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Chelsea secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup following an extra-time victory over Benfica at the weekend.

Reece James looked like he had powered the Blues into the next round, but a penalty from Ángel Di María sent the clash into an extra 30 minutes.

The game was suspended for a couple of hours, just minutes from the final whistle, due to a storm threat, but Chelsea finally won the clash 4-1.

It may have taken 4 hours and 39 minutes, but Enzo Maresca’s side now face off against PSG for a spot in the semi-final.

Despite the focus being on the tournament and progressing as far as possible, the manager is still keen on bolstering his squad via the transfer market.

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ByCharlie Smith Jun 13, 2025

Reports coming from the Athletic claim that the Blues have reached an agreement with Brighton and Hove Albion regarding a move for Joao Pedro.

The proposed deal looks set to be in excess of £50m and the Brazilian has agreed personal terms with the club.

With a medical booked in early for next week, it appears as though Maresca is closing in on signing another key target. Just what will Pedro offer the Blues?

Why Chelsea want to sign Joao Pedro

Maresca is looking to sell both Christopher Nkunku and João Félix this summer, with both players struggling for regular gametime last season.

Nkunku may have scored against Benfica, but with clubs such as Manchester United showing some interest in the Frenchman, it looks as though he might be sold.

Felix played just 20 times for Maresca last season, scoring seven times, but the Portuguese star spent the second half of the campaign out on loan at AC Milan.

Pedro’s arrival suggests one, or perhaps both, will soon be departing Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Brighton star is versatile, being able to operate as a centre-forward, second striker or even out wide on the left flank.

Last term, he typically operated in an advanced role centrally, scoring ten goals for the Seagulls and registering seven assists, proving he is adept in front of goal and at creating opportunities for his teammates.

Such were his performances, the 23-year-old ranks highly among his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues.

Indeed, not only does the forward rank in the top 12% for assists (0.28) per 90, but he also ranks in the top 10% for shot-creating actions (3.33) and successful take-ons (1.34) per 90.

Furthermore, Pedro’s ability to get the ball into dangerous areas is evidenced by the fact he ranks in the top 4% for progressive passes (3.6) and in the top 3% for progressive carries (3.05) per 90, indicating that he will offer a lot of attacking qualities for the Blues next term.

It won’t be the only area of the squad that the Italian will be keen on strengthening, however, especially with the added demands of Champions League football next term.

As such, it’s certainly worth Chelsea bringing in a defender or two this summer.

Chelsea's search for a defender

Last season, the club conceded a total of 59 goals across all competitions from 57 matches, and this record will be something Maresca aims to improve next term.

Over the same period, Chelsea scored 120 goals. This suggests that bolstering the defence is surely a bigger priority than adding to the forward line, notably Joao Pedro.

It looks as though the Blues are keen on a defender who played against them just last weekend – Antonio Silva.

Journalist Simon Phillips stated via his Substack that the Blues have been impressed with the youngster, saying:

“Chelsea have tried and made approaches and checks on a number of potential new centre back names this summer so far and still have more to look at and in to. Chelsea have been scouting Antonio Silva of Benfica all season and already have him added to our transfer shortlist alongside his team mate, Tomas Araujo.

“But Chelsea are looking for an out and out centre back and attentions have again turned to the 21-year-old Portuguese international who has just two-years remaining on his contract.”

The centre-back is valued at €32m (£27m) according to Transfermarkt, but Benfica will be looking for a much higher fee than that to sanction a sale considering his release clause stands at around £87m.

Given their defensive issues last term, Silva would be a better signing than Pedro, that’s for sure.

Why Chelsea must sign Antonio Silva

The 21-year-old played over 40 times last season, including all four games at the Club World Cup for Benfica.

At the tournament, Silva averaged a 92% pass success rate, while winning a staggering 80% of his total duels contested, made 2.3 tackles per game and lost possession just 4.3 times per match in the States.

These performances have attracted plenty of attention, and there is no doubt that Silva is only going to get better and better.

Accurate passes

52.3

Tackles

1.5

Total duels won

4.5

Possession lost

7.7

Clearances

4.3

Balls recovered

4

After he burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old with a goal against Juventus in the Champions League back in 2022, Jamie Carragher claimed the defender was “going to be a superstar” and his upwards trajectory certainly suggests so.

When compared to his peers in the Champions League last season, Silva ranked in the top 1% for clearances (7.7) per 90, while also ranking in the top 16% for aerials won (2.36) and in the top 9% for touches in the defensive penalty area (12.91) per 90.

An impressive array of statistics indeed, and considering his ceiling is extraordinarily high, Maresca must make signing Silva a key priority this summer.

Pedro will certainly add plenty of dynamism to the club’s attacking department, but it is at the heart of the defence where the real improvements are required given the problems Maresca’s men suffered last term.

As such, spending whatever it takes to bring Silva from Benfica to the Premier League must be the next move BlueCo are planning.

If he lands his signature, Silva will almost certainly be a better signing than Pedro.

Chelsea considering "incredible" Club World Cup star after scouting mission

The Blues have added him to their list of targets…

BySean Markus Clifford Jun 30, 2025

Everyone loves an away day; it's such a quintessential part of football culture, going away with your mates or family and following your team up and down the country, come rain or shine.

However, as great as they are, there is something better: a European away day.

