CoA’s decision comes after the state associations fail to comply with the new BCCI constitution

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Oct-2019In what is likely to have a bearing on the BCCI elections, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) has disqualified three key state associations – Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Maharashtra – for failing to comply with the board’s new constitution. These three states have been declared non-compliant and are barred from participating in the BCCI elections scheduled for October 23 in Mumbai.In response, the TNCA has said they will ask the Supreme Court to intervene should the board’s electoral officer N Gopalswami, who is likely to announce the final electoral roll on Thursday, rules against their representative attending the elections. This CoA directive has been sent to both Gopalswami and P Narasimha, the amicus curiae appointed by the Supreme Court.Vinod Rai, the CoA chairman, confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that all three associations were informed of their non-compliance on Tuesday. “We found their explanations to be unsatisfactory,” he said.In an e-mail directive sent to all three states associations on Tuesday, the CoA said they were being “disqualified from participating in cricket administration and governance at the BCCI in any way whatsoever, including by participating and voting in the BCCI general body meeting.”In the directive, the CoA also said all three state associations had lost the right to cast a vote at the BCCI elections “because it has not complied with the (court) judgement and it is necessary for the purpose of proper implementation as mandated by the Supreme Court.”ESPNcricinfo understands the three-member CoA was split on the decision to bar the three state associations. While Rai and Ravindra Thodge were in favour of disqualification, Diana Edulji, the former Indian woman’s captain, objected. Rai and Thodge were of the opinion that the TNCA, HCA and MCA couldn’t have been exempted from complying with the new orders if a majority of the associations, around 30, did so.Edulji is believed to have said compliance was just one thing and presented examples of several state associations, including Delhi & Districts Cricket Association and Baroda Cricket Association, that had violated various eligibility criterion while electing their office bearers.The CoA had earlier issued a show cause notice and sought an explanation for non-compliance from the TNCA, HCA and MCA, while also asking them to comply with the new regulations. In Maharashtra’s case, it was pointed out that the MCA hadn’t even registered its constitution, which is mandatory. As for TNCA, one of the key reforms as recommended by the Lodha Committee, which is part of the BCCI constitution, concerned former international players finding two seats on the Apex Council. Currently, the new TNCA administration has no cricketer in its team.While notifying all state associations about the elections in September, Gopalswami made it clear no association could send a representative or vote at the election if the CoA felt they were non-compliant with the new BCCI constitution drawn up on the basis of the Lodha Committee recommendations.Among the three associations, the TNCA has been most vocal about its opposition to CoA’s stance on compliance. In their response to the show cause notice, the TNCA stated the CoA didn’t have the authority to decide if a state association was compliant or not.”The job of the CoA is only to file a status report with reference to the compliance undertaken by the state associations,” RS Ramasaamy, the newly elected TNCA secretary, wrote in an email to Gopalswami on September 30.Ramasaamy, who has also been chosen by the TNCA to attend the BCCI elections, also pointed out that only the Supreme Court had the right to suspend any state association from attending the BCCI election. In the email to Gopalswami, he said the TNCA “shall not be restrained” from attending the board elections on the “ground of having not being found to be compliant” by the CoA.”Any such act on your part of restraining the TNCA from participating in the BCCI elections would amount to contempt of the 9th August Judgement and 20th September order.”

Temba Bavuma admitted watching the lower order battle had given the batsman’s ego a hit, and understood where criticism of him was coming from

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Pune12-Oct-2019Thirty-four for three, 20 for 3, and then 53 for 5.This hasn’t been a uniformly terrible tour for South Africa’s batsmen. Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock have both scored hundreds, and Faf du Plessis has made a couple of fifties. The lower order has stuck around to the extent that South Africa, on this tour, have achieved two of the five longest ninth-wicket partnerships ever seen in India.But it has been a nightmare tour for South Africa against the new ball, and Temba Bavuma, their No. 4, isn’t shying away from that.”Look, from the guys at the top, the top-order batters, the guys who are entrusted with scoring the bulk of the runs, it does kind of hurt,” Bavuma said at the end of the third day’s play in Pune. “It does dent your ego when you’re seeing the lower order go out and fight it out to do what you’re really playing to do.Watch cricket on ESPN+

