Everything was looking rosy for Xabi Alonso after a thumping 4-0 home win over Valencia on November 1, which was Real Madrid's 13th victory out of 14 games across all competitions in the first few months of the season. Los Blancos were top of La Liga by five points ahead of Clasico rivals Barcelona, who they beat 2-1 at the Bernabeu seven days earlier, and they'd racked up nine points out of a possible nine in the Champions League, with Juventus among their victims.
But the wheels have fallen off spectacularly since then. Madrid have only won two of their last eight, and now find themselves four points adrift of Barca domestically and six off European pace-setters Arsenal. A 1-0 defeat to an out-of-sorts Liverpool at Anfield started the slide, and alarm bells started ringing after three successive draws against Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Girona.
Alonso's side then hit rock bottom with a dismal 2-0 loss against Celta Vigo in front of their own fans on Sunday, prompting the board into action. According to , senior Real Madrid officials, including president Florentino Perez and general director Jose Angel Sanchez, held crunch talks over Alonso's future, concluding that the manager does "not have a good connection with a significant part of the dressing room". It has been suggested that some players are struggling to get on board with Alonso's tactics, while a well-publicised fallout with star winger Vinicius Jr has led to a distracting transfer sideshow.
The Madrid squad did appear to be behind Alonso in their latest outing, showing plenty of heart and urgency in attack during Manchester City's visit to the Spanish capital on Wednesday. However, it was City who ultimately emerged with a 2-1 win, and whistles rained down on Alonso from the frustrated Bernabeu crowd after the final whistle.
Alonso is a progressive coach who needs time to stamp an identity, but that luxury is never on offer in Madrid. Change is inevitable if the inconsistency continues, and there are already seven candidates in the frame to replace the Spaniard. GOAL runs through their credentials below…
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Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp decided to step away from coaching after calling time on his stellar nine-year spell at Liverpool in the summer of 2024, and has since taken on the role of global head of soccer for the Red Bull Group. The charismatic German spoke to about his new life in September, saying when quizzed on whether his time in the dugout is now over: "That’s what I think. But you don’t know. I’m 58. If I started again at 65, everybody will say, 'You said you’ll never do it again!' I don’t miss anything."
His stance appeared to have softened last month, though, as he described a potential return to Liverpool as "theoretically possible". Back in April, Klopp was in the frame for the Madrid job alongside Alonso when murmurs of Carlo Ancelotti's departure began, but reported that he would wait until next summer to decide on any management opportunities.
However, now claims that Madrid are ready to test Klopp's resolve. He is said to be one of the "favourites" to step in if Alonso is sacked, and he certainly has the personality and experience to spark an instant turnaround. Klopp's heavy-metal brand of football would surely be a hit with the Madrid faithful, too, but his true motivations remain unclear, so this feels like a dream appointment rather than a realistic one at the moment.
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Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane is one of the greatest players and managers to ever grace the Bernabeu, which is why his name pops up every time there is talk of a coaching reshuffle in Madrid. claims that Perez still has great "confidence and affection" for Zidane, who delivered three successive Champions League titles during his first stint in the hot seat.
The president brought him back once before, in similar times of crisis back in March 2019 after the disastrous short reigns of Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari. Zidane went on to deliver the 2019-20 La Liga title, but resigned at the end of the following campaign, and has been unemployed ever since.
Zidane is an adaptable coach who balances defensive solidity with attacking flair, and he knows how to get the best out of world-class players, much like Ancelotti. But it is the worst-kept secret in football that Zidane is waiting to take the reins of the France national team. With Didier Deschamps set to step down after the 2026 World Cup, it is expected that Zidane is being primed to usher in a new era for Les Bleus. It would be a huge surprise if he performed a U-turn now, especially for a Madrid squad dealing with a crisis of confidence and numerous injuries.
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Andoni Iraola
In February, the claimed that Madrid had identified Andoni Iraola as a lead contender to succeed Ancelotti. Iraola previously managed in Madrid at Rayo Vallecano, who he took from the Segunda Division to 11th in La Liga and the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.
