India will play their Champions Trophy 2025 matches in the UAE. The decision, though widely expected, was finalised after Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, met with Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak in Pakistan. Sheikh Nahyan is a senior UAE minister and also the head of the Emirates Cricket Board.”The PCB has picked the UAE as a neutral venue for the Champions Trophy,” PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said.The Pakistan vs India league match will be played on February 23, a Sunday. Apart from Pakistan, the other two teams in India’s group are Bangladesh and New Zealand. India will face Bangladesh on February 20, and New Zealand on March 2. All these games are likely to be held in Dubai.
Champions Trophy 2025 groups
Group A – Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and New Zealand Group B – Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa
Pakistan, the defending champions, will kick off the tournament on February 19, against New Zealand in Karachi. Pakistan’s last league match, against Bangladesh, will be played in Rawalpindi on February 27.The second group has Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa. The matches for both groups – apart from the India games – will be played across Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi.The two semi-finals are scheduled for March 4 (without a reserve day) and March 5 (with a reserve day). The final on March 9 also has a reserve day. The first semi-final, if India make it to that stage, will be played in the UAE. If India don’t qualify, the game will be held in Pakistan. The final is slotted for Lahore, with the provision of holding it in the UAE if India make it that far.The hybrid model was finalised after the parties involved agreed that, in return, Pakistan’s matches at ICC events hosted by India till 2027 will also be at a neutral venue. In all instances, knockout games such as the semi-final and the final will also be held at neutral venues.The agreement begins with the Champions Trophy, and will apply to the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup in India, and the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. It will also apply to the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup, the first tournament of the next events cycle that has now been awarded to Pakistan.
Kylian Mbappe received a Lionel Messi reality check from Leonardo Balerdi ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League opener against Marseille. Balerdi believes that Argentina team-mate Messi "will be the best player in the world until he retires", though he does admit Kylian Mbappe is among the top players in the game right now.
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Messi still ahead of Mbappe in Balerdi's eyes
Ahead of their trip to Santiago Bernabeu, Marseille captain Balerdi has expressed his belief that Messi will continue to remain the best player in the world until he announces his retirement. Balerdi does, however, also admire Mbappe's qualities and has been particularly impressed by his performances in Real Madrid colours this year.
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Mbappe at a 'great level' with Real Madrid
Ahead of the game, Balerdi was asked if Mbappe is the best player in the world, to which he replied: "Until Messi retires, Messi will be the best player in the world. But I’m sure Kylian is one of the best in the world, too. He’s been proving it for years, and this year he’s also at a great level."
Balerdi reveals plan to stop Mbappe
The Marseille skipper also hinted that Roberto De Zerbi's side will have a plan to keep Mbappe and the rest of Madrid's star players under wraps, as he added: "If you look at the names on Real Madrid’s roster, it’s impressive. But we have to work the same way. The players are top quality, but we have to do what we do every weekend: stay focused. Any opportunity can change the course of the match. We’re ready to play against these great players. It’s a challenge, and we have to be smart."
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Crucial week of action for Los Blancos
Following their Champions League opener against Marseille on Tuesday, Mbappe will be back in action for Madrid against Espanyol on September 20 in a La Liga clash. Xabi Alonso's side are currently top of the table with four wins from their opening four games of the new season, but cannot afford any slip-ups with arch-rivals and reigning champions Barcelona only two points behind them in second.
Pep Guardiola hailed Erling Haaland as “better than ever” after the striker’s derby double inspired Manchester City to a 3-0 win over rivals Manchester United. Haaland’s ruthless brace, alongside a crucial opener from Phil Foden, saw the Citizens dominate at the Etihad. Guardiola later labelled Foden as “the heart of the club” in a glowing tribute to the Englishman.
Manchester City destroy United at the Etihad
Haaland scored twice to take his Premier League tally to five goals in four matches this season. The Norwegian also surpassed Didier Drogba in the league's top scorers list, underlining his lethal form in front of goal. Foden opened the scoring in the 18th minute, netting his first Premier League strike since January to set City on their way. Guardiola has now praised both the goalscorers after the Manchester derby win.
