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Durham pulled off a comfortable DLS chase after restricting Warwickshire in the field

ECB Reporters Network26-Apr-2019Durham returned to winning ways in the Royal London Cup with a comfortable seven-wicket Duckworth-Lewis-Stern victory over Warwickshire at Edgbaston.A solid all-round display saw Durham bounce back from their North Group defeat at Worcester two days earlier. They restricted Warwickshire to 244 for 8 with tidy bowling, led by Ben Raine and Liam Trevaskis, supported by excellent fielding.Tim Ambrose, Chris Woakes and Sam Hain made half-centuries but the scoring-rate was slowed for too long by the need to shore up the innings after the loss of early wickets. The home side’s total looked under-par and even more so when, after an hour’s rain delay, the DLS equation left Durham requiring 211 in 36 overs.Alex Lees, Graham Clark and Gareth Harte eased Durham to victory with 14 balls to spare to ensure they remain right in the heart of the qualification race.Warwickshire, meanwhile, without a win after four games, desperately need victory in the derby against Worcestershire at New Road on Sunday. Added to their problems is yet another injury concern as Ambrose did not keep wicket after suffering some hip discomfort between innings.Put in, the home side received a perky start from Ed Pollock who collected 22 in fours and sixes but was then smartly caught by Scott Steel, running round the midwicket boundary, off Brydon Carse. Steel then showed safe hands again, at deep extra cover, to remove Dom Sibley off Trevaskis.Ambrose and Hain added 69 in 15 overs before the latter was bowled behind his legs by Gareth Harte. That was the first of three wickets in 23 balls as Will Rhodes chipped Carse to midwicket and Liam Banks lifted Raine to long off to leave the Bears 142 for 5.Woakes injected some momentum with a 43-ball half-century but Durham fielded tigerishly, turning a number of apparent boundary hits into ones or twos. They also caught like cats, with Harte pouching Ambrose at midwicket, Steel pouncing like a panther for a third time when Alex Thomson skied Carse, and Clark making no mistake when Woakes lifted Matty Potts to long-on.The DLS calculation left Warwickshire badly needing early wickets but they took only one, when Steel was brilliantly caught at cover by a diving Sibley off Olly Hannon-Dalby.Clark and Lees were little troubled in a stand of 93 in 14 overs, the former reaching his second List A half-century, from 47 balls, in the grand manner with a six hoisted into the Hollies Stand off George Panayi. He then pulled a Thomson long-hop to midwicket and Woakes swiftly had Cameron Bancroft caught by sub keeper Alex Mellor but Lees skilfully shepherded his side to victory in an unbroken partnership of 79 with Harte.

Jude Bellingham's role might be altered by Carlo Ancelotti to accommodate Kylian Mbappe in attack despite his remarkable goal record.

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Mbappe set to arrive in the summerBellingham may have to play deeperWill have more responsibility in midfield(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The 20-year-old midfielder has enjoyed a stunning debut season, tallying 23 goals and 12 assists in 40 appearances, and played a pivotal role in Real Madrid's La Liga triumph and their journey to the Champions League final. Despite his impressive performances, Bellingham may find himself adjusting to a new role to make room for Mbappe, whose long-awaited move to Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain is imminent, which could herald a new era of Galacticos at the club.

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According to Ancelotti is considering using Bellingham in a deeper position at the centre of the park. Throughout the current season, the Italian has deployed Bellingham in various positions, often featuring him on the left side or as a false nine, granting him the freedom to roam in the final third – which has unlocked the English international's goal scoring abilities.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ancelotti sees Bellingham as capable of shouldering additional defensive responsibilities while maintaining his versatility as a total footballer. The manager is known for his ability to convince players to embrace new roles, as seen with Camavinga playing as a left-back or Tchouameni being deployed as a centre-back. He is clear that Bellingham's primary objective isn't solely scoring goals. While his prolific goalscoring form has helped Madrid cope superbly following the departure of Karim Benzema, Ancelotti envisions him reverting to a more natural midfield role next season to address the evolving needs and dynamics of the squad.

GettyWHAT NEXT?

Bellingham's innate talent and versatility make him a valuable asset for Real Madrid. His quality in front of goal has been crucial in steering the team to success at crucial junctures this season. However, with the arrival of Mbappe, Ancelotti seemingly wants him to take on the role of a midfield general and dictate the tempo of the match. Now, it remains to be seen how the 20-year-old adapts to his new role in the upcoming campaign.