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“The boys are trying with the bat and I think, looking forward, looking at the second innings, there’s a lot of confidence we can take in the fact that it’s not all demons out there. We can actually bat. We’ve just got to find a way to dominate with the bat, as much as India have done so.”I don’t have the answers as to where it’s going wrong. The obvious one is that we’re not able to put up partnerships. We haven’t been able to absorb and sustain the pressure that the Indian bowlers have put on us for a consistent period of time. And that’s obviously something that we’ll be trying to rectify. We’re going to have an opportunity now in the second innings, whether India decide to bat again, whether they decide to [enforce the] follow-on, we’re going to have an opportunity as batters to really stake our claim.”In three innings on this tour, Bavuma has made 18, 0 and 8. He knows a lot more is expected of him.”I can understand all the criticism and all the flak that is coming my way,” Bavuma said. “Like I’ve always said, as a batter your currency is runs and that’s what you’re judged according to. And when your performances are not at the level that we’re so accustomed to as South African batters, people are going to come hard.”The South African public, the fans, are very proud and they’re used to a higher standard of cricket. Us as sportsmen represent the South African country – that’s the pressure we deal with. From my side as a player, it’s not as if I am going out there and trying to nick balls and trying to miss straight ones.Temba Bavuma is bowled•BCCI

“I can honestly probably say, being critical of myself, that I’m giving my best but probably my best at this point in time is not good enough. In saying that, it is not something that I’ll shy away from. Criticism is a good thing. I’ve always felt that it’s just a matter of me, as a professional cricketer, stepping up to the pressure that is before me and trying to win back the support of the fans back home.”At the end of the second day’s play, when South Africa were 36 for 3 in response to India’s 601 for 5 declared, their team director Enoch Nkwe had stern words for the players.”We had an honest and truthful chat from the coach,” Bavuma said. “He gave us his true feelings, his true thoughts on how we had gone about our last two days. He was really critical of our effort. Basically he said with everything that’s happened, we’ve got to find a way.”We haven’t come to India to lose, we haven’t necessarily come to India to just learn; we’ve actually come to compete and to win. That’s what our goal is. Yes, we haven’t done it in the first Test. We haven’t been able to do that in the first two-and-a-half days [here], but there’s an opportunity going forward to do it. Like I said, there is a responsibility from us to stake our claim and do everyone justice.”The top-order batsmen, Bavuma said, could look to the lower-order pair of Keshav Maharaj and Vernon Philander, who put on 109 in 259 balls, if they need any inspiration for the second innings.Keshav Maharaj and Vernon Philander forged a century stand•BCCI

“It was a spectacular effort from Vernon and Keshav to fight it out there out in the middle, and face as many balls as they did, and in saying that still accumulate runs. I mean, us in the change room and even on the sides, we were enjoying every moment of it.”But as I said, we were feeding from the confidence they were giving us. You saw the balance between their defence as well as their attacking shots. That’s something we’ve been speaking about as batters. That’s been our aim in what we’re trying to do. The mood is definitely positive, the mood has been positive, to be honest. It was enjoyable, the 260-ball partnership between those two.”There was more inspiration to take from the fact that Maharaj, who scored his first Test fifty, was batting with an injured right shoulder.”There’s definitely a lot of positives to take,” Bavuma said. “This is a confidence-booster. Keshav is a big player in the team, obviously Vernon as well. For big players, for senior players in the team to step up when the occasion arises is definitely is something that you can stick out your chest on.”Like I said, over the next two days we’re going to need a lot more of that, with the ball, with the bat, in every department, we are going to need guys to put up their hand and no matter which way the result goes, let’s just make sure that our pride is intact.”