Only some of us are lucky enough to support a club that we can follow onto the continent, but when we do, it can be the highlight of the entire season. As with these trips, It's not just about the football.

Read More: The top 10 away days in the Premier League

With that in mind, Football FanCast has created a list of the top ten European away days based on the football and the destination.

10 Benfica – Lisbon

Kicking off our list is an away day to Portugal's most successful clubs and one of its nicest cities, Lisbon's SL Benfica.

The Eagles have won 38 domestic titles – the most of any team in the country – and boasts a massive and very vocal support, who can create quite the atmosphere for European games.

The city is also one of the best places to spend a weekend away, with stunning architecture, lovely weather and plenty of history and culture to get stuck into.

Lisbon is actually the oldest city in Western Europe, being founded centuries before London.

Prices aren't too bad in the city either as it comes in at 36 on the list of most expensive European cities.

9 Galatasaray – Istanbul

From the most westerly club on our list, the one furthest east: Istanbul's Galatasaray.

Gala are one of the biggest clubs in world football, so it shouldn't be surprising to learn that they are Turkey's most successful side, winning 22 Turkish Super Ligs, the most of any team in the country.

One of the biggest pluses of an away day against Gala is witnessing the stadium's intense atmosphere. Many of the teams on this list will have impressive atmospheres, but none quite reach the level found in the Ali Sami Yen Stadium.

The other benefit to this away day is the chance to explore Istanbul. The city is one of the most historically important anywhere in the world, and you can't move for significant cultural and historical sights.

Interestingly, half the city is in Europe and the other half is in Asia and this is one of the pressure points that adds even more drama to the derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, as the latter is in the European side and the former on the other.

The most famous sight in the city and one you can't leave without seeing, is the Hagia Sophia Mosque, which was completed in 537 AD.

8 Bayern Munich – Munich

Our first German club on the list, and if you're a beer aficionado, then this is the away day for you.

We're, of course, talking about Bayern Munich.

Now, from a purely footballing perspective, this is an obvious inclusion on the list as Bayern play some of the most entertaining football on the continent, they have the England captain up top, and their stadium is mightily impressive. There's nothing not to like.

However, Munich has quite a lot to offer away from the football.

If you're heading there from late September to early October, you can't miss Oktoberfest. The annual event sees one of the biggest beer festivals overtake the city, alongside a food and wine festival for those not keen on the wheaty stuff.

Aside from the food and drink, there is plenty of history to see in the city, and the surrounding mountains provide plenty of opportunities to explore nature.

Prices in Munich are relatively average, with the city coming in as the 21st most expensive in Europe.

7 Borussia Dortmund – Dortmund

There are some things that every football fan should see at one point in their life, and one of those things is Borussia Dortmund's world-famous Yellow Wall.

Dortmund are the second German club on this list, and while the attraction of Munich was partly the football and partly the destination, an away day to Dortmund is all about the football.

The club have always prided itself on playing attractive football regardless of the opposition, and while that hasn't always resulted in the best outcomes for the team, it has meant that fans are always entertained.

Pair the football with the genuinely fantastic tifos and fanfare from the almost 25,000 Yellow Wall, and you're guaranteed a great trip, regardless of how your team gets on.

Another plus to a trip here is that your money will go a little further than in Munich, with Dortmund coming in as the 46th most expensive city on the continent.

6 Paris Saint-Germain – Paris

One of the quintessential European capitals, no list of continental away days is truly complete without the addition of Paris.

Now say what you want about the City of Lights – and people have – it's undeniably the place to be for history and culture buffs.

You can hardly walk ten meters without finding another museum, so much so that Paris officially has the most museums out of any city in the world.

The football isn't bad, either.

Granted, the departure of Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr over the summer has somewhat reduced the appeal of watching Paris Saint-Germain play, but it's still a privilege to watch Kylian Mbappe do his thing live.

One of the only downsides of a trip to Paris is the cost, with it coming in as Europe's ninth most expensive city.

5 Ajax – Amsterdam

One of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Amsterdam more than delivers on both a footballing and sightseeing front.

Ajax might not be the powerhouse they were in your dad's day – and they're practically imploding at the moment – but in an average year, they still play some beautiful football, and hey, this is a game that a lot of English clubs would fancy themselves in, so there's that.

Away from the football, the city has something for everyone.

Love art and culture? Go to the Rijksmuseum and look at some fantastic works from Rembrandt.

Want to try some new food? Explore some of the 2,293 restaurants the city has to offer. And, of course, there's the nightlife as well.

Really, the only downside is that Amsterdam comes in as the tenth most expensive city in Europe.

4 AC Milan/Inter – Milan

When it comes to iconic football stadiums, there really aren't many better than Milan's San Siro, home to both AC Milan and Inter, so both clubs make it onto our list.

After a decade of mediocrity, the Rossoneri are back to playing exciting football and winning titles, as are the Nerazzuri.

Milan is a dream for architecture fans, with sights like the Duomo easily accessible on any given day. Similarly to Paris, the Italian city is chockfull of museums to get lost in.

That said, the main attraction of this trip has to be the San Siro, so it would be well worth booking a tour of the stunning ground and its iconic spiral walkways.

As the 20th most expensive city in Europe, prices are neither here nor there.

3 Union Berlin – Berlin

Our third and final German city to make the list – we promise – is the capital, Berlin.