Bournemouth bought into his billing as one of the most exciting young coaches in Europe when handing him a two-year contract in June 2023, and he's since enhanced his reputation. The Cherries are now in the mix for European qualification thanks to Iraola's attack-minded blueprint for success, with a high-pressing system and focus on vertical passing making them a match for even the very best Premier League teams.
The consensus is, Iraola will soon move on to bigger and better things. The 43-year-old has exceeded expectations in both La Liga and the Premier League, and Madrid's interest has probably only increased over the past 11 months. The Bernabeu is a pressure cooker like no other, but Iraola has the calm demeanour to deal with it, and wouldn't be afraid to take risks in order to bring the team out of its funk.
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Marcelino
If Madrid decide to look close to home, one name stands out above all others in La Liga: Marcelino Garcia Toral. Thanks to his disciplined approach, Villarreal are sitting third in La Liga, five points behind Barca with a game in hand, and there is genuine belief in the Castellon province that they can push for the title.
Villarreal boast the best defensive record in La Liga at present, with Marcelino's compact 4-4-2 formation forcing opponents wide, and they can be devastating on the transition with plenty of pace and guile in the final third. The 60-year-old Spaniard inherited a squad languishing in 14th when he returned to El Madrigal for a second spell in November 2023, and has transformed their fortunes in remarkable style, with a fifth-placed finish last term taking the club back into the Champions League.
The Yellow Submarine have really struggled in Europe's elite competition, which would be a concern for Madrid if they do seriously consider Marcelino, but only Alonso, Hansi Flick, Diego Simeone and Manuel Pellegrini have stronger CVs among the current coaching pool in Spain. Marcelino guided Villarreal to the Europa League semis in his first stint, won the Copa del Rey with Valencia in 2018-19 and reached the final a further two times with Athletic Club.
If Villarreal can move ahead of Madrid as the main challengers for Barca's crown, Perez may decide Marcelino is the right man to bring domestic glory back to the Bernabeu.
Thierry Henry offered a measured assessment of the United States’ World Cup prospects, acknowledging that Group D is favorable but still far from simple. He noted that host nations often ride energy and momentum to deep runs, and said a fast start and a strong connection with home support could tilt the tournament in the USMNT’s favor.
Getty Images SportFrench legend recognizes winnable group
Henry acknowledged the relief many American supporters felt upon seeing the USMNT paired with Paraguay, Australia, and the UEFA Play-Off C winner rather than traditional powerhouses.
“When I was there, I could see that people were happy because it could have been worse,” Henry said on CBS Sports Golazo. “And yes, it is a winnable group. You still have to do it. The last games that I've seen from the U.S. were reassuring, I will be honest, but you have to be good when the World Cup starts. I said it at the beginning when they were not playing well in friendlies, "Don't get too sad and don't get too hyped about anything."
AdvertisementGettyHenry stresses the importance of momentum
Drawing on examples of host nations who rode crowd energy to deep runs, the France and Arsenal legend pointed out that a strong start and a clear connection with home supporters could turn the tournament in the U.S.’s favor.
“And I said it obviously when I was there, I said that I do believe that if the U.S. come out of the group stage playing well, carrying momentum, having that, that understanding with the fans, when the fans can relate to the team and what they see,” Henry said. “I've seen it with South Korea in 2002, I've seen it in Russia when Russia played the World Cup in their country.
“When you get that momentum, anything is possible. But like I said, you still have to go through the group. It won't be easy, but it could have been worse.”
Getty Images SportBalancing optimism with realistic assessment
As the tournament approaches, Henry's measured optimism serves as a reminder that favorable draws provide opportunity but never guarantee success, with execution and mental fortitude ultimately determining which teams advance and which go home disappointed.
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GettyWhat's the next for the USMNT?
The U.S. have an extended break and won't play again until March 28, when they host Belgium.