AdvertisementGetty/GOALHaaland on fire this season — Foden picking up pace
Haaland has now netted 16 times in his last 10 appearances for club and country. Guardiola believes the 24-year-old is performing at an even higher level than during City’s treble-winning season. With Foden rediscovering his form, City’s midfield and attack look sharper and more balanced than ever.
Guardiola praises Haaland and Foden after goals
“Erling has been incredible since the start but this season he is better than ever. I would say better than the Treble year. He’s dynamic and I don’t judge him for the clearance, we want him to score goals and to help us,” Guardiola told reporters.
On Foden, he added: “We missed him so much and the season before he was the best player in the Premier League so we need him, he has a work ethic. Phil is the core, the heart of the club, from the academy and he loves City. To have him back is good news.”
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Getty Images SportMan City preparing for duel with Kevin de Bruyne
Manchester City have eyed Foden as the final replacement for Kevin de Bruyne; however, the Englishman will now have to go toe-to-toe with the Belgian when City take on Napoli in the Champions League opener on Thursday, September 18.
Since taking the job over five years ago, Mikel Arteta has got plenty of things right at Arsenal.
He’s turned a club that was spiralling down the Premier League table into perennial challengers, and while he hasn’t quite got the team over the final hurdle yet, there is every chance he does this season.
Alongside the change in tactics and philosophy, something else he has generally got right is transfers, with the likes of David Raya, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Magalhães and Jurrien Timber all key members of the first team.
However, when it comes to the very best addition made under Arteta’s stewardship, it’s hard to look past Declan Rice, who has been a midfield monster from his very first game.
So, fans should be very excited about reports linking Arsenal to a player who could just be the club’s best signing since Rice.
Arsenal target best signing since Rice
In all, it’s been a good summer for Arsenal so far this year, as they won three of their five pre-season games and have already made six additions to the first team squad.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The two stand-outs are undoubtedly Viktor Gyokeres, who could finally be the striker the fanbase has been crying out for, and Martin Zubimendi, who has looked sublime at the base of midfield so far.
Yet, instead of resting on their laurels, the club appear keen to complete at least one more addition to the team before the window slams shut next month.
Arsenal's Bukayo Saka,Arsenal's Cristhian Mosquera,Arsenal's Martin Zubimendi,Arsenal's Noni Madueke,Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri andArsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly line up
At least that is according to a recent report from David Ornstein, who on the latest episode of the Sports Agents confirmed that Arsenal are still interested in Eberechi Eze.
The respected journalist revealed that while signing the Englishman has become less of a pressing concern following Ethan Nwaneri’s new deal, the Gunners are still in the conversation for the Palace ace, and that he himself is “in favour” of a move to the Emirates.
It remains to be seen how much the 27-year-old will ultimately cost as his release clause of £68m is reportedly set to expire tomorrow.
It could therefore be a costly and complicated deal to get over the line, but given Eze’s immense ability and experience, he’d be worth it and quite possibly Arsenal’s best signing since Rice.
Why Eze would be Arsenal's best signing since Rice
Since completing his £105m move to Arsenal in the summer of 2023, Rice has been almost faultless in red and white.
He was sensational in both the six and eight roles in his first season, and then took another step forward, primarily in the left eight last year.
He made 52 appearances across all competitions, in which he racked up a brilliant haul of nine goals and ten assists, and seemed to play a part in everything that well – like those free-kicks against Real Madrid.
So, while the likes of Kai Havertz, Raya and Timber have all been important players since joining the club, it would be hard to claim any have been as transformational as the former West Ham United captain.
Likewise, while the club have made some positive additions this summer, we think Eze would be the best since his compatriot, and the reason why is a simple one: he is Premier League-proven and makes things happen.
For example, in his 43 appearances for the Eagles last season, totalling just 3303 minutes, the 27-year-old “superstar,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists.
In other words, the Greenwich-born dynamo managed to maintain an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes, for a team that finished in mid-table.
Appearances
43
Minutes
3303′
Goals
14
Assists
11
Goal Involvements per Match
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
132.12′
On top of that, the former QPR gem scored in the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the FA Cup, showing that he has what it takes to step up in the biggest and most pressurised moments.