Until fairly recently, the biggest club in the city was Hertha Berlin. However, with their relegation last season and Union Berlin's rapid ascension to Champions League football in recent years, it's hard not to describe the latter as the city's new 'biggest side.'

UEFA has forced the club to use the city's Olympiastadion for European games, and while that has understandably upset the fans, it did lead to an awe-inspiring spectacle when they hosted Braga earlier this season. The 74,000-strong crowd created an unbelievable atmosphere and made their European matches a must-attend for fans of the game.

Away from the football, though, Berlin also happens to be one of the best places to spend a weekend away. The sheer size of the place means that there really is something for everyone.

History buffs will find something interesting around every corner, given the last century of change that the place has experienced and for party animals, there might not be a better city in all of Europe.

The city is quite expensive, but at number 14 on the list, it's not too bad.

2 Real Madrid – Madrid

Real Madrid are the biggest football club in the world, the most successful Champions League side ever and are based in the capital city of Spain; we couldn't do an away days list without including Los Blancos.

The main attraction of this trip will undoubtedly be the match itself, as the opportunity to watch Real at the Santiago Bernabeu is truly a bucket list item. The view from inside the stadium is outstanding, while the less said about the new outside facade the better.

While Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale are all gone, the opportunity to see Jude Bellingham swanning about the pitch like a prime Zinedine Zidane is reason enough to get a ticket.

Besides the football, there is plenty to eat and drink with the city boasting over 6,000 individual restaurants, and with the weather, you'll likely be able to enjoy your meal al fresco.

Your pocket money will go further here than at home, with Madrid coming in as Europe's 39th most expensive city.

1 Roma – Rome

Here we are then, the number one European away day on our list, and while every trip on this list is fantastic, we happen to think that going to Rome to watch Roma is the best one of them all.

Now, Roma clearly aren't a bigger club than, say, Real Madrid or AC Milan, and they probably don't play better football than Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund, but that doesn't matter.

When you watch a Champions League, Europa League, or even a Conference League game at the Stadio Olimpico, very few places are quite like it.

The singing before the game starts, the drums that go for the full 90, and the sea of waving flags all make for a genuinely memorable experience and one that doesn't quite translate through the television for whatever reason.

However, even if the football was rubbish, the city of Rome adds so much more to this trip, and for lovers of history and culture, there probably isn't a better destination on this list.

The Colosseum, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, the Forum, the Spanish Steps, and many other historical landmarks are all within the same city.

And to round it all off, the weather is usually beautiful, the food is fantastic, and it's all pretty affordable.

Honestly, what's not to love?

On the same ground where England plundered the previous record England thrashed 21 sixes and 41 fours in becoming the first side to reach 450 in ODI history