It’s been a long time coming, but it’s all been worth it for a household that has been through everything
Firdose Moonda24-Dec-2024Timing, as they say in sport, is everything, and it was about a year ago that Corbin and Eathan Bosch went through some of their father Tertius’ things.Tertius had passed away in tragic circumstances in 2000, when Corbin was five and Eathan not yet two. The pair knew him only through the memories of others, including their mother Karen-Anne, who held on to a lot of Tertius’ playing kit. Among the things the brothers found was a 1992 World Cup shirt. “It was pretty special,” Eathan, a cricketer in South Africa’s domestic set-up, tells ESPNcricinfo. “And also just to see what the kit looked like back then and what it’s like now. I must say I wouldn’t be able to play in that kind of kit. It’s just so thick and heavy.”Related
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At the time, Eathan didn’t think he’d ever have reason to put the shirt on, but kept it with him anyway. Two days ago, that changed. He was invited to a hospitality suite at the Wanderers for Corbin’s ODI debut and decided on his outfit as he walked out of his front door. “It was a pink day so I thought I was going to wear a pink shirt, but then at the last second as I was leaving I remembered I had the [1992] shirt and I thought, ‘let me wear it.’ When I got to the stadium, I just put it on,” Eathan says. “I just thought it was a special occasion, and what better way to celebrate Corbin’s debut than wearing one of my dad’s shirts?”
From building with Lego at home, to making your ODI debut for the Proteas.
Corbin Bosch talks us through the whole experience leading up to last nights match and the game itself!#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #PinkDay #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/mqaoPgxSzM
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 23, 2024
Those who had watched Tertius were now reminded of him when they watched Corbin bowl, consistently hitting speeds of 140-plus kph. He picked up the wicket of centurion Saim Ayub and went on to score a defiant 44-ball 40, batting at No. 8.Four days on, Corbin will get to do it again, in possibly even more special circumstances. He has been named in South Africa’s XI for the Boxing Day Test in Centurion, where Tertius began his first-class career just under 38 years ago.”It couldn’t be more fitting that where he played all of his cricket will be the place where I make my Test debut,” an emotional Corbin told reporters at SuperSport Park. “I love this place, the atmosphere is always fantastic, and it’s a ground that I’m so well accustomed to, so I couldn’t be more happy. It’s my home, and it’s where he played most of his cricket before going down to Durban, so I cannot be more grateful and thankful to spend such a momentous occasion here.”Tertius rose to prominence as a dental student at the University of Pretoria, and began his domestic career in the summer of 1986-87. He made a name for himself as among the quickest in the country, on par with Allan Donald. Five years later, he was part of South Africa’s first ODI World Cup squad and played one match against New Zealand, and shared the new ball in South Africa’s first Test post-readmission. HE was only 33 when he died, and his wife Karen-Anne did everything she could to nurture their two sons’ love of sport.Kagiso Rabada and Corbin Bosch took contrasting paths to South Africa’s senior team after starring together at the 2014 Under-19 World Cup•AFP/Getty Images”I take my hat off to my mum,” Eathan says. “She had two boys that were crazy sports fanatics that just did sport after sport after sport. We owe a lot to her because she would take us to extra lessons, whether it was cricket, swimming, hockey, anything. And the amount of backyard cricket we used to play was absolutely ridiculous. We broke tiles because of the amount of times we would tap the bats on a certain spot. No matter where we went, we always found a place to play some garden cricket.”Corbin schooled at Pretoria Boys alongside Aiden Markram and the pair made South Africa’s Under-19 World Cup squad together in 2014. They were among the standout performers of the team’s title-winning campaign. Markram was South Africa’s leading run-scorer and Bosch the Player of the Match in the final for his 4 for 15. He was also the team’s second-highest wicket-taker, behind Kagiso Rabada.Ray Jennings, the coach of that side, remembers the trio as his “brains trust” at the tournament. He tipped