Finally, while some might make the argument that Gyokeres will be the best signing since the former Irons ace, as he scored far more than the Palace star did, it’s important to remember that he did so in a league ranked as only the eighth toughest in the world, behind the Championship and Belgian top-flight.
Ultimately, while Arsenal have made plenty of good signings over the last few years, they could make their best since Rice if they can get their hands on Eze.
Arsenal can forget Eze by signing "one of the best LW's in Europe" for £87m
Arsenal would be wise to move on from Eze and sign this Champions League winner instead…
It’s set to be a massive season for Wolverhampton Wanderers this year.
Vitor Pereira took over a struggling relegation-threatened side from Gary O’Neil early last season and guided them to a 16th-place finish in the Premier League, 17 points away from the drop zone.
However, the next ten months could be even tougher for the Portuguese coach, as he’s already lost two of his best players in Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Fortunately, Jørgen Strand Larsen’s stay has now been made permanent, and if reports are to be believed, the club is closing in on a striker who could be the next version of the Norwegian.
Wolves target the next Strand Larsen
It would be fair to say that with Cunha and Ait-Nouri leaving for other Premier League sides, this summer has not exactly gone the way many Wolves fans were hoping it would.
Transfer Focus
However, it’s not been all doom and gloom on the transfer front, as Jhon Arias and Fer Lopez have both made their way to Molineux and produced a combined 28 goal involvements last year, which is the sort of output that could help Pereira keep his side in the top-flight.
Moreover, the Old Gold appear determined to bring in some more new faces before the window slams shut next month, including a young forward who could be the next Strand Larsen.
At least that is according to a recent report from Sebastien Vidal, who claims that Wolves are very interested in David Datro Fofana.
In fact, the journalist has revealed that the West Midlands outfit have already approached Chelsea over the player and would be willing to pay £15m for his services, which could also be enough to seal the deal.
Now, there is undoubtedly a risk in signing a young player who hasn’t played that much football in recent seasons, but when he has played, he’s looked great, and on top of that, he shares some similarities with Strand Larsen.
Why Fofana could be the next Strand Larsen
It’s important to clarify that while we and many others believed Fofana to be an incredibly talented striker, he is three years younger than Strand Larsen, and therefore, it would be unfair to expect him to join Wolves this summer and instantly be as effective.
However, with that said, the two share some similarities, and there is no reason why the Ivorian couldn’t reach the level of the 25-year-old, or even surpass it, within a couple of seasons.
The first and most significant similarity between the pair is where they both started to make waves in senior football: Norway.
Before earning his move to Dutch side Groningen in September 2020, the Wolves star racked up a decent tally of nine goals and nine assists in 61 appearances for Norwegian outfit Sarpsborg 08.
Interestingly, the Ouragahio-born gem did even better than that during his time in the Nordic country, winning the league and cup while scoring 24 goals and providing eight assists in 65 appearances, totalling 3414 minutes.
Fofana & Strand Larsen’s record in Norway
Players
Fofana
Strand-Larsen
Appearances
65
61
Minutes
3414′
3316′
Goals
24
9
Assists
8
9
Goal Involvements per Match
0.49
0.29
Minutes per Goal Involvement
106.68′
184.22′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
That means the 22-year-old averaged a goal involvement every 2.03, or every 106.68 for Molde FK, and helps justify talent scout Jacek Kulig’s bold claim that he was “one of the biggest jewels in Norway.”
Unfortunately, his move to Chelsea in January 2023 hasn’t worked out for him, and while he impressed on loan with Burnley two seasons ago, scoring four goals and providing one assist in 15 Premier League appearances, his subsequent loan move to Goztepe was ruined by injury.
With all of that said, it is clear that the “outstanding” forward, as dubbed by former Clarets boss Vincent Kompany, is an incredibly talented player, and in the right environment, if he can remain fit, there is no reason his career couldn’t follow the same path as Strand Larsen’s.
Therefore, Wolves should do what they can to bring Fofana in this summer, as even if he only scores a handful of goals this season, that could be the difference between survival and relegation.
