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As the Arne Slot era begins on Merseyside, Liverpool are looking to back their new manager and build him the squad that could help them lift the Premier League title next season.

Liverpool prepare for the Slot era at Anfield

The latest transfer news out of Merseyside suggests that FSG are set to give their new manager significant backing in the transfer market this summer.

Liverpool interested in Euro 2024 star who’d be a dream for Trent

He’s being pursued by a host of Premier League clubs.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 17, 2024

The Reds are eyeing up improvements all over the pitch with Liverpool currently linked with moves for young talents Kenan Yildiz and Leny Yoro. The former is a Turkish teenager who has excelled with Juventus and could now be making a £25 million move to Merseyside. Yoro has also earned plaudits overseas with his exploits with LOSC Lille last season, earning him a £50 million price tag.

Slot's side are also looking at more established players with Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi reportedly on the radar of the Merseyside outfit. Joining Guehi on Liverpool's shopping list is Sporting defender Goncalo Inacio, who has a £51 million release clause that the Reds may look to exercise this summer.

With a central defender clearly high on Liverpool's list of priorities, it appears that the Reds are now looking towards a highly rated defender that Slot knows very well.

Reds keen on move for Feyenoord defender

As first reported by HITC, the Spanish press are stating that Liverpool are interested in a move for Feyenoord defender David Hancko. The outlet reports that the Reds are in competition with Atlético Madrid to secure the services of the £30 million rated Slovakia international, who produced a stunning goal line clearance as his side upset Belgium 1-0 in their Euro 2024 opener.

The 26-year-old made 34 league appearances for Feyenoord as they finished second in the Eredivisie last season, mostly as a central defender, but he can also play on the left. Hancko also featured six times in the Champions League as the Dutch side finished third in a group that contained Lazio, Celtic and the aforementioned Atlético Madrid.

Having played under new Reds' boss Slot during his time at Feyenoord, the Slovakian would be a logical signing for Liverpool to make. With Joel Matip set to leave the club this summer and uncertainty around the future of Virgil van Dijk, Hancko would be a quality asset for Slot's new look outfit, adding depth in two positions at once.

In the wake of rumours around his future, former Feyenoord defender Tim de Cler has backed Hancko to excel no matter where he ends up telling the Dutch press (via Sport Witness): “He is so stable and can basically do anything. I just think he is a top defender all-round.

“If he makes it to the next round, and that chance is quite high, his market value will also increase again. More and more clubs are becoming interested. And they were already there.

“I think he can easily handle a club just below the top six in Europe. Then I’m talking about a club like Atlético Madrid or Liverpool. He can certainly handle that.”

With Slot already facing a tough task in filling the shoes of the iconic Jurgen Klopp, it would certainly help his cause to bring in a player who he knows well but also has the quality to succeed at Anfield.

Tymal Mills, Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali shared seven wickets, as England dominated with the ball

Andrew Miller27-Oct-20212:04

Shahriar Nafees: England were disciplined, but Bangladesh played too many dot balls

England 126 for 2 (Roy 61, Malan 28*, Shoriful 1-26) beat Bangladesh 124 for 9 (Mushfiqur 29, Mills 3-27, Livingstone 2-15) by eight wicketsEngland continued their imposing start to the T20 World Cup with a second powerplay-inspired victory of the competition, as Bangladesh emulated West Indies in being overwhelmed in the opening exchanges of the contest before being dispatched in a low-key run-chase for an uncompetitive eight-wicket scoreline.While Bangladesh’s total of 124 for 9 was a significant step-up from West Indies’ 55 all-out in Dubai on Friday, the seeds of their downfall were all too familiar. Mahmudullah won the toss and batted first on what he described as a “belter”, but his team then ran aground on the spin-and-seam combo of Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes, who bowled unchanged through the powerplay for a game-breaking combined analysis of 3 for 27.

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Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the US. Match highlights of Bangladesh vs England is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

Moeen continued a staggering start to his tournament. In a format where familiarity tends to breed contempt, he has now bowled all seven of his overs straight off the reel at the top of his two innings – four in a row against West Indies for 2 for 17, and a further three with 2 for 18 today. Liton Das tried briefly to hit him off his length with consecutive fours down the ground, but he scuffed a third such blow to deep-midwicket to depart for 9 from 8 balls before a rash swipe one ball later did for his fellow opener Mohammad Naim too.At the other end, Woakes thumped a two-paced deck with a typically proud seam and tight line, and when he extracted the priceless scalp of Shakib Al Hasan – via a top-edged pull and a superb leaping take from Adil Rashid – there was little that Bangladesh’s other two senior statesman, Mahmudullah himself and Mushfiqur Rahim, fellow veterans of every T20 World Cup since 2007, could do to change the narrative.Livingstone, I presume