Which 26 players will make it to Romania head coach Edward Iordanescu's final squad for the 2024 European Championship in Germany?

Romania did not qualify for Euro 2020 despite being a host nation, as they were one of the many host nations in the unique pan-European format. However, they have featured at three European Championships this century and failed to make it past the group stage of the 2016 edition of the tournament in France.

They are a force to be reckoned with under the tutelage of Edward Iordanescu right now, having displayed rare consistency to top Group I with ease.

Although a lack of experience at the top level may hinder their chances pitted in a tricky-looking Group E featuring Belgium, Slovakia, and Ukraine, they are in fine form under Iordanescu and may be capable of causing a surprise.

Head coach Iordanescu has named a 28-player provisional Romania squad for the European Championship in Germany this summer.

GOAL takes a look at the roster for this summer's European Championship.

GettyGOALKEEPERS

Romania's squad is a blend of talent from various clubs and leagues. In goal, they will boast the likes of Florin Nita from Gaziantep, Horatiu Moldovan who sealed a transfer from Rapid Bucuresti to Atletico Madrid over the winter window, and Stefan Tarnovanu coming from Steaua Bucuresti.

Moldovan has usually been the No. 1 pick in goal for Iordanescu, but he has hardly featured for Atletico Madrid since his winter switch, which could open the door for Nita to stake a claim for the starting goalkeeping spot.

Florin NitaGaziantepHoratiu MoldovanAtletico MadridStefan TarnovanuFCSBRazvan SavaClujAdvertisementGettyDEFENDERS

In defence, the most eye-catching name is that of Radu Dragusin, who joined Premier League side Spurs for a fee of €25 million from Italian side Genoa after having an impressive start to the season. The 22-year-old is a mainstay at the heart of the back four, with the likes of Andrei Burca, Adrian Rus, and Bogdan Racovitan set to battle it out for the other central defensive spot.

At full-back, Romania have plenty of options, partly down to the versatility of the aforementioned defenders. Nicusor Bancu and Ratiu have shown more than enough to keep their starting places as a balanced full-back pair that suits the team's defensive style very well while also providing some ability to carry the ball forward.

Adrian RusPafosAndrei BurcaAl-OkhdoodAndrei RatiuRayo VallecanoBogdan RacovitanRakow CzestochowaIonut Nedelcearu PalermoNicusor BancuUniversitatea CraiovaRadu DragusinTottenhamVasile MogoșClujGettyMIDFIELDERS

Creative midfielder Nicolae Stanciu, who has 14 international goals to his name, is set to start in his No. 10 role as captain.

Former Rangers star Ianis Hagi is expected to support the Damac midfielder in the supply chain, with backup options available in the form of Darius Olaru and free-scoring FCSB wide attacking midfielder Florinel Coman.

Marius Marin andRazvan Marin are more defensive-minded midfield options likely to compete for the two pivot spots.

Adrian Sut FCSBAlexandru CicaldauKonyasporDarius OlaruFCSBFlorinel ComanFCSBIanis HagiDeportivo Alaves (on loan from Rangers)Marius MarinPisaNicolae StanciuDamacRazvan MarinEmpoliValentin MihailaParmaDennis ManParmaDeian SorescuGaziantepConstantin GrameniFarul ConstantaGettyFORWARDS

George Puscas has now netted 11 times for his country, making him the second-highest goalscorer in the squad, and he should be the starting centre-forward for Romania in Germany.

Denis Alibec MuaitherDenis DragusGaziantepGeorge PușcașGenoaDaniel BirligeaCFR Cluj

Gujarat nip past Rajasthan in a Super Over match, while Ishan Kishan and Ricky bhui smash quick centuries