The Report by George Dobell19-Jun-20180:42

‘Very proud day for us as a group’ – Morgan

England 481 for 6 (Hales 147, Bairstow 139) beat Australia 239 (Rashid 4-47, Moeen 3-28) by 242 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEngland thrashed the highest score in the history of ODI cricket to set up the most crushing defeat – in terms of runs – ever inflicted upon Australia.On the same Trent Bridge ground where they plundered the previous record – 444 for 3 against Pakistan in August 2016 in the most recent completed ODI on the ground – England thrashed 21 sixes and 41 fours in becoming the first side to reach 450 in ODI history. Only once in the 56-year history of List A cricket – when Surrey scored 496 for 4 against Gloucestershire at The Oval in 2007 – has any side scored more.The result means England have taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Australia have now lost five ODI series in succession and eight of their last nine ODIs against England. Indeed, they have won only two of their last 16 ODIs against all opponents. It is the first time England have won back-to-back ODI series against Australia since 1986-87 and, with two games to go, they now have a chance to complete their first 5-0 whitewash over them. They won 4-0 in 2012 with one game abandoned due to poor weather.The foundation of England’s total was high-class centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales and the quickest half-century in their ODI history from Eoin Morgan. For Bairstow, in magnificent form, it was his fourth ODI century in six innings and his sixth in 19 since his recall less than a year ago. He now has the highest batting average – 65.76 – of any man to open in ODI cricket on more than 10 occasions. The fact he is one of only two men in the top 50 of that list with a strike-rate in excess of 100 (his is 114.19) demonstrates how well he is batting. The fact that the other is his opening partner, Jason Roy, demonstrates how the game has developed and how England have been at the vanguard of that change.The pair combined perfectly here. With Roy murderous against the short ball – he played a hook in the opening overs that travelled far enough to require a visa – and Bairstow in the sort of form that makes a length delivery an opportunity to drive or pull, they posted an opening stand of 159 in 19.3 overs; the 10th highest opening partnership against Australia in ODI history.There were a couple of nervous moments. Australia called for a review when they thought they detected an inside edge on one from Stanlake that nipped back at Roy (replays showed the ball brushed his trousers), while Bairstow was dropped on 30 by Marcus Stoinis running back from mid-off and reprieved on review having been given out leg before attempting to sweep Ashton Agar.Those moments apart, this was one-way traffic. On the sort of pitch that most batsmen would like to whisk to Paris for the weekend – and most bowlers would like to never see again – England gorged and feasted on runs until they dripped down their chins.Hales soon dispelled any thought that the wicket of Roy – attempting an unwise second run – would ease Australia’s pain. A day after he had admitted – quite rightly – that he was likely to be the man to make way once Ben Stokes returned, he provided a strong case for his retention with a 62-ball century; the sixth-fastest in England’s history, all of which have come since the 2015 World Cup. Back on his home ground – the ground where he thrashed 171 against Pakistan in 2016 – he showed tremendous power but also nice placement and shot selection. Nearly two-thirds of his runs were heaved through – or over – the leg side.It looked, for a while, as if England might reach 500. Despite losing Bairstow, heaving down the throat of deep midwicket, and Jos Buttler, deceived by a slower ball, Morgan thrashed a 21-ball half-century. Having recovered from the back spasm that kept him out of the Cardiff match, Morgan not only recorded the quickest fifty in England’s ODI history but passed Ian Bell’s record to become England’s most prolific ODI run-scorer in the process.While Australia tried just about everything in the field – going round the wicket, bowling short, bowling full, even trying eight bowlers – none of it made much difference. AJ Tye, who became just the 11th man to concede 100 in an ODI innings and just the fourth to do so in fewer than 10 overs, had the ugliest figures but this was a day all of them will wake up screaming about in years to come.Australia’s reply started well enough. D’Arcy Short carved David Willey’s first ball for six and his second for four, while Travis Head brushed off a painful blow from a Mark Wood bouncer (Wood exceeded 91 mph in that first spell) to help Australia keep up with the rate for the first 12 overs.But that target – that vast target – required endless risk-taking. And after Short chipped one to mid-on, Head poked a return catch to Moeen Ali and Shaun Marsh lofted to long-on. Aaron Finch, attempting to repeat a six clobbered over long-on, was deceived by one nicely held back by Adil Rashid (Finch, moved into the middle-order to combat spin, has been dismissed by it three times in 13 balls this series) and Marcus Stoinis attempted an unwise second to Bairstow’s arm in the deep. By the time Glenn Maxwell was brilliantly caught at long-on by a leaping Liam Plunkett, it was clear this was to be a rout. Never had England won by such a large run margin in ODI cricket. England’s spinners – a key point of difference between the sides in this series – finished with seven wickets between them.Are such conditions – white balls offering little lateral movement and surfaces offering certainty of pace and carry – good for the game? The debate will continue. Certainly there were aspects of this match – mostly some outrageous hitting – that created an entertaining and memorable spectacle. And there is no doubt that the groundstaff at Trent Bridge have produced exactly what was asked of them. We can expect more of this – and not just at Trent Bridge – during next year’s World Cup.There is, though, an inflationary aspect to boundaries. At some stage, they begin to lose just a little of their novelty and, perhaps, appeal. Suffice to say, all pretence of maintaining a balance between bat and ball disappears in such circumstances. Bowlers compete in much the same way a clay pigeon does when someone goes shooting. It was a remarkable day’s cricket, but you wouldn’t want every day to be like this.There are a couple more caveats, too. This Australia attack, missing at least three first-choice seamers as it is, is not the strongest and the relatively short boundaries meant that, a couple of times, top-edges carried for sixes. On Australian grounds they may have gone to hand.But there have been weaker attacks and shorter boundaries. This was still an incredible effort from a remarkable England batting line-up that is playing wonderfully fearless, innovative and powerful cricket. As this series has progressed, it has become hard to fathom how roles have reversed since the 2015 World Cup when one of these sides lifted the trophy and the other was humiliated. It will amount to little until England do it in a global tournament but you can be sure that no side – and certainly no bowling attack – will relish facing them in conditions like this.

After 79 ICL players decided to withdraw, it has become obvious that the league, in its original avatar, is no more