أكد رضا سليم، لاعب فريق الكرة بالنادي الأهلي على جاهزية فريقه لخوض مباراة سيراميكا كليوباترا، في اللقاء الذي يجمعهما ضمن منافسات نصف نهائي بطولة كأس السوبر المصري.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي الأهلي مع سيراميكا كليوباترا يوم 20 أكتوبر الجاري على استاد محمد بن زايد في أبو ظبي، ‏في نصف نهائي السوبر المصري.‏

وقال رضا سليم في تصريحات عبر الموقع الرسمي للأهلي: “الجهاز الفني قام بتجهيز اللاعبين من خلال التركيز على كل التفاصيل، ودراسة نقاط القوة والضعف في المنافس الذي يشارك في البطولة بصفته حاملًا للقب بطولة كأس الرابطة، وأن الأهلي بشكل عام يحترم جميع ‏المنافسين”.

وتابع: “هناك حالة من التركيز الشديد داخل الفريق، خاصة أن بطولة السوبر المصري في غاية الأهمية، وتمثل أحد التحديات للجميع، والفريق يصب حاليًّا كامل تركيزه على مواجهة سيراميكا كليوباترا، ولا ينظر إلى أي مواجهات قادمة، على أن يتم التعامل مع كل مواجهة بشكل مستقل لتقديم أفضل ما يمكن خلال اللقاء”.

طالع | أكرم توفيق: الأهلي لديه الدوافع للفوز على سيراميكا كليوباترا.. ولا نفكر في هذه المباراة

وواصل: “الجهاز الفني مهتم بكل التفاصيل، وخلال فترة التوقف، تم العمل على تحسين الجوانب الخططية، وهو ما يمنحنا إضافة حقيقية، ومثل هذه المباريات تحتاج إلى الكثير من التركيز والإصرار، ونتمنى أن نكون موفقين في تحقيق الفوز، وحصد اللقب من جديد”.

واستطرد: “اللاعبون الكبار عقدوا عدة جلسات، للتأكيد على أهمية المباريات القادمة، وضرورة العمل على حصد كل البطولات، وتعاهد الجميع على تقديم كل ما يمكن، من أجل تحقيق الانتصارات وإسعاد الجماهير، التي تمثل السند والداعم الأكبر في كل الأوقات، وتمنح الأهلي دوافع كبيرة للاستمرار في السعي نحو تحقيق أهدافه”.

وزاد: “الأهلي فريق بطولات، ويضع عينه على التتويج فقط، ورغم الظروف الصعبة التي تتمثل في بعض الغيابات، أو غيرها من الأمور الطارئة، إلا أن اللاعبين لديهم عقلية لا تتنازل عن حصد الألقاب، وهو ما نسعى إليه بداية من لقاء سيراميكا كليوباترا، وبإذن الله قادرون على إنهاء الموسم، ونحن متوجون بكل الألقاب كما حدث خلال الموسم الماضي”.

وأضاف: “الأهلي يدخل بطولة السوبر المصري حاملًا للقب لعدة مواسم متتالية، إلا أن الفريق الذي يرغب في الحفاظ على ألقابه، ويحتاج إلى بذل الكثير من الجهد والعرق والعزيمة، وهو ما يتمتع به اللاعبون، ومع دعم الجماهير، سوف تصبح الأمور على أفضل ما يكون بالفترة المقبلة”.

وزاد: “الأهلي يضم لاعبين أصحاب شخصية قوية، ولديهم القدرة على التعامل مع أصعب الظروف، والاستمرار في حصد البطولات وتحقيق تطلعات جماهير الأهلي في كل مكان”.

واختتم: “تواجد الجماهير في مدرجات الملعب بالإمارات يمثل الكثير للاعبين، ويمنح أجواء خاصة، في ظل البطولات العديدة التي حصل عليها الأهلي وسط جماهيره ومشجعيه في كل دول العالم”.

England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has discovered his fate after an investigation by UEFA into his celebration against Slovakia.