Matheus Cunha heir: Wolves plot late swoop for "generational" £20m star
The tremendously exciting talent could become as crucial to Wolves as Cunha was.
Last week, Ruben Amorim suffered the ignominy of Manchester City fans chanting his name ironically. But last night, his Manchester United players proved that they believe in his project and are ready to fight for him. Facing Chelsea was probably not what the coach wanted in his next outing after the chastening derby defeat but his side made a flying start and eventually earned a 2-1 win.
The Red Devils had a massive helping hand from the reckless Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and to tell the truth they should have been assured of their victory long before the final whistle sounded.
But even withstanding the clumsy fouls from Casemiro which earned the Brazilian two yellow cards and cancelled out Sanchez's sending off, plus the fact his team were pushed to the limits by the visitors deep into added time, there was something hugely encouraging about the manner of the win for the coach.
His players, especially the defenders, put their bodies on the line to get the win over the line. Amorim's team showed the aggression he has been asking for. And, with the exception of Casemiro, they did not lose their heads. They withstood the pressure and for once they did not cave in. It cannot be denied that nearly everything went in United's favour, from the early red card, Bruno Fernandes' goal being marginally onside and Cole Palmer being forced off injured.
But not many people were backing United to win this game before kick off given the negative mood around the club and when push came to shove they emerged with the three points against a Big Six side, something they had not previously done at Old Trafford on Amorim's watch.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Old Trafford…
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WINNER: Bruno Fernandes
While this was not a typical case of the captain carrying the team on his back, Fernandes still played a crucial role in this victory and there was extra significance as it was his 200th game for United and his 100th goal. Even though he was supposed to be sitting in midfield he was the furthest forward when Dorgu flashed a header across the box and bundled it in.
He was in the thick of the action as United had to scrap in the second half, nearly scoring a second after surging forwards by himself and firing a shot which Filip Jorgensen superbly tipped around the post. Fernandes was substituted for Kobbie Mainoo in the 85th minute, a rare occurrence for him. But he was never going to sit down quietly, roaring his team-mates on to victory from the edge of his seat.
"The most important thing is the influence he has on the squad," said Amorim. "Sometimes he's not in the best position to be the main man in every game, but the point of the captain is to be the best he can be in every situation to help the team to be better. He's doing that. He deserves all the praise. That guy deserves to be in the history of our club, not just for what he does but for what his team conquers."
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LOSER: Robert Sanchez and Casemiro
Chelsea fans were mostly pleased with their club's summer transfer business as they refreshed their squad with 10 new players while turning a profit. But there was an elephant in the room: why had they not signed a new goalkeeper?
Sanchez had enjoyed a relatively comfortable start to the season but less than five minutes into the game he underlined why there are so many doubts about his status as Chelsea's No. 1. It was reckless of him to charge out of his area to stop Bryan Mbeumo and Enzo Maresca admitted that he would have been better off letting the forward score and leave his side one goal down rather than one man down.
Sanchez made a joint-Premier League high of five errors leading to goals last season and although this error will not add to that unwanted tally it effectively cost his side the game. He also made unwanted history by giving away Chelsea's earliest ever red card in a Premier League game and getting the third-earliest red card of any goalkeeper in the competition's history. The good news for the Spaniard is that he will not miss any league games and will only be suspended for their Carabao Cup tie at Lincoln City.
The goalkeeper's blundering gave United a wonderful advantage and all they needed to do was not even it up by having one of their own sent off. But Casemiro did not get the memo, making two needless fouls and earning two yellow cards in the space of 37 minutes, giving Chelsea a lifeline. Strangely, Amorim praised the Brazilian for "being so aggressive". He might not have been so charitable had United not clung on for all the points.
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WINNER: Amorim's electric wing-backs
Wing-backs are utterly crucial to Amorim's system working and at last it looked like he had two players who had the mental and physical capacity to implement his ideas. Patrick Dorgu was a thorn in Chelsea's side throughout the first half, tearing into Reece James from the off. He fed Mbeumo a wonderful delivery in the opening minutes which the forward should have made more of. Moments later jumped into the area and was about to shoot on goal before James blocked him off.