Moeen’s impact at the top of England’s innings transformed the permutations for Morgan through the middle overs – particularly once it became apparent that the extra pace of Chris Jordan and – at that stage of the innings – Tymal Mills was offering a hint of a route back into the contest for Bangladesh. After conceding 12 and 11 runs respectively in their first forays, Morgan turned instead to the variations of Liam Livingstone, who skidded his third ball through Mushfiqur’s attempted reverse-sweep and extracted a crucial breakthrough on review.Afif Hossain followed in Livingstone’s next over – desperately run-out as Mills at backward square fumbled a simple pick-up and coaxed the batters in an aborted attempt at a stolen second. And such was the panic that Livingstone was creating, that Nurul Hasan all but ran himself out too from each of his first two balls.And his work was duly completed when Mahmudullah – Bangladesh’s last remaining hope – scuffed another ripping legbreak straight to point for 19 from 24.England successfully reviewed to remove Mushfiqur Rahim•Francois Nel/Getty Images

Slowness does it for Mills at the death

A minor dent to England’s progress followed when Rashid, entrusted with one half of the death overs in a worthwhile experiment, was bludgeoned with some success by the left-hander Nasum Ahmed, who targeted the short leg-side boundary for the only two sixes of the innings.But at the other end, Tymal Mills unfurled his full repertoire to stunning effect for final figures of 3 for 27. His impact was epitomised by the manner of his final two wickets – from consecutive balls right at the death of the innings. Mahedi Hasan was bounced out by a fierce short ball that brushed his glove and was given out on review; then one ball later, Mustafizur Rahman was confounded by the slowest of slow inswinging yorkers, to lose his leg stump for 0. The knowledge of Mills’ physical threat, allied to the subtlety of his wealth of variations, makes for a very potent package.Roy at the double

England’s only duff note against West Indies was the slight tangle they got in while trying to rush to their 56-run target. They made no such errors this time around. Jason Roy marked his 50th T20I cap with a rampant knock of 61 from 38 balls, his five fours and three sixes including a massive straight strike off Nasum to bring up his half-century. In adding 39 for the first wicket in 28 balls of the powerplay, he and Jos Buttler ended any fears of a twist in the tale.Dawid Malan had been overlooked in that West Indies romp, but his reappearance at No. 3 resulted in another typically fuss-free knock of 28 not out from 25, as he ticked along at a tempo that met the match requirements – nothing more, nothing less. Jonny Bairstow sealed the deal with a pull for four through midwicket with 35 balls left unused. The World No.1 T20I outfit are looking ominous in these early exchanges.

Former captain says circumstances for this year’s trip are ‘completely different’ from Covid tour of 2021-22