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• Bellingham in hot water for celebration
• UEFA confirm England star's sanction
• Has been fined and hit with a ban

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bellingham has been hit with a fine and a suspended ban by UEFA following his X-rated gesture after scoring for England against Slovakia at Euro 2024. The Real Madrid superstar made a lewd gesture after his dramatic late equaliser and explained afterwards it was an "inside joke". UEFA decided to investigate and a decision has now been announced.

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  WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  UEFA said in a statement that the decision had been made to "to fine the English Football Association player Jude Bellingham €30,000 and to suspend him for a total of one UEFA competition match for which he would be otherwise eligible for violating the basic rules of decent conduct. Said suspension is not immediately enforced and is subject to a probationary period of one (1) year, starting from the date of the present decision."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bellingham, England manager Gareth Southgate and the national team's supporters will breathe a sigh of relief as the suspended ban allows Bellingham to feature against Switzerland in their Euro 2024 quarter-final on Saturday. The 20-year-old will have to serve the suspension if he steps out of line while on international duty again over the next year.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Bellingham and his England co-stars will come up against Switzerland in the quarter-finals this week. The winner of that tie will go on to face either Netherlands or Turkey in the competition's penultimate round next week.

Leeds United are back in Championship action once again this afternoon as they take on Plymouth Argyle at Home Park for the second time this month.

The Whites ran out 4-1 winners in Devon in the FA Cup as they needed extra time to secure the win, which earned them a clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the next round.

Daniel Farke's side are now going there in search of three points as they look to continue their march towards automatic promotion back to the Premier League.

Every match and point is important as the Whites compete with Southampton and Ipswich to secure second place, whilst Leicester City appear to be uncatchable with a 12-point lead over the Yorkshire-based outfit.

Leeds head into this match off the back of an emphatic 4-0 win away at Swansea in Wales on Tuesday night, as they demolished Luke William's side.

With games coming thick and fast, and a huge game against Leicester on the horizon, Farke could make some changes to his team to keep players fresh.

With that in mind, the German head coach should move Georginio Rutter aside, after an underwhelming – by his standards – display on Tuesday, to unleash Daniel James alongside Wilfried Gnonto in the attack.

Georgino Rutter's performance against Swansea

The French gem has been one of the best creative talents in the Championship this season with his ability to consistently unlock opposition defences.

However, that was not on display in Wales earlier this week as the 21-year-old maestro failed to create a single opportunity for his teammates on the night.

The former Hoffenheim whiz also had four shots, totalling 0.32 xG, and did not find the back of the net, which meant that he ended the match without a goal contribution in the 4-0 drubbing.

Rutter, who did complete five of his nine attempted dribbles, is capable of far more than that when he is at his best as a number ten in the Championship.

The Leeds star currently ranks within the top 2% of forwards in the division for shot-creating actions (4.34) and Expected Assisted Goals (0.34) per 90 respectively, which shows that not many other players in his position create high-quality chances for their teammates as frequently as he does.

In 31 league appearances, Rutter has contributed with five goals and ten assists for his side, whilst the talented ace has also created a whopping 19 'big chances' for his fellow attackers.

These statistics show that the young magician has the quality to unpick defences with his fabulous passing, which is why his performance against Swansea was underwhelming.

This long trip to Plymouth could be the perfect opportunity for Farke to rest the Whites gem, ahead of next Friday's clash with Leicester at Elland Road.

That would open up the door for James to make his return on the right side of the attack, as Gnonto could be moved into a central position behind Joel Piroe at the top end of the pitch.

Wilfried Gnonto's recent form

The Italy international has been in sublime form for Leeds in recent weeks and is finally showcasing his quality in the final third on a regular basis.

He had only managed one goal and one assist in his first 21 appearances in the Championship, which included seven starts for the former Zurich whiz.

Gnonto has started the club's last three matches in the division and chipped in with three goals and one assist, to take his total to four goals and two assists in 24 games.

The 20-year-old ace also found the back of the net against Plymouth at Home Park in the FA Cup in the middle of that run of fixtures, which means that he has already made an impact on this ground this month.