The Dane then sparked United's opening goal with his header which Fernandes helped in and continued to go for the jugular, his relentless attacking eventually leading to Casemiro pouncing. Dorgu has been getting closer and closer to what Amorim asks of him and he was quietly impressive going forward in the defeat at City, just lacking the final ball. That was no problem today though.
And Noussair Mazraoui was equally impressive on the other wing. Both goals were sparked from swerving deliveries from the Moroccan's right boot. It was his cross which Dorgu headed in the direction of Fernandes and another of his deliveries created the chaos from which Casemiro eventually pounced.
When Mazraoui wasn't raining in crosses he was looking to play in Mbeumo down his right wing. And despite being fully involved in the attacking play he made sure he kept Chelsea at bay, sweeping up and clearing before he was taken off for Cunha. Mazraoui missed the start of the season but he has seized on the opportunity Diogo Dalot's absence afforded him and the Portuguese will not find it easy to win his place back.
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LOSER: Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer dismayed some Mancunians by turning up at Old Trafford wearing gloves. Perhaps being down south for two years have softened the lad from Wythenshawe. But leaving aside the gloves, he did not look right from the off and Maresca's decision to play his star man three days after completing 90 minutes against Munich in his first match from a groin injury has badly backfired.
Palmer had set alarm bells ringing in Munich – his first start since hurting his groin on the opening weekend of the season at Crystal Palace – by clutching his groin towards the end of the 3-1 defeat, looking concerned. Maresca had said on Wednesday that Palmer was OK because the player had said he was not injured but it quickly became clear that that was not the case. After the defeat, he admitted that Palmer was not 100 percent fit but had wanted to play regardless.
Palmer chucked his shin-pads on the floor in frustration as he trudged towards the sidelines in the 21st minute after being replaced by Andrey Santos. and soon after slowly walked down towards the tunnel, being subjected to chants of 'City reject' from the gleeful United fans, who must have been relieved to no longer be facing the man who had scored in four of his previous four matches against them. Chelsea will now be crossing their fingers the damage to their talisman is not too severe as they face Brighton, Benfica and Liverpool in the next two weeks. If he is out for another period, then both the player and the coach should accept the blame for taking such a big risk.
With English cricket heading down a new path, it leaves Australia as the outlier in terms of private investment in their domestic league
Matt Roller31-Jan-2025Australian cricket is watching the ECB’s introduction of private investment into the Hundred with interest as the Big Bash League looks to “stay ahead of the game” following a successful 2024/25 season.Hobart Hurricanes’ maiden title, on the back of Mitchell Owen’s 39-ball century, put the seal on a campaign that demonstrated the BBL’s “strong momentum and growth”, the league’s general manager Alistair Dobson told ESPNcricinfo. It has given both him and Cricket Australia the chance to think to the future after spending multiple seasons in “reset mode”.After four seasons of the Hundred, the ECB is selling 49% stakes in each of its eight teams to private investors in a process that got underway on Thursday, leaving the BBL – which is owned and run entirely by CA and its states – as an outlier. Dobson declined to comment on whether the BBL will follow suit imminently, but remains open-minded about the league’s future.Related
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“The BBL has been successful almost from the very beginning,” Dobson said. “It has been able to deliver a really strong product and return to Australian cricket, which has meant that the model we have has been really successful – hence why there has been limited momentum in changing that model historically, because it’s been so strong.”The world’s shifting, and we’re always looking at other leagues and other models around the world to make sure we still have the right one for us… Every part of the global game is evolving really quickly and we learn bits from everyone. The process that the ECB is going through with the Hundred looks like an interesting one – it’ll be fascinating to see how that unfolds.”Dobson travelled to the UK to watch several games of the Hundred’s 2023 season and has kept close tabs on the competition’s first four seasons. “We can and do learn from the Hundred around continuing to innovate, in the way that the Hundred was prepared to try something