all of them for greater things. “Corbin was one of the senior guys of that side and a really underrated allrounder,’ Jennings tells ESPNcricinfo. “He could really hit a ball in the lower order, and has a really good cricket brain. He was also very consistent in his pace. He was one of my brains trust – him, Rabada and Markram – they were my three guys who helped me make the opposition struggle on the field. I’m sad that he wasn’t identified sooner.”While Rabada and then Markram got provincial contracts, Corbin was unable to hold down a place in the Northerns team. In 2016, a year after Rabada got his first South Africa cap and a year before Markram got his, Corbin moved to Brisbane to see if he could make it in Australia. He played first-grade cricket for Northern Suburbs Districts and spent time with Andy Bichel and Phil Jaques but wasn’t getting as far as he hoped. By November 2017, Corbin was back in South Africa, and had decided he would try his home country again with one notable difference: he was quicker. “After he came back from Australia, he was just determined to always try to bowl nice and fast,” Eathan says.Corbin made his franchise debut that summer and has been in and around the professional set-up ever since, but never with the kind of numbers that screamed “select me.” Instead, he found some prominence in the leagues and was a replacement player at Rajasthan Royals in 2022 before signing deals at the CPL and the SA20. All the time, he has bubbled under.His big break came when he was included in an SA Invitation side to play England Lions earlier this month, and he scored 33 off 45, batting at No. 8, and bowled five overs with a return of 1 for 21. South Africa’s Test coach Shukri Conrad was there, specifically to see Corbin, as he grappled with a slew of injured seamers. At that point, the reality of Corbin being in line for an international call-up, drew significantly closer. In double-quick time.When Ottneil Baartman became the seventh seamer to go down over the summer, Corbin was parachuted into the ODI squad. He was capped by his schoolmate Markram, who recognised that Corbin “had to do it the hard way” and had “waited many years for the opportunity”.
A debut on a special day!
Corbin Bosch makes his ODI debut for the Proteas today, after receiving his cap from Aiden Markram.#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #PinkDay #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/Oeo73cz7Uz
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 22, 2024
“I don’t think he ever gave up,” Eathan says. “He’s someone with a hell of a lot of self-belief. There’s obviously times in anyone’s career where you don’t believe it but he is just someone who just kept working hard and just kept sticking to what he wanted to do. His biggest dream was to play for South Africa, and I don’t think he wanted to stop until he did it.”But there was one thing Corbin wanted more than an ODI debut. “The cap I most really wanted out of all the international caps was the Test cap,” Corbin said. “Test cricket is something that means the most to me, so I cannot wait to get onto this field in a couple days’ time.”By the time Corbin found out he would be in the Boxing Day XI, Karen-Anne and the Boschs’ stepdad Brian van Onselen had already gone to their holiday home in the coastal town of Kenton-on-Sea when they got a call to say they should head upcountry instead. “Shukri pulled me aside yesterday and gave me the news that I could tell my parents that they can fly up, so I can ruin the Christmas holiday,” Corbin said.For Karen-Anne, this is the best way her break could be interrupted. “She said she wouldn’t miss this moment for the world,” Corbin said.Eathan has continued down to the Eastern Cape, and will “make sure that wherever I am, I’ve got some sort of stream on or something,” but is happy to take the back seat for this one. “I’m really glad I had my moment on Sunday, and it was me and him,” Eathan says. “It’s only fair that my mom and my stepdad have this moment with Corbin as well.”And somewhere, someone else might be enjoying it too. “We’re really proud,” Eathan says, “and obviously dad’s really proud of him too.”
يرى محمد شوقي المدير الفني لفريق زد إف سي، أن مجموعة منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العالم 2026، “جيدة”.
ويقع منتخب مصر في المجموعة السابعة من كأس العالم مع بلجيكا ونيوزيلندا وإيران
طالع.. مواعيد مباريات مصر في كأس العالم 2026
وقال محمد شوقي في تصريحات لقناة “النهار”: “مجموعتنا في كأس العالم ظاهريًا تقول إنها جيدة مقارنة بالمجموعات الأخرى”.