Interestingly, that goal also came from Gnonto moving into a central position to receive the ball from Glen Kamara on the edge of the box, which allowed him to take a touch and fire the ball into the bottom corner.

His goal against Bristol City and his second against Swansea also came from him drifting into the middle to run onto a pass before unleashing a fine shot to find the back of the net, which is why moving him into Rutter's position today could be a good move by Farke.

Why Leeds should unleash Dan James

The German head coach should unleash James alongside Gnonto, and Crysencio Summerville, in the attacking three behind Piroe as the Welsh gem has the quality to be a difference-maker in the final third.

He came off the bench in the 4-0 win over Swansea for his first appearance since the 1-0 win over Norwich in January and could make his return to the starting line-up today.

Last five appearances before injury	Dan James
Norwich City	Assist
Preston North End	Goal
Cardiff	Goal
Peterborough United	Assist
Birmingham	Goal and assist
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Manchester United winger was in fantastic form before his recent injury with at least one goal or assist in each of his last five appearances in all competitions.

James, who was hailed as "electric" by journalist Sanny Rudravajhala earlier this term, has been impressive throughout the 2023/24 campaign with his exciting play in the Championship.

The 26-year-old whiz has racked up ten goals, from 7.45 xG, and six assists, from 5.49 xA, in 23 league starts for Farke's side so far this term.

Only Piroe (11) and Summerville (15) have scored more goals than James in the second tier for Leeds this season, which speaks to how important his contributions have been at the top end of the pitch.

Ten goals to his name from 7.45 xG also shows that the Welsh dynamo has been ruthless in front of goal and more than made the most of the chances that his teammates have provided him with.

This suggests that Farke would not significantly weaken his team by ditching Rutter to unleash James alongside Gnonto and Summerville for this clash, which is why he can afford to rest the French whiz to hand important minutes to the 5 foot 7 winger to get him back up to full match fitness.

West Ham United chairman David Sullivan and the club's board could now move to offer a 34-year-old a player-coach role at Rush Green.

Moyes future remains unresolved at West Ham

Just when manager David Moyes was beginning to ease the pressure on himself with back-to-back Premier League wins, West Ham unfortunately lost the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie on Thursday evening.

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Freiburg snatched a 1-0 win over West Ham in Germany, giving Moyes' side the task of turning over their deficit if they're to reach the quarter-finals and potentially go on another impressive run. Moyes was vocal in his praise for West Ham's record in Europe before their defeat to Freiburg, but the Scotsman was in less good spirits when commenting on his side's denied last-gasp penalty appeal.

"If we'd had it given against us, we'd probably think it was harsh, but ultimately I have to say what are you doing with your hands above your head?" said Moyes on West Ham's denied penalty against Freiburg.

James Ward-Prowse

7.15

Mohammed Kudus

7.14

Lucas Paqueta

7.14

Jarrod Bowen

7.09

Tomas Soucek

6.97

"They are trying to claim there might have been a slight push and that's why it wasn't given – but they should have restarted the game with a free-kick if they said it was a push. It certainly wasn't enough of a push to warrant a free-kick, so that shouldn't mean that it should even come into consideration. The boy has two arms above his head.

"In the Premier League, I am not sure that would be given, but in UEFA competitions in Europe they're normally given by the referees. I watch Spanish football and German football and nearly every handball is seen. If you think of the one we had against Kurt [Zouma at Everton] the other day, but we just have to take it and move on."

This defeat abroad perhaps reminds the Hammers hierarchy of an imminent decision facing them over Moyes' future. The 60-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season, and there have been reports that West Ham are assessing alternatives to Moyes.

In the meantime, though, it is believed Sullivan and co are plotting another staff change.

West Ham could offer Aaron Cresswell player-coach role

According to Football Insider and journalist Wayne Veysey, defender Aaron Cresswell could be set for quite the promotion.