Vithushan Ehantharajah08-Oct-2025″Maybe it is,” laughs Joe Root, when asked if Matthew Hayden’s threat to walk naked across the Melbourne Cricket Ground is extra pressure on his shoulders.As Root heads into his fourth Ashes tour, Hayden has backed him to end his wait for a century on Australian shores. His previous 27 innings, dating back to 2013, have produced just nine fifties, but Hayden is so certain that that drought is about to end, he is willing to don his birthday suit for a stroll across the iconic ground if it doesn’t.Hayden’s comments on the “All Over Bar The Cricket” podcast came after co-host Greg Blewett had omitted Root from a combined Ashes XI for lacking in the hundred column. Both perspectives hint at a simple truth; the success of Test cricket’s second-highest runscorer correlates directly to England’s best chance Down Under since their famous 2010-11 success.It is a sentiment Root acknowledges to be true. But he is reluctant to ascribe his own legacy to England’s fortunes. Nor is he willing to dwell on the words of former Australians.”They are going to say what they want to say anyway, so why bother worrying about it?” Root says, matter-of-factly. “It doesn’t make a huge amount of difference. When we look back in five years’ time, no one is going to remember what Matthew Hayden said to me … Greg Blewett, Mark Waugh, whoever it is. They are going to look back on the scoreline and think that is a historic England win or not.”At the end of the day, this tour is not about me. If I am scoring runs and scoring heavily it gives us a great opportunity to win a series out in Australia. That is the main focus.”A narrower focus has paid dividends so far. Since relinquishing the captaincy in 2022 to Ben Stokes, Root has averaged 58.00 (lifting his career average to 51.29 in the process), with 14 hundreds converted from the 27 times he has passed fifty. Beyond scoring quicker – his strike-rate is 66.89 across this period – there is an evident sense of joy in his batting.Joe Root passes on some tips at an RBC skill share day•Chance to ShineThough he has been part of two successful home Ashes campaigns in 2013 and 2015, it is a joy the Australian public has not witnessed first-hand. Root’s maiden tour in 2013-14 resulted in him being dropped for the only time in his career as he averaged 27.42 amidst a 5-0 capitulation, before he captained successive 4-0 defeats, averaging 47.25 and 32.20, respectively.Root insists the burden of leadership did not contribute to his failings. But he was certainly hamstrung by situations around both tours.”I go there in a completely different capacity to last time, different circumstances, a lot more experience now and I feel like I have a really good understanding of my game and how I want to manage it in these conditions,” he says. “If I focus on that sort of stuff more than myself and my own individual stuff, I will give myself a way better chance.”The most recent tour, in 2021-22, came during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fears about touring among the England team – Root included – became a reality, as both sides felt the effects of the virus. Despite the severe restrictions of their trip, positive tests and forced isolations became a regular occurrence, with visiting head coach Chris Silverwood forced to miss the Sydney Test after a family member became England’s seventh Covid-19 case. Stuart Broad later suggested the tour should be considered “void”, feeling the burden on the players did not lend itself to “high-level performance”.Broad, having signed off his career in style at the end of the 2023 Ashes, will be out in Australia this time as a commentator for Channel Seven and SEN. “It’s not really in Stuart’s nature to wind up Australians is it?” Root jokes. “I’m sure he’ll be really well behaved.” Regardless of what extra support he may have from the commentary box, Root – now back in the ranks – urges his teammates make the most of this trip following that previous, chastening experience.”Are we going to be allowed out of our rooms? Is everyone going to make the plane? It is a completely different set of circumstances for everyone involved on that tour. There are so many different things they don’t have to deal with now.”I am really going to encourage the lads to really enjoy Australia as a country,” he adds. “Anyone that was on that previous tour didn’t get the chance to do that. It is a great place to go and play cricket and have the pleasure of visiting. We should absolutely go and explore it, and see all of the great things that come with being an international cricketer and playing in that country.”Root has struggled to produce his very best on his previous tours of Australia•Steve Bell/Getty ImagesRoot is one of five returning players this time around, along with Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Mark Wood and, of course, Stokes. The allrounder’s participation in 2021-22 was only confirmed late in the day, as he returned from a mental health break, having also struggled with a badly broken finger. Four years earlier, he had missed the 2017-18 campaign due to an ECB suspension, following his involvement in a fight outside a Bristol nightclub in September 2017.There is an argument to be made that this iteration of Stokes will be the best to touch down in Australia, even as he recovers from a right shoulder injury. Though he impressed on his first trip as a 22-year-old debutant in 2013-14, making a brilliant maiden century at Perth before taking 6 for 99 in Sydney, he has yet to show the Australian public the fruits of that early promise.It was only this summer, aged 34, that Stokes bettered that first series haul of 15 dismissals, claiming 17 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. And having seemingly rediscovered his verve with the bat – averaging 43.42 against India – Root believes form and leadership has forged a more complete Stokes.”He’s not really had many opportunities to be (himself in Australia) really, has he?” he says.”He’ll be ready. You look at him when he’s been running around at different county grounds, he’s making sure he’s absolutely ready. I’ve never seen him (like this)… making sure he’s done absolutely everything he can to be as fit as he can possibly be, as mentally ready, and as hungry as he is.Related