وأضاف: “كارلوس كيروش مدرب منتخب مصر السابق، كان يتلقى رسائل ضغط من المسؤولين من أجل الفوز بكأس أمم إفريقيا، وكيروش عقب مباراة نيجيريا في كأس الأمم رحب بالتنازل عن الشرط الجزائي والرحيل عن المنتخب لو طلب منه ذلك”.
وتابع: “علاقتي الجيدة بجماهير الأهلي بسبب شعورهم بعطائي للنادي، لم أصدق أو أتوقع أن يحزن جمهور الأهلي على رحيلي خلال فترة قصيرة جدًا”.
واختتم: “قدمت كل ما لدي خلال تواجدي في الأهلي سواء بقطاع الناشئين أو الفريق، ولم أشعر بقيمة هدفي في مرمى البرازيل في كأس القارات سوى بعد اعتزالي كرة القدم”.
ATLANTA — Sometime around the late innings Tuesday night, the home bullpen door at Truist Field will swing open and out will come running a baseball fairy tale waiting to be told. You will know it is Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers by his Ichabod Crane figure, his aw-shucks, Missouri-bred Tom Sawyer smile and his holy spit fastball. Midsummer evening in Georgia suddenly will feel hotter, batters will shake their heads in wonder and jaws will drop.
Misiorowski is that special. He is 23 years old and looks even younger. He is as thin as a paper clip and aglow with so much joy and so wide a grin he can’t stop using the word “cool.”
Just five starts under the belt around his slim waist, he also is at the center of the biggest and most wrong-headed controversy at this All-Star Game. The gripe, largely fostered by the Philadelphia Phillies and assorted media, was that Misiorowski did not “deserve” his selection. Never mind that pitchers left and right couldn’t be bothered to pitch in the All-Star Game and that the honor meant so much to Misiorowski that he cried when he was told of his selection.
And then there is this: Misiorowski throws the meanest fastball in baseball, a 99.3 mph rocket with an absurd, gravity-defying 2,599 rpm spin, a wickedly low release point and so much extension he lets go of the ball a foot closer to home plate than the average pitcher. And he’s been historically great in his brief but captivating time on the MLB stage.
Misiorowski is exactly what the All-Star Game is: a showcase of the best talent in baseball, not a WAR calculating exercise. He is a sensation (without the mound-scaping and talking-to-the-ball soliloquies) in the manner of Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, who the All-Star Game with just 11 starts. With the way the world moves, five starts in 2025 is darn close to the exposure of 11 starts in 1976.
If you don’t want Misiorowski, you don’t want entertainment. And you don’t want baseball fairy tales.
Just two years ago on this date Misiorowski was pitching in front of 4,175 people in Peoria for the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Five years ago, after COVID wiped out his senior season at Grain Valley High and no team drafted the skinny righthander, he decided he’d rather pitch for the Crowder College Roughriders, a community college in Missouri with an enrollment of 3,800, than accept an offer from Oklahoma State.
“Well, I just think that’s what I needed,” he explains. “I think I needed a small town to just get my feet wet and get acclimated to collegiate ball.”
I asked him to give me the scouting report on his 18-year-old self. “I was really, really skinny. Really lanky.”
What does that mean, weight-wise? “Like 170, 165.”
Same height? Six-feet-seven? “Yeah. Pretty close.”
He continues with the scouting report: “He’s going to throw a lot of fastballs. He doesn’t always know where it’s going to go. He knows, be ready to get hit. So, it’s, yeah, I think that’s the biggest threat: it’s just, ‘Don't get hit.’”
He made 15 starts for Crowder in 2022, then decided to transfer to LSU, where he would have joined Paul Skenes. But the Brewers drafted him in the second round—after 62 players were picked—and gave him $2.3 million, mid-first round money, to sign. Misiorowski needed to gain weight (he has put on about 25 to 30 pounds) and iron out his mechanics. He was a strikeout machine in the minors (12.3 strikeouts per nine) but lacked command (5.4 walks per nine). But counterintuitively, he commands the baseball much better in the big leagues with four pitches than he did in the minors. He has an old school explanation for that.