Indeed, as per their information, West Ham could offer Cresswell a player-coach role to remain at the London Stadium past 2023/2024. The left-back has been a wonderful servant for West Ham over his near-decade-long spell, and with his contract expiring this summer, it is believed the Irons may offer him a route into staying for the foreseeable.

The former Ipswich Town defender has been a bit-part member of Moyes' squad this season, playing just four league games.

MatériaMais Notícias

No último sábado (1) aconteceu o primeiro jogo da final do Campeonato Paranaense Feminino 2020 entre Athletico-PR e Imperial. No primeiro confronto, o Furacão levou a melhor com uma imponente goleada de 6 a 0 e o grande destaque da partida foi a jovem Milena.

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>Tabela da Série A2 do Brasileirão Feminino

A atacante de apenas 19 anos de idade marcou aos 25 minutos de jogo, ajudando a ampliar o placar, e se tornou também a artilheira do campeonato, com cinco gols.

Apesar da larga dianteira construída no embate de ida, ela garantiu que motivação não faltará a ela e suas companheiras para repetir uma atuação tão boa quanto a primeira e, consequentemente, assegurar o título do Paranaense Feminino.

– Sempre entro motivada em campo para defender o Athletico. Os gols são resultados de um time unido e determinado a alcançar grandes objetivos. Fico muito feliz em poder ajudar minhas companheiras, mas sem o apoio delas e de todo o clube, isso não seria possível. Já estamos preparadas para o próximo jogo. Vamos dar de tudo para levar o troféu para casa – declarou a atleta.

Milena renovou com o Athletico no final do ano passado após ter feito uma excelente temporada pelo Furacão no Campeonato Brasileiro A2 onde também foi artilheira com quatro gols, em sete jogos. O time paranaense já tem sua vaga garantida na próxima temporada, que se inicia no dia 15 de maio.

Já no estadual, o último jogo da final acontece na próxima quarta-feira (5) às 19h30 (de Brasília).

10-man Colombia is headed to their third-ever Copa America final thanks to a 1-0 win over Uruguay in tense semifinal

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• Jefferson Lerma scores lone goal
• Daniel Munoz sent off for Colombia
• Colombia set to face Argentina in Miami

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  TELL ME MORE

  It was a feisty affair from the start, with both sides flying into tackles in a way that befits a semifinal. Both teams came out strong, sending clear, physical messages.

  Colombia, ultimately, sent the most important message – an opening goal, the ultimate decision maker in a 1-0 victory that sends them to the Copa America final Sunday against Argentina.

  It came from the head of Jefferson Lerma, who thumped home from the center of the box to give his side a 39th-minute lead. James Rodgriguez provided the assist, his sixth of the tournament, and Colombia was rolling.

  The celebration of that goal was short-lived, however. In first-half stoppage time, Daniel Munoz was sent off with a second yellow card for an elbow, leaving Colombia short-handed for the entire second half.

  Yet, despite all of Uruguay's efforts, they could never break down Colombia, who held strong throughout the second 45. The final 20 minutes were all Uruguay, but, aside from a Luis Suarez shot that caromed off the post, Colombia prevented their opponents from taking advantage of their extra man.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Colombia had only made the Copa America final twice in the tournament's history. They won the title in 2001, their most recent final appearance, while finishing as runners-up to Peru in 1975.

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  THE MVP

  James Rodriguez:

  He did it again.

  Somehow, Rodriguez continues to turn back the clock, playing just as well, if not better, than he did back in 2014. He's the quintessential South American No. 10, one that can win you the game with just one swing of his leg.

  The Colombian star needed just one cross to turn the tide and it was a perfect one. All Lerma had to do was put it on frame, as it was delivered on a platter.

  With Rodriguez in this type of form, Colombia can dream about, perhaps, beating another legendary No. 10 in the finale.

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• THE BIG LOSER

  Darwin Nunez:

  He had his chances, as he often does, but Nunez just couldn't convert.

  It's his MO, isn't it? The volume is always there – the quality, less so. Nunez had two legitimate chances in the first half but couldn't put either on frame.