Ajay S Shankar02-Jun-2009It is a question that has been snapping at their heels ever since the momentous launch in Mumbai two years ago. And now, it’s a question they can no longer run away from. Will the ICL survive? Tony Greig, the face and voice of the private venture, says the battle is not over; Himanshu Mody, the brain behind it, says the league will emerge stronger. But after 79 of its Indian cricketers decided over the last month that they don’t want to be tagged as rebels any longer, it has become obvious that the Indian Cricket League, in its original avatar, is no more.Of course, cricket might still spring back to life under the ICL banner, possibly this October. But that would, at best, be a diluted version of what was once hailed as a revolution in world cricket. For now though, it looks like it will be a long haul back, if at all.What are the options?
ICL officials say that the current exodus of players is part of a larger plan where they will first trim the losses – running costs, including a wage bill that runs into millions of rupees – and then start with a clean slate. They say that they still have around 40-odd players on the rolls and can recruit new talent whenever they need to. In the meantime, they are hoping that the economic recession will let up, and that they will also succeed in getting the courts in London to force the ICC into granting the ICL recognition, citing restrictive-trade-practice clauses, as it happened in the famous Kerry Packer-versus-the-establishment tussle in the 1970s. Such an outcome, they claim, will lead to two things: sponsors will be back with money, and the players will only be happy to sign up for the official version.But for now this is just a scenario. The reality is that the official IPL, and the BCCI’s sponsors, are mopping up whatever money is left in the market; and the players are now wary of signing up for a league that will shut them out of all official cricket, thanks to the BCCI’s all-pervading ban. In fact, in the middle of the last ICL season, a senior player revealed the trauma and frustration he was going through, after even his local college refused to let him use net facilities. As for the players who are still with the ICL, only a handful are Indian; the rest are foreign players, most of whom, as Greig admitted, have retired from international cricket and so are driven by a “different motivation”.What went wrong?
The ICL claimed that their mission was to promote domestic Indian talent, and they did succeed to an extent, at least in shining the spotlight on talented players like like R Sathish, G Vignesh and Alfred Absolem, who may have slipped under the radar otherwise. But overall, the league’s cricket was inconsistent, and the foreign players failed to sparkle – Brian Lara, their biggest signing, failed to even turn up after a season. They were unable to sustain the initial buzz, having struggled with sparse crowds in the first season, and found comfort later only in Ahmedabad, a cricket-crazy city that was kept out of the IPL loop. Besides, the league, which was launched with a projected three-year budget of Rs 100 crore (US$ 21 million approximately), struggled to evolve a profit-making model.Then again, within months of the ICL’s launch, the IPL swept through cricket, with the full backing of the powerful BCCI and their sponsors, drowning whatever hopes the ICL may have had of carving a niche for itself in the business of Twenty20 cricket. More than anything else, it was the vindictive attitude of the BCCI that finally broke the ICL’s back. Players were banned, and the dues they were officially entitled to from the BCCI were kept on hold; sponsors were aggressively persuaded to stay away; and the ICC network was used to ensure that other national boards shut their doors on their ICL players. Not only did the Indian board ignore worldwide protests against their aggressive and monopolistic crackdown, they also pushed the ICC’s board to refuse recognition to the ICL, leaving the world body vulnerable to a legal challenge.The BCCI even led David Morgan, the ICC president, to believe that the issue could be sorted out amicably but ended up having two “compromise meetings” with the ICL that yielded nothing. The BCCI’s offer? Shut down the ICL and take up an IPL franchise instead, or similar variations, including a suggestion that the ICL operate as a veterans’ league. The ICL, not surprisingly, rejected these offers.Walking back into their state Ranji teams may not be so easy for many•ESPNcricinfo LtdWhat does this mean for the players?
Some of the ex-ICL players that Cricinfo spoke to were confident that they would be selected to play for their states again. This could be true for established players like Bengal’s Deep Dasgupta and Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Hyderabad’s Ambati Rayudu and Uttar Pradesh’s Shalabh Srivastava. But it may not be such an easy road for others. Some state officials are still seething at the way these players walked out on them two years ago – the Hyderabad Ranji team was almost wiped out. Return tickets, obviously, will be at a premium. Besides, as one state association official asked: what will they do with the players who stepped up to fill the breach two years ago?Then there’s the IPL. The BCCI initially said that those who returned from the ICL would be eligible to play domestic cricket immediately (the IPL is a domestic event), but seems to have developed second thoughts since. They have clarified that the norms for IPL eligibility will be revealed later, and suggested that they may apply a year’s cooling-off period on these players before they are let into the official league. But according to some ICL players who have returned, the event that they are really hoping to be a part of is the BCCI’s soon-to-be-launched inter-corporate tournament, to be conducted in 50-over and Twenty20 formats – the winners will take home Rs 1 crore (US$ 213,000 approximately), and the runners-up half that amount.The word on the street
Naturally, the ICL’s willingness to release their players without much fuss, and the BCCI’s open welcome, have led to intense speculation in Indian cricket circles. An ICL official privately suggested that these moves are part of a compromise that could see Zee TV, ICL’s parent company, get a share of the official broadcasting pie when the BCCI’s TV rights come up for renewal next year. Zee TV is currently blacklisted by the Indian board, and one of the reasons why Subhash Chandra, the owner of Zee, started the ICL was that he was denied the opportunity to broadcast India matches in 2004, which led to a long-drawn legal battle with the BCCI. Incidentally, Chandra also shares a good personal rapport with Sharad Pawar, the former BCCI president, who still has the final say in Indian cricket matters.The buzz doing the rounds among ICL players, meanwhile, is that they will be part of an IPL auction now, with a cap of US$ 50,000 per player. But, of course, all these suggestions have been dismissed as “wild speculation” by BCCI officials who claim that the ICL is simply crumbling under its own financial burden.

A look at the far-reaching life of Learie Constantine, which successfully captures his extraordinary achievements

David Conn23-May-2009

The premise of this illuminating biography is to revive appreciation of Learie Constantine, the original West Indies cricket icon and pioneer in so many fields that he seems to have packed four lives into the one he was born into, in Trinidad in 1901. Readable, well-researched, admiring but not wholly uncritical, the book achieves its purpose, bringing to vivid life a remarkable man and period of history.Constantine’s journey was epic. The grandson of a slave in racially segregated Trinidad, Constantine bowled, batted and most notably fielded his “panther-like” way to a distinctively West Indian cricketing style. He fought endemic English racism, became a writer and broadcaster, was a key political figure in Trinidad’s 1962 independence, becoming the first black man in the House of Lords, his national-treasure status confirmed by an appearance on . Peter Mason delivers the facts, stats and details comprehensively and sums up authoritatively.In childhood Constantine and his brother, Elias, would practise throwing and catching by hurling crockery at each other while washing up, but adult life was a struggle and cricket became Learie’s escape. At 26 he determined to make his name on West Indies’ tour of England in 1928 and win a professional contract.He landed it with heroics against Middlesex at Lord’s; 86 in the first innings, 7 for 57 in the opposition’s second innings, then a match-winning 103 that had Lord’s members “hoarse from cheering” and boys dashing on to the pitch. Denis Compton, who joined Middlesex years later, found the old pros in the dressing room still talking about it.Constantine, his wife Norma and daughter Gloria then spent 20 years as the only black people in the Lancashire mill town of Nelson – surely one of cricket’s great stories. He was one of Britain’s highest-paid sportsmen and delivered consistently good value for it in the Lancashire League. They were objects of curiosity, but bore it well and made crowds of friends. Constantine even experienced his political awakening there, helping to finance the publishing of the , written by his friend and collaborator CLR James.There are many other achievements: Constantine’s landmark 1944 legal victory after his family was turned away from London’s Imperial Hotel by a manageress saying “We will not have niggers in the hotel”; his welfare work for Caribbean workers during the war; a career in island politics for which he was not ideally suited, his contribution important nevertheless.This fine account thoroughly justifies Mason’s concluding judgment of Constantine as “a great man”, or in James’ words, “a man of character”.Caribbean Lives: Learie Constantine
by Peter Mason
Signal Press, pb, 212pp, £9.99