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2019Gujarat beat Rajasthan despite Super Over dead heatIn the first Super Over finish (or not) of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2018-19, Gujarat edged out Rajasthan in a thriller. Both sides ended on 143 after their 20 overs, and it seemed as if Rajasthan had the match in the bag when Khaleel Ahmed gave up only four runs in the Super Over. But, incredibly enough, Piyush Chawla kept Rajasthan’s batsmen to four runs too.With all square after the shootout, Gujarat were declared winners as they had hit more boundaries in the main match and the Super Over combined. Neither team managed to find the fence in the one-over Eliminator, but Gujarat hit four sixes and 12 fours in their initial 20 overs, while Rajasthan hit three sixes and ten fours. Gujarat thus won on countback, having hit 16 boundaries overall to Rajasthan’s 13.Rajasthan couldn’t get going after choosing to bat. Manender Singh made 48 off 35 at the top of the order, but wickets kept falling and Robin Bist’s 47-ball 46 was a useful contribution. Medium-pacer Tejas Patel took 4 for 26, ensuring Gujarat would not have a steep chase.However, Rajasthan didn’t make it easy, and Khaleel proved particularly difficult to get away, ending with 3 for 19 in four overs. Axar Patel’s 33 off 25 balls had carried Gujarat to parity, but with one needed off the final ball, he was caught off Aniket Choudhary as Gujarat matched Rajasthan’s 143 for 7.Bhui smashes 38-ball ton in world record win for AndhraRicky Bhui smashed a 38-ball century as Andhra beat Nagaland by 179 runs – the largest margin of victory in T20s in terms of runs. The previous biggest margin was Sri Lanka’s 172-run win over Kenya in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007.Opting to bat, Andhra piled up 244 for 4, with Bhui hitting 108 not out off 42 balls. Girinath Reddy made 62 off 31 in a 150-run stand for the third wicket with Bhui, that came in just ten overs.In reply, Nagaland were bowled out for 65 in 13.1 overs. KV Sasikanth, SK Ismail (on T20 debut) and Karn Sharma took three wickets each, with Sasikanth’s 3 for 8 the best figures. Captain Rongsen Jonathan made 30, but apart from Paras Sehrawat (13), no other Nagaland batsman got into double figures.Bhui had come in at 27 for one in four overs, and smashed ten sixes and five fours. He raced to his half-century in just 23 balls, and took only 15 more to raise a century, as Andhra’s batsman ran riot. The bowlers then didn’t let Nagaland get away. From 12 for no loss, the team sank to 12 for four in seven balls, and never recovered.Pujara continues to pile on the runs, at speedCheteshwar Pujara followed up his 100 not out with 68 off 46 to guide Saurashtra to a six-wicket win with plenty to spare against Madhya Pradesh.Put in to bat, MP mustered only 138 in 20 overs, with Saurashtra’s seamers striking regularly. In reply, Pujara and Harvik Desai (56 off 36), put on a 109-run opening stand in just 11.4 overs. Although Saurashtra lost the returning Robin Uthappa and Sheldon Jackson cheaply, the openers had ensured the chase would be straightforward. Pujara fell when victory was just five runs away, and Saurashtra closed out the chase in 16.5 overs.Saurashtra’s bowling was led by Chetan Sakariya, who took 4 for 38, and captain Jaydev Unadkat, who had 3 for 19. Prerak Mankad too kept things tight, ending with 2 for 18.Uttarakhand continue giant-slaying spreeUttarakhand continued to rack up victories, beating Baroda by seven wickets with an over to spare to surge to the top of the Group E table. Uttarakhand now have eight points from two games, having beaten Services on the first day.Baroda could muster only 152 for 5 after winning the toss, which Uttarakhand chased down with relative comfort.Captain Kedar Devdhar’s 61 off 49 was Baroda’s highest score, while Yusuf Pathan provided the finishing kick with 47 not out off 32, but there weren’t any other substantial contributions. Rajat Bhatia’s canny medium pace saw him go for just 23 runs in four overs, also netting him the wicket of Deepak Hooda, while medium-pacer Sunny Rana took 2 for 27 in four overs.Saurabh Rawat (41 off 30) and Vaibhav Panwar (49 not out off 36) helmed Uttarakhand’s chase with a 64-run stand for the third wicket off just eight overs. Panwar and Vijay Sharma then added an unbroken 46 runs in just 4.4 overs as Uttarakhand wrapped up victory, and four points.Kishan hits ton, Shukla takes fiveIshan Kishan hit 100 not out off 55 balls as Jharkhand romped to a nine-wicket win against Jammu and Kashmir, reaching 170 for one in just 16.4 overs.Put in to bat, J&K made a reasonable 168 for nine. They had useful contributions from the top order, but Rahul Shukla’s 5 for 36 meant no batsman went on to get a big score. Opener Jatin Wadhwan top-scored with 47 in 37 balls, while Manzoor Dar made an impact with 39 off 22, but both fell to Shukla. The right-arm medium pacer later got Irfan Pathan and Suryansh Raina too, to get a first-ever five-wicket haul in T20s.Jharkhand’s reply was electric, with Kishan and Anand Singh putting on 104 runs in 11.4 overs. Kishan reached his half-century soon after Anand fell for 48, and exploded thereafter, getting his second block of fifty in just 17 balls to raise a first-ever T20 century. Kishan’s innings had eight fours and seven sixes.CHECK OUT: All the Syed Mushtaq Ali scorecards