“Adrenaline,” he says. “I think that's the biggest thing. You know, I think it was just one of those things that happens when you settle down, like you learn to be where your feet are and have fun.”
Misiorowski’s long reach gives hitters less time to react to swing. / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
As thin as your chances of hitting his fastball, Misiorowski has been an optical wonder. No one throws the ball this fast this close to the plate with this much spin. In each of his four wins he has beaten an All-Star: Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Skenes and Clayton Kershaw, who wasn’t even sure of the kid’s name when Misiorowski dominated the Dodgers like few pitchers have ever done. Misiorowski joined Dwight Gooden (19 years old in 1984) and Louis Drucke (21 in 1910) as the youngest pitchers to beat the Dodgers with as many as 12 strikeouts and no more than one walk.
“Yeah, speechless,” he says. “It’s one of the things you dream about, basically. It’s the Dodgers, so it's really cool to perform the way I did.”
Those “undeserving” five starts are historically great, with winning four times with 33 strikeouts and a 2.81 ERA. Only five other pitchers started like that through five starts, beginning with Noodles Hahn in 1901 through Jesse Hahn in 2014 and with Cy Blanton (1934–35), Bo Belinsky (1964) and Yu Darvish (2012) in between.
Misiorowski meets all the history and all the success with a wide-eyed grin. You half expect him to offer you the chance to paint a picket fence.
“I mean, it’s really cool,” he says. “No way I imagined this. Not a chance.”
Still, Misiorowski was a long shot to make the team. Eight pitchers originally were named to the team, including Zack Wheeler of the Phillies. Wheeler bowed out, especially after learning that Skenes was starting instead of him. Pitchers who pitched Sunday, such as Cristopher Sanchez of the Phillies, were out. MLB asked Ranger Suárez to pitch in the All-Star Game. He declined. According to one source, MLB went through 13 more pitchers—21 in all—before they finally landed on a willing, able and, yes, deserving Misiorowski. You could pick a relief pitcher having a good season, such as Emilio Pagán, or you could pick an honest to goodness sensation.
Ask what he loves most about pitching and he says, “Just competing against the guy in the box. I think that's the coolest part. You get to face the guys that are, you know, in The Show. You’re like, ‘Holy cow, this is that dude!’ And now you’re like, ‘Okay, now I’ve got to beat this guy. Let’s go!’”
Misiorowski’s combination of talent and youth is as refreshing as the answer he gave to what he expected from pitching in the All-Star Game: “Nothing. I’m just trying to make it through and have fun.”
Tuesday night will mark the official introduction of Jacob Misiorowski of Blue Springs, Mo.—about 200 miles from Hannibal, Mo.—to the national baseball stage. Such are the moments that make the All-Star Game the grand showcase of talent that it is designed to be. And if adrenaline is his secret to command, what will the adrenaline be like coursing through his whippet of a body in that moment under the lights?
“Through the roof,” he says. “More than any other game.”
There is a scene in when Tom attempts to convince Huckleberry Finn to accept the ways in which the Widow Douglas wants to teach him manners and civility. Mark Twain used the Widow Douglas as a proxy for the confining ways of proper society, analogous to staying within the lines of a coloring book or, as All-Star Games go, inviting only the “deserved” who have paid their dues in full.
Aaron Judge made history on Saturday by becoming the fastest player in MLB history to reach 350 career home runs, but he wasn't much in the mood to celebrate after his New York Yankees fell to the Chicago Cubs 5-2.
On a day in which the Yankees couldn't get much of anything going until the end of the game, Judge was the bright spot, recording three hits, one run, two RBIs and the 350th home run of career, but it didn't matter much to the star Yankees outfielder as they endured the loss.
"I got nothing, to be honest," Judge told reporters after the game. "It would've been great if we had gotten a win today, you do something like that. I've been surrounded by a lot of great teammates, been on some good teams, they've really put me in the best position to go out there and perform at my best. So it's really just a shoutout to all the teammates I've had over the years."
