutes of Premier League action this season from four starts, the 18-year-old ace will surely be hunting for more consistent moments in the Blues senior mix moving forward.

He looks every bit a phenomenal player in the making and more top-drawer performances are likely to make him a guaranteed starter for Maresca, even when Cole Palmer returns.

Estevao isn’t the only rising gem Chelsea has smartly acquired, though.

Indeed, Geovany Quenda is set to be the next hyped up youngster to move to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2026, having amazingly scored in the Champions League this campaign for Sporting at just 18 years of age.

Yet, Quenda and Estevao must watch out. Chelsea’s pool of young attackers extends beyond them.

Chelsea have another "future Ballon d'Or winner"

Quenda will be hopeful that he can instantly make waves in the Chelsea first-team, like his South American counterpart, considering he already has four goals and 12 assists next to his name in the senior mix in Portugal.

But, there is another youngster being spoken about with great regularity and that’s breakout striker Dastan Satpaev.

While Quenda will likely be a name that rings a bell to the average football supporter, the five-time Kazakhstan international’s insane journey with Kairat Almaty might not be so well known.

But, with a ridiculous 45 strikes across all age groups at the Premier Liga side – who are even in the Champions League this season – Chelsea swooped in to capture him in February, with Satpaev set to remain in his native country until he turns 18.

Games played

74

Age

17

Goals scored

45

Assists

18

Champions League appearances

9

Maresca and Co will just be praying that Satpaev can keep up this electric form for the time he remains in Kazakhstan, with Estevao going on to bag a whopping 12 goals for Palmeiras earlier this year, before coming over to England looking calm ahead of the pressures of attempting to cut it in the Premier League.

Much like Estevao, who has been tipped to reach dizzy heights already with his world-class shouts, Satpaev has also been boldly declared as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by one analyst, off the back of his frightening record for Kairat.

Of course, the Premier League is a different beast altogether from what the teenager is currently used to.

But, his soon-to-be teammate at Chelsea is yet to look fazed by the challenge ahead of him after maturing more at his boyhood club, with Satpaev desperate to follow in his esteemed footsteps when he takes that next scary leap.

Chelsea may sell Disasi to make room for "monstrous" £80m star who Maresca loves

The Blues have set their sights on a new centre-back, which means Axel Disasi could be axed.

ByDominic Lund Oct 13, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O confronto do Botafogo com o Goiás, pela vigésima-quinta rodada do Brasileirão, foi precedido por um momento de reverência. Nesta segunda-feira (2), jogadores campeões da Copa Conmebol de 1993 pelo Alvinegro subiram ao gramado do Estádio Nilton Santos e participaram de uma homenagem pelos 30 anos da principal conquista internacional do clube.

Os atletas de 1993 chegaram pela pista de atletismo do Niltão e, próximos da torcida, comemoraram a conquista. Após dar uma volta olímpica pelo estádio, o grupo recebeu uma reverência. Todos ergueram uma répica da taça.

+ 30 anos da Copa Conmebol: campeões recordam força do Botafogo para conquistar principal título internacional do clube

Atual vice-presisdente associativo do Botafogo, Vinícius Assumpção entregou uma placa comemorativa a cada atleta que esteve no Nilton Santos.

Enquanto os campeões alvinegros passavam, jogadores de Botafogo e Goiás faziam aquecimento para a partida.

يستعد فريق برشلونة الإسباني لمواجهة كلوب بروج في مواجهات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، بعدما خاض مواجهة أمام إلتشي في الدوري الإسباني، ويغيب عنه حارس مرماه خوان جارسيا.

وتغلب برشلونة على إلتشي بثلاثية لهدف، أمس الأحد، ضمن مباريات الجولة الحادية عشر للدوري الإسباني.

ويخوض برشلونة مباراة مساء الأربعاء أمام كلوب بروج، ضمن مباريات مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا موسم 2025-2026.

وأشارت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية إلى أنه في برشلونة لا يجد أي ضرورة في استعجال عودة خوان جارسيا للمشاركة مع الفريق.

اقرأ أيضًا | لامين يامال يسجل رقمًا قياسيًا بعد اختياره ضمن التشكيل المثالي لعام 2025

وغاب خوان جارسيا عن آخر 7 مباريات لبرشلونة بسبب الإصابة، ويواصل عملية تعافيه من أجل العودة للمشاركة بصورة طبيعية مع الفريق الكتالوني.

وأوضح فليك أن جارسيا لن يكون متاحًا لمباراة دوري أبطال أوروبا ضد كلوب بروج، وبحسب ما ذكر التقرير، من المتوقع عودته بعد فترة التوقف الدولي.

وتعمل إدارة برشلونة على التعامل مع جارسيا بحذر تجنبًا لأي انتكاسة وحتى يعود للمشاركة بصورة طبيعية مع الفريق.

Turning into quite the saga, Rangers have now reportedly launched a move to sign another fresh managerial candidate as they look to find their replacement for Russell Martin.

Latest on Rangers' manager search

It’s been a hectic few days for those at Ibrox, who have gone from Steven Gerrard all the way back to the drawing board. By this stage of the international break, the Gers would have been hoping to have their new manager signed and sealed, but their top candidate quickly spoiled those plans. With their next game against Dundee United on the horizon, Rangers are set to be manager-less.

That’s not to say work isn’t being done in pursuit of certain candidates, however, and Kevin Muscat is one of the favourites. The 52-year-old, who has won everywhere he’s been, is currently in charge of Shanghai Port but could ditch the Chinese club in favour of Rangers when the Chinese Super League campaign concludes in mid-November.

Whether the 49ers deem Muscat worth the wait remains to be seen. Of course, if the answer is a resounding no, then they will have to look elsewhere entirely after Danny Rohl removed himself from the running.

The 36-year-old wasn’t the most inexperienced name on the list, but was admired by many for the promise that he has after a successful spell in the chaos surrounding Sheffield Wednesday.

Fabrizio Romano shares what he's heard from Rangers on new "leading candidate"

The Gers have identified a new favourite for the job.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 15, 2025

So much so that current Owls star Barry Bannan recently told reporters when asked about his former manager: “If he’s appointed, I definitely think he’ll go in there and get results right away. For me, he’s up there with the very best I’ve worked with during my career.”

Once again though, it’s not an appointment that would come without question marks and if the 49ers really want to avoid more controversy, then they should turn towards a former Premier League manager.

Rangers launch Ole Gunnar Solskjaer move

As reported by Fotboll Direkt and relayed by Sports Witness, Rangers have now launched their move for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is still a free agent after leaving Besiktas in August. The two-time Eliteserien title winner and former Manchester United boss has reportedly received contact from the Gers and now has a decision to make.

Whilst some may look back on his time at Old Trafford as a failure, Solskjaer is still a manager who showed plenty of promise as a winner at Molde and when asked to steady the ship at United. Whether he’d do the same at Ibrox is something that the 49ers may find out.

Many have had their say about what Solskjaer should do next as a result, including ex-Man United player Nicky Butt, who advised him not to take the Old Trafford job if INEOS sack Ruben Amorim.

After being sacked by Besiktas, the next stage of the 52-year-old’s manager career could be his most important one yet. Fail and he may fall into the abyss of free agent managers. Succeed at Ibrox, however, and he could be a legend.