  If Nunez can bury one of those chances, Uruguay could have been flying into the semifinal. Instead, it's another case of missed opportunities for a player that is so, so close to figuring it all out. After the match, he was also involved in an altercation with Colombia fans that could ultimately result in discipline.

If Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Manchester United decide to sack Erik ten Hag before the end of the season, or once it's concluded, then they could enter a congested manager market.

Arch-rivals Liverpool are already searching for a new boss after Jurgen Klopp confirmed that he'd be stepping down in the summer, while Barcelona are in the same boat after Xavi announced his attention to leave. Bayern Munich are the latest to enter the fold after opting to part company with Thomas Tuchel amid their struggles in the Bundesliga.

Man Utd have made approach for £26m Spurs target who Jose Mourinho loves

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ByDavid Comerford Feb 27, 2024

Elsewhere, there's uncertainty around Premier League rivals Chelsea and their boss Mauricio Pochettino after a defeat to injury-hit Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final. The Argentine had a chance to relieve the pressure on his shoulders, with the Blues down in 11th in the table, but his stock may now have fallen further.

Man Utd eyeing Inzaghi swoop

Now, according to Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Football Italia), some of those clubs could pursue Inter boss Simone Inzaghi. Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool have all "started to gather information" with a view to possibly making a move at the end of the season.

Inzaghi is happy at Inter right now, but his current contract is due to expire in just over 12 months' time. He's seeking a two-year extension to his current €5.5m per year deal, but his Premier League suitors, including Ratcliffe and Man Utd, could be willing to offer as much as €9m, which works out at around £150,000 a week. Barcelona are also admirers, but it's unclear whether they can match that kind of financial package.

"Fantastic" Inzaghi is turning Inter into a European force

Described as a "fantastic" coach by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Inzaghi started out as the manager of Lazio from 2016 to 2021. He won the Coppa Italia in 2018/19, having been runner-up two years earlier, and then joined Inter following the departure of Antonio Conte.

In his first season, he delivered the Coppa Italia to soften the blow of narrowly missing out to Milan in the title race, and while they dropped a place to third last term, they truly made headlines in other competitions. In addition to retaining the cup, Inzaghi led Inter to the final of the Champions League, where they narrowly lost to Manchester City.

Everything has come together beautifully this year, and the Nerazzurri are running away with the league. After winning 21 and losing just one of their first 25 games, they sit nine points clear of Juventus at the top of the table.

Across Europe's big five leagues, only Bayer Leverkusen (2.65) can better their record of 2.64 points per match, and nobody can match their average of 0.48 goals conceded per game, nor their goal difference of +51. That solidity hasn't come at the expense of attacking fireworks, though, with only Bayern (2.7) and Leverkusen (2.48) averaging more goals than their 2.44.

Rank

Club

GA pg

1

Inter

0.48

2

Real Madrid

0.58

=3

Nice

0.65

=3

Juventus

0.65

5

Bayer Leverkusen

0.7

=6

Lille

0.78

=6

Brest

0.78

8

Paris Saint-Germain

0.83

9

Bologna

0.85

=9

Arsenal

0.85

Inzaghi, named the Serie A coach of the month for October and January, is producing one of the outstanding managerial efforts in European football right now, and so it's inevitable that clubs like United are taking notice.