Dhoni was mesmerised even at the press-conference. For every question demanding explanations for the defeat, he the same answer: Mendis

Sidharth Monga in Karachi07-Jul-2008
Yuvraj Singh was bowled off the second ball he faced from Ajantha Mendis © AFP
A tournament deserves the final it gets, it is said sometimes. On the surface, the Asia Cup, with its long-drawn format featuring as many minnows as regular teams, got the final it deserved: another one-sided contest. But scratch the surface and you find a match that ebbed and flowed, one with three individual performances of sheer genius which the tournament badly needed.”After the game it looked one-sided,” Mahela Jayawardene said. “Going into the game it wasn’t one-sided at all.”India appeared to have run away with both bat and ball at the start but Sri Lanka fought back. Ishant Sharma took quick wickets to reduce Sri Lanka to 67 for 4 and Virender Sehwag’s opening salvo tore their new-ball attack apart. However, while India’s bowlers recovered from Sanath Jayasuriya’s onslaught to restrict Sri Lanka to 273 their batsmen were unable to decode Ajantha Mendis and the run-chase never recovered from his mesmerising opening spell.”Sanath took his chances even when they were four down,” Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. “They took chances because they had in their minds that we were capable of chasing 300. It was a brilliant innings.” Jayawardene said that although Mendis deservedly stole the glory, it was Jayasuriya’s knock that kept them in the final.Virender Sehwag’s innings, a 36-ball 60 that would in most circumstances be enough to chase off 274, threatened to eclipse Jayasuriya before it was cut short. He flicked, glanced, pulled, drove straight and through covers, late-cut, and kept everyone rapt.”I had no option at that time [but to introduce Mendis in the ninth over],” said Jayawardene. “Virender was batting very well, and we needed to take a wicket. I knew the ball would be too new for Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan]. We just took a gamble.”The contest had a tantalizing build-up. Sri Lanka had rested Mendis in their Super Four match against India, which, if they had won, would have virtually knocked India out of the competition. Instead they chose to rest Mendis, perhaps in order to spring a surprise in the final. It was only his eighth ODI and the challenge facing Mendis was formidable: he had to try and end Sehwag’s aggression during the first Powerplay in a tournament final.Perhaps out of over-confidence or merely because he treats spin with disdain, Sehwag tried to step out to Mendis’ first ball but had to defend. He tried to do it again the very next delivery but this time Mendis beat him in flight and cut the leg break past the bat, leaving Kumar Sangakkara with an easy stumping.In the overs to come, as if every wicket that fell to Mendis’ guile enhanced his mystery in the Indian dressing-room, the batsmen played a succession of injudicious shots. Mendis’ simplicity prevailed over all of them. He stuck to an immaculate in-between length, which made the batsman uncomfortable playing on either on the front or back foot. His stock delivery remained the straighter one, and the Indian batsmen reacted like rats to the Pied Piper.Dhoni, whose innings stood out for its sensible approach, was mesmerised even at the press-conference. For every question demanding explanations for the defeat, he said the same answer: Mendis.”Most of our batsmen couldn’t pick him,” Dhoni said. “We had never played him before. We had only seen videos and you can visualise and all, but he was difficult to pick out there in the middle. We never had any real reply against him.”Why did they make the defensive move of playing an extra batsman? “The main reason to add one batsman was Mendis,” Dhoni said. “Our bowlers did well to restrict them to 273, and Mendis bowled well and that was the reason we lost.”It was like you were playing something else, and the ball was something else. I won’t really blame the batsman, we couldn’t pick the deliveries. If you see our bowling, it was the best bowling line-up we could offer when we wanted one more extra batsman in the side. They tried their best and we could have got 274 but for the Mendis factor.”

كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، عن رد فعل رابطة الدوري الإسباني، على قرار المجلس الأعلى للرياضة، بشأن تسجيل الثنائي داني أولمو وباو فيكتور مع نادي برشلونة.

وقدم برشلونة طعنًا إلى المجلس الأعلى للرياضة يوم الثلاثاء 7 يناير، لتسجيل الثنائي أولمو وفيكتور، بعد رفض رابطة الليجا والاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم.

وأكد المجلس في بيانه قبول الإجراء الاحترازي لبرشلونة لتسجيل أولمو وفيكتور، لكن بصفة مؤقتة حتى يتم الفصل نهائيًا في الطعن الذي قدمه النادي واللاعبان.

صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، كشفت عن أول رد فعل لرابطة الليجا، حيث ترى برئاسة خافيير تيباس، أنه تم اعتماد القرار دون تحويل الاستئناف إلى الرابطة أو الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم.

رابطة الدوري الإسباني أظهرت رفضها المطلق لقرار المجلس الأعلى للرياضة، وتعتبر أنه تم اعتماد القرار دون إخطار الأطراف (الرابطة، والاتحاد الإسباني)، وسيتم دراسة الطعن في القرار.

Celtic have bolstered their squad with the likes of Benjamin Nygren, Kieran Tierney, and Callum Osmand this summer, but they have yet to add any more players to their midfield ranks.

The Hoops have been linked with an interest in Motherwell central midfielder Lennon Miller, but they may end up missing out on a move for the Scotland international.

Como, who just signed Nicolas Kuhn from Celtic, Ipswich Town, and Southampton are all reportedly keen on the Scottish star, and Celtic were not mentioned in that latest report.

Miller produced two goals and eight assists in 32 matches in the Scottish Premiership last season, which is why he is an attractive target for clubs, but the Hoops are now eyeing up a star who is even better than the teenage gem.

Celtic circling around deal for Serie B star

Whilst a move for the Motherwell talent may not be looking likely, given that they were not mentioned in the latest batch of clubs interested in him, Celtic could still find a new midfield star.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to The Boot Room, the Premiership champions are one of the sides ‘circling’ around a potential deal to sign Salvatore Esposito from Serie B team Spezia this summer.

The report claims that the Hoops have been keeping tabs on the Italy international and are now one of a clutch of clubs looking to snap him up ahead of next season.

It states that the likes of Sunderland, Rangers, Everton, and Fulham are also showing an interest in the £9m-rated star, who may be allowed to leave on loan with an option to make it permanent next summer.

Why Celtic should sign Salvatore Esposito

Brendan Rodgers should work hard to win the race for the Italian star’s signature this summer because he would be an even better signing for the club than Miller for next season.

Both players are central midfielders who can combine impressive contributions at the top end of the pitch with steely defensive work in the middle of the park, which makes them both valuable players to have in a squad.

However, their respective performances in the 2024/25 season suggest that it would be Esposito who would have a bigger impact on the pitch for the Hoops next term.

The Spezia maestro, who was described as a “tenacious” tackler by talent scout Jacek Kulig, was sensational in the Serie B last season with his ability to win duels and tackles, as well as score and create goals.

Appearances

34

32

Goals

7

2

Big chances created

18

12

Assists

9

8

Tackles per game

1.8

1.8

Duels won per game

7.3

5.7

Ground duel success rate

67%

58%

As you can see in the table above, Esposito scored five more goals and created six more chances, despite only playing two more games, in the league, which suggests that he would provide Celtic with a greater threat at the top end of the pitch.

His defensive numbers, in terms of duels won, tackles won, and his success rate in duels, also suggest that the Spezia midfielder would provide more protection in front of the back four than Miller would.

These statistics suggest that Esposito would be even better for Celtic than Miller would be next season, due to his qualities in and out of possession in the middle of the park, which is why he would be an even better signing for the club.

At the age of 24, he may not be a teenager like the Motherwell gem, but the Italian star is still young and has plenty of time left for him to develop and grow with Rodgers at Parkhead.

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It is now down to the club to strike a deal with Spezia to bring the Italy international to Glasgow, so that the club can move on from any interest they may still have in Miller.

Celtic are hoping to lure Scottish centre-back Scott McKenna to Parkhead as Brendan Rodgers seeks to bolster his defence this January.

In the Scottish Premiership, Celtic's defensive record is strong. The Hoops, eight points clear at the top of the table, have only let in 15 in their first 22 matches. The only team to have conceded fewer is their Old Firm rivals, who also have two games in hand.

However, against stronger opposition in the Champions League, Brendan Rodgers' side have looked more exposed. Across their six matches, Celtic conceded 15 times, and that was a big part of the reason why they finished bottom of their group and exited Europe altogether heading into the new year. Only Belgian side Antwerp (17) conceded more in that phase, and so it's not particularly surprising that the club are seemingly intent on bolstering their backline in January.

McKenna emerges as Celtic target

According to Sky Sports, both Celtic and arch-rivals Rangers are interested in Scott McKenna of Nottingham Forest. Forest have made him available for transfer this month, paving the way for a battle between the Old Firm clubs.

There's a possibility that McKenna could move north of the border on loan first, and then join his new club on a permanent deal come the summer when his Forest contract expires.

McKenna started Forest's first five Premier League games this season, but hasn't featured at all since. In December, the Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel revealed that the club had banished him from first-team training ahead of an anticipated January exit. Even the sacking of Steve Cooper and the arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo as his replacement has failed to bring about an improvement in his situation.

Rodgers could get his man from 2018

It's a surprise to see McKenna treated this way. Signed in 2020 from Aberdeen, he's played 105 games for Forest, nearly half of which (51) came in 2021/22 as they achieved promotion back to the English top flight. The centre-back was instrumental in that achievement, winning man of the match when they beat Huddersfield in the play-off final (Sky Football).

He remained an important figure last season as Forest prolonged their return, starting 20 of the 25 games for which he was available, but now he's been completely frozen out.