different,” he said. “We have plenty to learn from each other.”Both leagues have that philosophy of continuing to be fan-first. From the outside looking in, it appears that they’ve taken a lot of the BBL’s DNA – the colour, fun, new audiences, new brands – and have created a product that seems to have connected quite strongly with the fanbase, and is bringing new fans into the game.”The Hundred has changed the landscape of English cricket•ECB via Getty ImagesCA’s decision to expand the BBL from 43 games to 59 (and later 61) from 2018/19 until 2022/23 brought several challenges, with attendances and TV viewership suffering. But since returning to a shorter window last season – squeezing into the school holidays – it has managed to hold its own through a “quality over quantity” approach, despite clashes with the ILT20 and SA20.”For the past three or four years, we’ve been building the competition back after some challenging years through Covid and otherwise,” Dobson said. “It’s not until the last 12 months where we’ve had the momentum to be able to look at the future… I wouldn’t comment on any specific opportunities, but the world’s moving pretty fast and it’s important that we stay ahead of the game.”The availability of the world’s best players – both from Australia and elsewhere – remains a sticking point for the BBL, with only three out of six overseas spots filled in Monday’s final and Test series against India and Sri Lanka at either end of the season. But Dobson believes that the player pool remains healthy, with competitive top-end salaries of AUD$420,000.”The global landscape is moving really fast,” he said. “We hear a lot from players that playing in front of big crowds in iconic stadiums with great wickets and facilities is still really important, so we feel like we’re in a good position on that front… The other leagues around our window have created some interesting challenges, we feel like we are in pretty good shape.”Guys like Chris Jordan for the Hurricanes and Sam Billings for the [Sydney] Thunder have become really engaged in their clubs. Combining that with the iconic players in our competition – whether that’s Glenn Maxwell, or increasingly Mitch Owen – and then when we get a glimpse of Steve Smith, or David Warner… our strength is the mix of all those player groups.”Owen earned worldwide attention in his breakthrough season – not only for his brutal hitting, but for his obvious affinity for the Hurricanes. He grew up supporting the club from the grass bank at Bellerive Oval in Hobart and described his starring role in their first trophy win, aged 23, as a “childhood dream”, underlining the BBL’s longevity compared to many T20 leagues.’You start to get kids coming through who grew up barracking for and supporting their BBL team, evolving from young fans into opening batters’•Getty Images”It’s a great story for us,” Dobson said. “I mean that not just individually for Mitch and the Hurricanes, but also, it’s a really strong signpost for us on the maturity and evolution of our competition, where we now have kids that have grown up supporting their BBL team, and we’re old enough for those kids to see their way through to play – and win – for that team.”We see it in other codes around the world – whether that’s football or other sports – where you want to play for the team you grew up supporting… Once you get through 14 seasons, you start to get kids coming through who grew up barracking for and supporting their BBL team, evolving from young fans into opening batters. That’s a really cool place for us to be.”The BBL will again overlap with a major series next summer, with Australia’s Test players unlikely to be available until the second half of the season following the Ashes. And while the majority of boards now reserve a space for their short-form leagues in their international calendar, Dobson insisted that the BBL works best when it operates “in harmony” with headline Test series, allowing cricket to capitalise on its window in the Australian sporting calendar.”Test cricket is still the pinnacle for our fans and our players,” he said. “For the BBL to run alongside that with its own offering and its own strengths is still the right model for us… There’s always talk about whether the BBL and the Test season should be separated to allow more player availability, but there’s also an element where those two things can work in harmony to create a really strong offering.”
كسر فرينكي دي يونج، نجم نادي برشلونة، صمته، وتحدث عن مستقبله مع الفريق الكتالوني وأمر تجديد عقده الذي ينتهي آخر الموسم الجاري.
دي يونج لم يجدد عقده مع برشلونة حتى هذه اللحظة، لكن الأنباء والتقارير الأخيرة تشير إلى أن الدولي الهولندي سوف يستمر مع البلوجرانا لفترة طويلة الأمد.
وأكد صحفي شبكة “سكاي سبورتس”، فابريزيو رومانو، الأسبوع الماضي أن برشلونة بصدد تجديد عقد دي يونج لفترة طويلة الأمد حتى نهاية شهر يونيو من عام 2029 المقبل.