Outside of wishing the Yankees won, Judge's primary comments on the monumental feat were simply to give credits to the teammates that have helped him along the way. Though Judge reached 350 home runs in nearly 200 fewer games than any other player, he appeared less than impressed without a win also in hand.
Judge now has 35 home runs on the season, only behind Seattle Mariners' catcher Cal Raleigh's 38. The Yankees fell to 53-42 on the year, and trail the Blue Jays by 2.5 games in the AL East.
Em enquete realizada no canal do Whatsapp do Santos, a torcida do Peixe elegeu Gil como o destaque da equipe nesta edição do Paulistão.
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➡️ Siga o Lance! Santos no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Peixe
Gil chegou ao Santos após o Corinthians optar por nao renovar o contrato do veterano zagueiro. O atleta de 36 anos foi a grande contratação do Peixe para o setor defensivo.
continua após a publicidade
Gil foi um dos principais nomes do Santos durante o Paulistão e quase marcou o gol que levaria a decisão contra o Palmeiras aos pênaltis no Allianz Parque.
➡️No Lance! Betting, você pode levar mais de R$124 se Corinthians e Nacional balançarem as redes
O veterano zagueiro formou boa dupla com Joaquim e será um dos principais nomes do Peixe na disputa pelo título da Série B.
Chelsea have received takeover interest from the Middle East amid a behind-scenes rift between Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly with a response given by the former, according to a new report.
Chelsea's mixed start to 2025/2026 under Enzo Maresca
Chelsea entered the campaign aiming to re-establish themselves as Premier League contenders and to make a strong impact in Europe, following what was a promising 2024/2025.
Enzo Maresca’s side qualified for the Champions League, won the UEFA Conference League and topped it off with a summer triumph at the Club World Cup, which banked the club a seismic £84 million in total prize money, according to the BBC.
Chelsea's Reece James lifts the trophy as he celebrates withChelseamanager Enzo Maresca and teammates after winning the FIFA Club World Cup
However, there were real concerns surrounding Chelsea’s long-winded campaign and their inclusion in the controversial summer tournament, particularly around player fitness.
This appears to be coming to the forefront right now, with Maresca in the midst of a mini-injury crisis which has seen a host of key players sidelined, including almost all of their central defence for Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Liverpool just prior to the international break.
Chelsea injury worries
Problem
Estimated return date
Enzo Fernández
Knee
Unknown
Cole Palmer
Groin
November
Andrey Santos
Knock
Unknown
Dario Essugo
Thigh
Early 2026
Liam Delap
Hamstring
November
Levi Colwill
ACL
Spring 2026
via Standard Sport
Reece James caused a major scare when the right-back withdrew from England duty after an injury sustained against Liverpool too, but thankfully for Maresca, the decision was merely precautionary.
Chelsea’s much-needed wins over José Mourinho’s Benfica and Liverpool helped to calm suggestions of real tension between Maresca and the Stamford Bridge hierarchy, with the Blues suffering a poor run of form between late August and late September.
Maresca’s side won just once in five games during that period — a nervy 2-1 victory away to Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup — and suffered humbling defeats against Bayern Munich, Man United and Brighton.
Chelsea really haven’t been helped by injuries and there are glaring weaknesses to address, particularly in defence, with BlueCo reportedly prioritising the signing of a star centre-back in January.
However, as per a new report by journalist Simon Phillips, Clearlake and the club’s ownership remain committed to the cause.
Clearlake respond to Middle East takeover approach over buying Chelsea
Phillips, via his Substack, reports that Chelsea have been subject to a takeover approach from the Middle East, with an unnamed consortium expressing interest in buying the club “outright.”
General view inside Stamford Bridge before the match
However, this enquiry to Clearlake was met with a clear response — Chelsea’s majority shares are not for sale.
Clearlake and Boehly have pumped hundreds of millions into Chelsea since their takeover from Roman Abramovich in 2022, particularly into new signings, and it would be a major shock to see either party sell-up now.
Even if a long-term acquisition is one to keep an eye on, Clearlake will surely want to end their tenure at the club by going out on a high with major silverware to look back on.