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He'll be a familiar name for Celtic fans given his time with Aberdeen and his international career with Scotland, which now spans 30 caps (including one at the last European Championship). Manager Rodgers will certainly be familiar too, having made an attempt to bring him to Parkhead during his first stint as Celtic boss in 2018.

According to Football Scotland, Aberdeen rejected an initial £3.5m bid, and then Celtic refused to return with a better offer. Two years later, when he got his move to England, they may have thought that the ship had sailed, but with McKenna still of a decent footballing age at 27, Rodgers could finally get his man. If it is to be an initial loan, then it could come down to which Glaswegian club is willing to pay a greater share of his Forest wages, and which offers him a more significant role in the squad.

Rangers face nine games between now and January 2 in what is the busiest spell in the calendar and the Ibrox side have the chance to secure progression to the knockout stages in Europe along with winning the League Cup during that run. This should be more than enough incentive for Philippe Clement’s men to push as hard as they can until the winter break and bring some more silverware to Ibrox.

The squad doesn’t appear to be at the required level for Clement and with the January transfer window just around the corner, there will surely be another new face or two arriving in Glasgow.

It looks as though the Gers have been busy prior to the winter window opening, however, as the club recently announced Nils Koppen as their new Director of Football Recruitment, and he won't have long to get stuck in about improving the squad.

He won't arrive at the Gers until the beginning of January, but he will already be planning ahead to improve the player trading model along with making sure the first-team squad is as good as it can be.

While Clement will have his own transfer targets, could the Light Blues perhaps return for a player that they had shown interest in during the summer transfer window? Indeed, Harry Souttar would be an ideal signing for the club.

Harry Souttar to Rangers

During the final few weeks of the summer transfer window, Michael Beale was intensifying his search for a new defender and journalist Geoff Peters claimed that the Gers were reportedly keen on signing Souttar.

He said: “Rangers are interested in taking Harry Souttar on loan from Leicester City. Souttar was an unused sub against Coventry at the weekend and not in the 20-man #lcfc squad tonight at Burton. Other clubs also monitoring the situation. His older brother John joined Rangers last year.”

While it was mooted that it would be a temporary deal rather than a permanent one, a potential move for the £41k-per-week centre-back failed to materialise.

This meant the former QPR manager went into the season having signed just one central defender during the transfer window in Leon Balogun.

With a new director being announced, could the Light Blues perhaps take another look at Souttar and his situation concerning a potential swoop?

Harry Souttar’s season in numbers

The Australian defender moved to Leicester City in January this year in a deal which could rise to £20m. Initially, he enjoyed a solid start to life at the club.

He had a productive World Cup just a few months prior to his big-money move to the Premier League, starting all four of Australia’s matches, and he was even lauded an “absolute beast” by journalist Sacha Pisani for his performances.

During his brief spell in the English top flight, Souttar won a staggering 86% of his aerial duels while also making 3.8 clearances and 1.3 tackles per game for the Foxes as they were relegated back to the Championship after a nine-year spell in the Premier League.

Despite these solid displays, he has been frozen out of the team during the 2023/24 season, making just one appearance in the second tier, and that was back in October.

Leicester managed to keep a clean sheet during this one game and Souttar won 100% of his total duels along with holding an 88% pass success rate and taking 92 touches during the match.

A solid display, especially considering he had been overlooked for every league match prior and this could work in the Gers favour.

It looks as though he doesn’t have the brightest of futures at the club under manager Enzo Maresca and it could be a good idea for Koppen to pay some attention to whether or not he could become available in the coming weeks.

Clement needs some improvement to his defensive options and the former Stoke City titan could become an ideal acquisition, in the process potentially becoming Connor Goldson 2.0.

Connor Goldson’s statistics at Rangers

The Englishman joined the Light Blues in the summer of 2018 as Steven Gerrard was aiming to bolster his squad ahead of challenging Celtic for domestic superiority.

Comfortable on the ball and strong in physical battles, he was the ideal choice of centre-back for the Liverpool icon and fast-forward over five years later, Goldson is still a mainstay at the club.

Since making his debut in July 2018, the centre-back has racked up 285 appearances for the Glasgow side while chipping in with 23 goals and 14 assists during that time, not a bad return for a defender, that’s for sure.

The Englishman has won a league title and Scottish Cup while helping the side reach the Europa League final in 2022, although he couldn’t prevent them from losing to Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville.

This season, Goldson has missed just one Premiership match and has proven how good he is with one-on-one battles, winning 70% of his total duels – which works out as 5.5 per game – and Souttar certainly has a similar style to Goldson, notably in the air.

Additionally, he would also be making the move from an English side, as Goldson joined the club from Brighton and Hove Albion, and he is Clement’s finest defender without a shadow of a doubt.

The problem is, who is the best choice of partner for him? Leon Balogun will likely be leaving the club next summer, while John Souttar (Harry’s brother) struggles with injury issues and can't be relied on for a whole season.

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Ben Davies has played infrequently this term and was close to joining Stoke City during the last few days of the summer transfer window, and it appears his future lies away from Ibrox.

With all this in mind, Clement and Koppen may decide that reigniting a swoop for the player might well be in the best interests of the club as they seek improvement.

Even on a temporary basis, Souttar would still add something different to the squad, and he could form a solid partnership alongside Goldson during the second half of the season.