The Reds would be mad to pass up their final opportunity to make serious money on a 31-year-old who is acting and playing poorly

"If I speak today, there will be fire." So said Mohamed Salah as he poured petrol on a blaze that he himself had ignited at the London Stadium on Saturday. It was a staggering act of sabotage towards the tail end of a demoralising 2-2 draw with West Ham, albeit entirely in keeping with the calamitous conclusion of Liverpool's campaign, which has been a traumatising tale of self-inflicted damage.

Indeed, Salah's unseemly sideline spat with Jurgen Klopp came just seconds after the almost inevitable concession of yet another goal that had its origins in an unforced error (this time from Alisson Becker) – which had been preceded by the now customary squandering of a succession of chances to kill the game at the other end of the field.

Consequently, Liverpool's frustrated fans were left dealing with not only with the devastation of seeing their team's Premier League title hopes extinguished in fittingly farcical fashion, but also the sad sight of two of their most beloved figures involved in a surprisingly heated and depressingly public argument.

It was all so desperately undignified and only reinforced the belief that Liverpool should cash in on Salah this summer.

GettyTrue Liverpool legend

The Egyptian has long been Klopp's talisman, and his Liverpool legacy is already secure. As their all-time leading scorer in Premier League history, his greatness cannot be questioned. He is up there with Thierry Henry on the list of the finest forwards ever to play in England.

Even in a season affected by the Africa Cup of Nations and the injury he sustained in Ivory Coast, Salah has still managed to score 24 times and rack up 12 assists – only six players have been involved in more goals across Europe's 'Big Five' leagues.

Numbers-wise, a substandard season for Salah represents an incredible campaign for the likes of Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins. In that sense, the winger is a victim of his own sustained excellence over the past seven years.

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There is also every reason to believe that a summer's worth of proper rest and recuperation will allow Salah to get back to his best next season, after being quite clearly hindered by the hamstring problem he suffered in January – even after his spring return to action.

After all, Salah has been borderline indestructible since arriving at Anfield from Roma. Obviously, there is always a bit of luck involved in avoiding serious injury, but Salah's renowned fitness regime has quite clearly played a pivotal role in his ability to play 50 games a season. It’s not difficult to foresee him performing at a high level well into his mid-30s.

However, the news that Liverpool are actually considering keeping Salah for another season makes little financial or sporting sense.

Getty Another Saudi bid incoming?

Liverpool were right to turn down a £150 million ($190m) offer from Al-Ittihad for Salah's service's last September as he was still performing at the peak of his powers and there was always a chance that Klopp might mastermind a Premier League title challenge – even after a summer of great upheaval at Anfield.

So it proved, with Salah's sensational form during the first half of the season one of the main reasons why the resurgent Reds were able to put themselves in a position to challenge for the quadruple before he headed off to the AFCON.

But an awful lot has changed since then. There are now legitimate doubts over Salah's form and fitness, as well as the quality of Klopp's likely successor, Arne Slot. So, if Al-Ittihad were to put anything like the same kind of cash on the table at the end of the current campaign, it should be snapped up.

Getty ImagesSell Salah to strengthen squad

Salah turns 32 on June 15 and has just over one year left on his contract. It has been reported that a new deal will be discussed with the club in due course, but this is likely Liverpool's final opportunity to sell Salah for a hefty fee. It needs to be taken, given a worthy replacement will not come cheap.

It’s also worth reiterating that Liverpool remain a work in progress. As the final few weeks of the season have so painfully underlined, the squad still needs strengthening in several key areas. Ibrahima Konate cannot be counted on, Jarell Quansah is still too raw to be first-choice, the No.6 problem has yet to resolved, while the nagging doubts over Darwin Nunez's suitability to the role of spearheading the attack have resurfaced in recent weeks.

So, just like the mad money Liverpool managed to convince Barcelona to pay for Philippe Coutinho, the Salah funds could be put towards either a Salah successor – or transformational signings elsewhere.

D.C. United superstar Christian Benteke has revealed that his iconic 'silencer' celebration is inspired by Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

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Benteke has six goals for DCU this seasonReveals how LeBron James inspired his celebrationImpressed by LA Lakers star's work ethicGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Speaking as a guest on MLS' ExtraTime radio show, the D.C. United striker was tell-all on the influence that the Los Angeles Lakers star has had on him. The former Premier League striker revealed that the 'work ethic' of James was one of his biggest influences.