West Indies overcame a spirited Afghanistan fight fuelled by Najibullah Zadran’s half-century to win their first ODI series since August 2014. The key architects of their win in the second ODI were Nicholas Pooran and Roston Chase – the former leading an excellent lower-order rally to make 67 while the off-spinning allrounder nicked out Afghanistan’s top order in a superb spell of 3 for 30 to put the brakes, eventually leading to a 47-run win.Afghanistan would rue a number of opportunities, not least of all the double-strike following a sixth-wicket stand of 68 between Najibullah and Mohammad Nabi. First, Sheldon Cottrell had Najibullah nicking behind for 56 while he attempted a slash with Afghanistan needing 70 off 67 balls. Off the first ball of the next over, rookie legspinner Hayden Walsh had Nabi lbw to extinguish any hopes of an Afghanistan rearguard. Walsh, who was only introduced in the 29th over, seemingly because Afghanistan had two set left-handers, finished with 3 for 36, including the final wicket to seal victory.In many ways, the match was a throwback to the ’90s. West Indies went in with a slow and steady approach, looking to launch later. The risk with that approach is it puts immense pressure on the lower order to score quickly from the outset. On challenging surfaces, like the one at the Ekana Stadium where Afghanistan played four spinners and West Indies two, it can be a tough ask. Fortunately, West Indies found a savior in Pooran, who negotiated Rashid Khan’s threat with great caution, before taking apart the death bowling. He put in a high value on risk-free shots initially before seamlessly bringing out the big hits. The last 10 overs produced 86 runs to lift West Indies to 247 for 9.In the chase, Afghanistan stuttered, recovered and then again played rash shots, like the one Hazratullah Zazai did to hole out to long-on and Asghar Afghan, the experienced former captain, heaving one to deep midwicket when the need of the hour was consolidation. Rahmat Shah looked in control, and overcame a short-ball barrage from Jason Holder to keep the runs ticking along. While he wasn’t quite as comfortable while pulling or hooking, his cuts and punches square of the wicket were a visual treat. But his dismissal against the run of play threatened to blow the lid off. Sent back after a terrible mix-up with Ikram Alikhil, he was inches short of the crease when Pollard swooped in from mid-on to fire a throw to Alzarri Joseph, who removed the bails at the non-striker’s end.Alikhil and Najibullah hung in there, the escalating asking rate that went past six, not proving to be a bother. With the knowledge that Nabi was still to come, they kept picking the ones and twos and looked to take the game deep. Najibullah’s half-century was an innings of two contrasts – watchful early on until he decided he had to take on the train of spin, by reverse sweeping his way, sometimes even against the turn, to boundaries. He reached his half-century by drilling Holder through extra cover and followed that up by swatting him over long-on in the same over to keep West Indies worried until the 38th over. Then he was dismissed, and the match turned again.As comprehensive as the win seemed in the end, it wouldn’t tell you the entire story. West Indies struggled with the bat, strangulated by a succession of fast darts and fizzy turn. They played out as many as 143 dots till the 36th over, before deciding the only way out was to attack. It could’ve well cost them if not for Pooran’s rescue act.Early on, openers Shai Hope and Ewin Lewis decided to take it slow and set a launchpad by accumulating 98 in 24.4 overs. Naveen-ul-Haq, the only seamer in the XI, struggled for lengths and was smacked for four boundaries by Hope in his first two overs, until Rashid turned to spin. A pulsating start soon turned into a solid one, before the innings failed to get out of second gear.From time-to-time, Lewis produced the odd boundary. He sits on his left leg and looks to stay back, and when the spinners err, he takes full toll, which is what he did here. Hope, meanwhile, got bogged down. After motoring to 18 off 18, he managed all off 13 off his next 33 deliveries against Afghanistan’s spinners. However, he was to contend with more spin, which brought more caution, eventually leading to his dismissal Rashid snuck past his bat with a ripping googly to trap him lbw.Lewis was out in the next over, leaving Chase and Hetmyer with a steep task. Hetmyer played an uncharacteristic knock, shelving the slogs and the temptation to look for release shots when things didn’t go his way, but that was only until he got to 34. After lofting Nabi inside-out over long-off for six, he flat-batted the next ball straight to long-on to once again waste another opportunity. That it came off the last ball of Nabi’s spell made it that much more unacceptable from West Indies’ point of view.Pollard walked in needing to stay alive till the death overs, but he was foxed by left-arm spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf, reaching out to lob a simple return catch. On many other nights, this could’ve led to a proper meltdown and perhaps even the difference between victory and defeat. Fortunately, West Indies had Pooran’s lower order rally to thank for lifting them to a total that proved just beyond Afghanistan’s reach.