Presidente do Palmeiras, Leila Pereira revelou bastidores da contratação de Felipe Anderson para o clube. Em entrevista ao portal “ge”, a dirigente alviverde enalteceu a condução da negociação e o sigilio mantido durante as conversas. O anúncio do jogador que pertence à Lazio, da Itália, pegou imprensa e torcedores de surpresa na última segunda-feira (15).
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– Era uma negociação que estava sendo feita há algum tempo e o sigilo dela representa o nível de profissionalismo que temos aqui no Palmeiras. Fiquei muito feliz pela forma com que foi desencadeada toda essa negociação e espero que as próximas sejam feitas da mesma forma – afirmou Leila Pereira.
– Foi uma grande contratação e ele preferiu vir para o Brasil pelo projeto do Palmeiras, pela credibilidade que o Palmeiras tem. Meus atletas, meus profissionais, confiam na presidente, sabem que o que eu faço é o melhor para o Palmeiras e vou honrar meus compromissos com eles. Isso faz com que os atletas queiram vir jogar aqui conosco – completou a presidente do Verdão.
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Felipe Anderson chega ao Palmeiras em julho, na arbertura da segunda janela de transferências brasileira. Até lá, o meio-campista seguirá cumprindo seu compromisso com a Lazio, que queria sua renovação de contrado.
في إطار الاستعدادات الجادة للمشاركة في كأس إنتركونتيننتال 2025، أعلن الكرواتي كرونسلاف يورتشيتش المدير الفني لفريق بيراميدز، القائمة الرسمية المسافرة إلى قطر لخوض منافسات البطولة، التي يطمح خلالها النادي لتحقيق إنجاز تاريخي غير مسبوق للكرة المصرية.
ويترقّب بيراميدز هوية منافسه في نصف النهائي، حيث تُقام مساء اليوم المواجهة المرتقبة بين فلامنجو البرازيلي بطل أمريكا الجنوبية وكروز أزول المكسيكي بطل أمريكا الشمالية، على استاد أحمد بن علي في الدوحة، ضمن ربع نهائي البطولة.
وكان بيراميدز قد افتتح مشواره في كأس إنتركونتيننتال بقوة، بعدما تجاوز أوكلاند سيتي النيوزيلندي بثلاثية نظيفة في الدور التمهيدي الأول، قبل أن يزيح الأهلي السعودي من طريقه في ربع النهائي، ليضع نفسه في انتظار الفائز من ديربي الأمريكتين مساء اليوم، لمواجهته يوم السبت 13 ديسمبر على الملعب ذاته.
وسيحجز المتأهل من لقاء بيراميدز والمنافس المقبل مقعده في النهائي الكبير أمام باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي، الذي ينتظر خصمه في مباراة التتويج.
ووصلت بعثة بيراميدز بالفعل إلى مطار القاهرة الدولي استعدادًا للمغادرة على متن طائرة خاصة وفرتها إدارة النادي حرصًا على توفير أعلى درجات التركيز والراحة قبل خوض التحدي العالمي.
طالع أيضًا | بيراميدز يتهم 3 حكام بتشويه العدالة في الدوري.. ويطالب بتحقيق عاجل قائمة بيراميدز المشاركة في كأس إنتركونتيننتال 2025
حراسة المرمى: أحمد الشناوي – محمود جاد – زياد هيثم.
خط الدفاع: محمود مرعي – علي جبر – أحمد سامي – طارق علاء – محمد الشيبي – محمد حمدي – كريم حافظ – عبد الرحمن جودة – أسامة جلال.
خط الوسط: أحمد توفيق – محمود دونجا – مهند لاشين – عبد الرحمن مجدي – أحمد عاطف قطة – مصطفى زيكو – محمد رضا بوبو – مصطفى فتحي – وليد الكرتي – يوسف أوباما – بلاتي توريه – إيفرتون داسيلفا – محمود زلاكة.
خط الهجوم: فيستون ماييلي – دودو الجباس – مروان حمدي.