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The Belgian has been on fire in 2024, scoring six goals in six appearances for the Eastern Conference club. He even opened his 2024 campaign with a hat-trick against the New England Revolution. Now, nearly two months into the campaign, his iconic 'silencer' celebration now has an origin: Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

WHAT BENTEKE SAID

“It comes from him,” Benteke said on Extratime Radio on MLSSoccer.Com. “Since I got into the basketball world, I've always been inspired by him. Me, as a footballer, you have players that you look up to. But then I was trying to look to a different sport and basketball was the closest to football. Then LeBron, you can't go wrong by choosing him. “It's work ethic, it's discipline about his work. We all know the great athlete that he is, but for me, it's more everything that he does to be so great.”

USA Today Sports WHAT NEXT FOR BENTEKE AND D.C. UNITED?

Benteke and D.C. are back in action on Saturday when they take on NYCFC in an Eastern Conference clash. Benteke will look to build on his tremendous goalscoring campaign when the aim for their third win of the campaign.

Yes, you read that right, the setting sun was at an awkward angle and straight in the batsmen’s eye

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-20191:53

When a tiger and a pig stopped play

Ten overs into India’s chase, only one over after the dinner break, play was stopped for more than half an hour in the Napier ODI because of the sun. Yes, the sun. The setting sun was at an awkward angle and straight in the batsman’s eye.McLean Park has a previous for it with the angle of the sun at around 7pm making it unsafe to play cricket. Two years ago, a T20I between Bangladesh and New Zealand was held up because of the same issue. On January 19 this year, a Super Smash match between Central Districts and Canterbury was also stopped for a while. The organisers were actually hoping for some cloud cover during the ODI between India and New Zealand.Which Law was applied to halt play because of the sun?

2.7.1: It is solely for the umpires together to decide whether either conditions of ground, weather or light or exceptional circumstances mean that it would be dangerous or unreasonable for play to take place. Conditions shall not be regarded as either dangerous or unreasonable merely because they are not ideal.

2.7.2: Conditions shall be regarded as dangerous if there is actual and foreseeable risk to the safety of any player or umpire.

2.7.3: Conditions shall be regarded as unreasonable if, although posing no risk to safety, it would not be sensible for play to proceed.

The reason this happens at McLean Park is because of the east-west alignment of the pitches at the ground. Most cricket grounds have pitches running north to south.ALSO READ: All the weird reasons that have stopped a cricket match feat. burnt toast, pigs and a car driven onto the pitch”There’s nothing we can really do, to be honest, and it’s not the first time it has happened,” Central Districts chief executive Pete de Wet told , alluding to the Bangladesh T20I. De Wet hoped the sun-strike would happen during the innings break, which it did, but the play that resumed at 7.15pm caught the end of it on a lovely summer’s day.South African umpire Shaun George said he had never seen such an occurrence in his 14-year umpiring career. “The setting sun is in the eyes of the players and we need to think of the safety of the players as well as umpires,” he said. He also said the move to go off was initiated by the umpires. “There was an awareness of it by the players but they didn’t appeal.”New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said at the press conference there was no other option but to wait in such a situation. “We haven’t had to deal with too many sun-strikes. But we knew that in some of the domestic T20 games that had been the case… and it’s fairly considerable so it did have to happen because it’s hard to move the sun and hard to move the grandstand. So we didn’t have any other option and we had to sit down for a bit.”

The WACA released a statement they are aware of the incident and the legspinner has be summoned court

Alex Malcolm04-Feb-2019Perth Scorchers and Western Australia legspinner Usman Qadir has found himself in trouble with police after being allegedly caught speeding 50kph over the limit in East Perth.The Western Australian Cricket Association released a statement on Monday advising that it was aware of the incident and that Qadir had fully cooperated with police. He has been advised that he will receive a court summons in relation to the incident.”We are extremely disappointed that this has occurred,” WACA chief executive Christina Matthews said. “The WACA takes road safety very seriously and we understand that speeding is a key contributor to accidents on our roads.”We expect all our players and staff to drive responsibly and our players know their behaviour has an impact on the community as role models.”Driving in excess of 40kph above the limit in Western Australia carries a penalty of a AUD1200 fine and being handed seven demerit points. If a driver gets 12 demerit points in total they will lose their licence for 12 months.Qadir was left out of the Scorchers’ last match against Melbourne Stars on form. He did play for his club side Melville in the WACA Premier T20 final against Subiaco-Floreat on Sunday.The son of former Pakistan legspinner Abdul Qadir, Usman has declared his desire to qualify to play for Australia ahead of the T20 World Cup in 2020. He has played seven matches for the Scorchers this season taking six wickets at an economy rate of 8.45.