اقرأ أيضًا.. لابورتا عن مصير السوبر ليج: تحدثت مع بيريز.. وعلى وشك اتفاق
ويتواجد دي يونج في الوقت الحالي مع منتخب هولندا خلال فترة التوقف الدولي، من أجل المشاركة في تصفيات قارة أوروبة المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم.
ويستعد دي يونج للمشاركة في لقاء هولندا مساء اليوم الخميس أمام مالطا، بتصفيات كأس العالم “كندا والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية والمكسيك”.
وخلال فيديو نقله رومانو عبر حسابه الرسمي في “تويتر”، أكد دي يونج على رغبته في تجديد عقده مع برشلونة وأن الأمر سيصبح رسميًا قريبًا.
وقال دي يونج: “حسنًا، لطالما قلت ببساطة إنني سوف أجدد عقدي مع برشلونة، الأمر أصبح قريبًا وفي حال أصبح الأمر رسميًا ستسمع عن الأمر، لكنني لا يمكنني أن أقول أي شيء الآن”.
واختتم دي يونج في حديثه: “آمل أن أبقى في برشلونة لبقية مسيرتي، هذا هو المكان الذي تمنيت أن أكون فيه منذ صغري، الآن لدينا فريق بمستقبل باهر وأريد الفوز بالألقاب الكبرى هنا”.
Frenkie de Jong confirms his imminent new contract at Barcelona 🔵🔴✍🏼 pic.twitter.com/XcVuJ9n0pa — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 9, 2025
It had to be Rashid Khan. After starring in each of Afghanistan’s previous three Test wins – in Dehradun, Chattogram and Abu Dhabi – he wrapped Zimbabwe up with a match haul of 11 for 160 in Bulawayo. That included career-best figures of 7 for 66 in the second innings, with expectations of a thrilling finish being quashed only 15 deliveries into the final morning. Zimbabwe were 73 runs away from victory, with all hopes from their captain Craig Ervine. Afghanistan needed two good balls to finish the game off.But even the short span of play on the fifth day was enough for plenty of drama. The day started with exactly what Afghanistan wanted: Rashid bowling to Zimbabwe’s No. 10 Richard Ngarava. Four balls into play, Afghanistan got exactly what they wanted – almost. Ngarava skied an attempted slice off Rashid, and the ball popped up behind the man at silly point. Hashmatullah Shahidi, placed at cover, moved to his right. Fareed Ahmad, at point, stepped to his left.With his attention divided between the dipping ball and the approaching Fareed, Shahidi dropped Ngarava. Rashid couldn’t hold back an angry expression towards his captain, who had stretched both his hands out, only for the ball to never stick. Ngarava survived, but for hardly any longer.Ngarava did play out the remaining two deliveries of the over to ensure Ervine had the strike for the next. Starting on his overnight score of 53, and being the last recognised batter, he had a spread-out field to play with. After turning down two singles, Ervine decided he should go for the third. He drove Yamin Ahmadzai towards deep extra cover, where the man was placed only about three-fourths of the way to the boundary.Shahidullah collected the ball while chasing it forward, and fired a flat throw at the wicketkeeper. Perhaps not expecting Ervine to go for the run that early in the over, Ngarava was late to take off. But Ervine was well down the pitch by that time, and wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai whipped the bails off with Ngarava miles short.Last man Blessing Muzarabani defended the next two deliveries and left the third one alone. Ervine again took strike for the next over, with Zimbabwe having yet to add to their overnight score. Rashid went short for the first two balls, but pitched it much fuller the third time. The ball landed just outside off, turned in, and struck Ervine in front as he missed an attempted sweep.Rashid and his mates went up right away, even as umpire Ahsan Raza’s finger took its time to show up. But it eventually did, although the first impression was of the ball missing leg stump. However, there was no DRS to turn to, leaving the Afghanistan players jumping and celebrating.It was a come-from-behind win fashioned by centuries from Rahmat Shah and debutant Ismat Alam in the second innings, which Afghanistan had started 86 runs in the arrears. Not to be left behind with the bat, Rashid even contributed what turned out to be crucial innings of 25 and 23.As a result, Afghanistan took the two-match series 1-0 after a high-scoring draw in the first Test, and left Zimbabwe with a series win across each of the three formats.