Barcelona have named a steep asking price for Raphinha after reportedly rejecting a €60 million offer from a Premier League club for the Brazilian.

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Raphinha wanted by an English outfitBid €60m for the forwardBarcelona want a higher feeGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Raphinha has emerged as a crucial player in Xavi Hernandez's squad, making significant match-winning contributions in recent fixtures. Notably, he scored the decisive goal against Las Palmas in La Liga and netted a brace against Paris Saint-Germain to secure Barcelona a 3-2 advantage in their Champions League quarterfinal against the French giants.

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Several European clubs have been closely monitoring the 27-year-old's performances and after his recent success, a Premier League club submitted a €60 million bid for the player, according to However, Barcelona have made it clear that they will not entertain offers below €80 million for one of their prized assets.

DID YOU KNOW?

Barcelona want to make the most of the financial might of top Premier League clubs and insist on a substantial offer reflecting Raphinha's quality that would boost its feeble finances. Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea have been cited as potential destinations, with Raphinha's previous experience in the Premier League during his time at Leeds United adding to his valuation. Despite the speculation, Raphinha has consistently expressed his desire to remain at Barcelona, with over three years remaining on his current contract.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RAPHINHA?

Raphinha's journey at Barcelona has been somewhat underwhelming, with just 18 goals and 22 assists in 81 appearances across competitions. However, a tactical shift by Xavi deploying Raphinha on the left side has unlocked his potential, showcasing the qualities that initially attracted Barcelona to sign him. He will look to carry on with his purple patch when Barcelona host PSG in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been told why documentary stars Wrexham, with a “bigger than Leeds” mentality, have become “nauseating”.

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Hollywood co-owners arrived in 2021Red Dragons have seen their stock soarNot everybody is enjoying mass coverageWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons have become one of the most talked about teams on the planet after welcoming a takeover by Hollywood superstars back in 2021. A dramatic rise out of the National League and towards the top of League Two has been taken in since then – with every twist and turn being caught on camera by an Emmy Award-winning series.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT MACANTHONY SAID ABOUT WREXHAM

Not everybody is buying into the Wrexham hype, though, with Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony telling : “Fair play to them, they bought in and came up with a project and they’ve managed to finance this project by selling documentaries, advertising and doing deals with skincare companies, drink companies where they’ve had to put very little of their own dough in. Anyone who comes in and has a couple of promotions and increases and grows their crowd – I saw their revenues the other day and it was £15-£20 million a year now as opposed to £5 million when they first came in. Anyone who does that is a successful person at what they do. They put some decent people in – I watched the Wrexham documentary and it was quite good, the first season and a half then peters out like a lot of sports documentaries do. The only thing that irritates me about the whole Wrexham thing isn’t Wrexham themselves – I have a lot of admiration for Wrexham, the owners, the people behind the scenes – it’s the media. You open a newspaper and there’s stuff about the Championship, League One and League Two, but every week there’s stuff about Wrexham and it’s nauseating. You get why they’re doing it because they want an American audience but at the end of the day there are 72 EFL clubs out there. They need to calm down thinking they’re bigger than Leeds or whoever.”

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While a little frustrated at the attention Wrexham continue to attract, MacAnthony admits that they are a club on the rise. He added on Reynolds and McElhenney’s efforts to guide the Welsh outfit up the EFL pyramid: “I said to my wife when this started that they’ll be in the Championship in four years’ time and she said, ‘never going to happen’. I said ‘trust me, they’ll be in the Championship and we’ll probably be in League One’ because they can pay £7,000, £8,000, £9,000, £10,000 a week to players and we can’t. That’s the dynamic of the game. By the way, I respect anybody who comes in and spends very little of their own money, turns a project into a lot more money and makes them worth a lot more money because if they sold Wrexham tomorrow, they’d make a hefty profit.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham have four games left to take in this season. They sit second in the League Two table as things stand, four points behind leaders Stockport and three clear of Mansfield in fourth, and a top-three finish will be enough to see them bounce straight up into the third tier of English football.