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“For him to be going out there as our leader of the back, off a series where he’s got the most wickets he’s ever got in a Test series, off the back of a Test hundred as well, and playing really well with the bat. In conditions which, I think, really suit the way he plays cricket; the bounce of the ball as a batter, and the way he combats pace. Clearly as a bowler, what he has to work with there, and his mentality and physicality, I think he’s got great attributes to exploit the conditions there.”So as a player alone, I think it’s going to be huge that he’s out there, he’s fit and he’s firing. But more so as a leader, and his mentality in bringing the best out of the players around him.”Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Stokes’ inspirational qualities is that, for the past two years, he has been moulding a new group of players. Only eight of the touring party played in 2023’s home Ashes, three of whom will be on their first Test tour of Australia. Yet, there are no fears that they will be overawed.Root points to big series such as 2023, and the India series – both at the start of 2024 and in the summer just gone – in which players have experienced high-pressure moments, irrespective of the fact that England have yet to win a five-Test series under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.He cites the struggles individuals have had – “a number of guys have had to weather a small storm in their career” – that will hold them in good stead for what, ultimately, is a bucket-list tour. One of the most important of their collective careers.Joe Root and Ben Stokes will be looking to right the wrongs of previous tours of Australia•Getty ImagesIndeed, Root’s biggest excitement comes from what some of those first-timers will provide – namely the pace of Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue. England may well roll out their fastest-ever combination for a Test match in Australia, when the teams line up for the opener at Perth’s Optus Stadium on November 21.”We’re going to be able to hit them with something quite different in terms of our bowling attack,” he says. “The opportunity to potentially play three or four bowlers that bowl 90mph-plus for a sustained period of time, which we haven’t had on the three previous tours there. And a batting order that is always going to look to put pressure on the opposition.”It’s not like we are going to go there with the same formula and expect different results. We are going to go there and try and do it a slightly different way which I think is really exciting. And the way we’ve been playing lines up well with how we want to go and attack all those conditions.”There are not many teams that can offer that when they go to Australia. The one team that has previously, recently anyway, is India and they’re the ones that have had the most success there. It’ll be interesting to see how that correlates with how we go about things.”This seam attack is a change from the norm, and very much by design. The onus on speed, which essentially brought an end to James Anderson’s career last year, has been driven by the desires of Stokes, McCullum and managing director Rob Key to form a battery of quicks capable of challenging all comers in all conditions – even in England, with the management ordering flatter pitches for their batters which require bowlers of sharper speeds and skills to take 20 wickets.Seamers have enjoyed more success in Australia in recent seasons, which heightens the sense that bowlers on both sides will be a determining factor this winter. “It looks like they’re slightly more bowler-friendly since Pat (Cummins) has been captain!” Root says of the pitches, tongue firmly in cheek.Of course, even with Australia’s struggles over the identity of their top three, and increasing uncertainty around Cummins’ back injury, nothing is being taken for granted. Particularly given England have not won a Test over there since 2011.”Clearly they’re a very good team. They’ve got a brilliant record at home against everyone but especially against us. I think it’s just a great oppportunity to go in, probably as big underdogs, and show them what we can do.”It’d be nice to put that right and bring the urn home. I just see it as a great opportunity for the group. There’s no other way to look at it, really. It’s exciting that we can go there with a completely different approach and just enjoy what a brilliant tour it is.”Just soak it all in, expect a little bit of ‘abuse’ or ‘banter’. It could be six weeks that live long in the memory if we get it right.”Joe Root was speaking as a brand ambassador for RBC Wealth Management, who are the Community Leadership Partner of children’s cricket charity Chance to Shine. He was speaking at an RBC skill share day, designed to develop the leadership skills and confidence of secondary school girls.

Two 40-year-olds have been among the key men in the BBL. And they haven’t been alone in the tournament

Alex Malcolm28-Jan-2012Insert your cliché here. Age is merely a state of mind. You can’t buy experience. Forty is the new 30. You never lose it.All these adages were to be tested in the Big Bash League when so many retirees signed up for the tournament.Shane Warne was a major coup, but it was not entirely unexpected. Despite being 42, his signing for the Melbourne Stars came on the back of regular appearances in the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals. Likewise, Matthew Hayden had been playing for Chennai Super Kings as recently as the 2010 Champions League, and had long been interested in representing the Brisbane Heat.But when it was announced that Brad Hogg and Stuart MacGill, both 40, both without any professional cricket at all in over three years, would represent the Perth Scorchers and the Sydney Sixers respectively, the legitimacy of this Big Bash League came under heavy scrutiny. Questions were being raised as to why a highly successful state-based Big Bash had been scrapped for a franchise-based
competition that would feature a bunch of “has-beens” looking for a superannuation boost. It was akin to HBO axing at the peak of its popularity for reruns of .And yet it is the two 40-year-olds, Hogg and MacGill, who have been the headline acts.Hogg’s tournament has been remarkable, extraordinary in reality. Between March of 2008 and November 2010 the left-arm wristspinner had played no competitive cricket whatsoever until he returned for his club side, Willetton, in the WACA Grade Twenty20 competition. The
competitive urges were not satisfied enough after two games, and he returned to play in the two-day competition in February 2011.Six games later he was back on the WACA ground, playing in the A-grade final, having taken five wickets in the elimination final, and made 144 in the semi. His opponents in the decider, Subiaco-Floreat, had faced the incumbent Test spinner Michael Beer in their semi, and to a man were unanimous in declaring Hogg the far more challenging opponent of the two.Less than 10 months later Hogg has been picked to play T20 cricket for Australia. His form in the BBL has been phenomenal. Going into the final, his 12 wickets at 13.50 are eye-catching enough, putting him alongside Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, James Faulkner, and Mitchell Starc as the most damaging bowlers in the tournament. But his economy rate has been incredible. No player has come close to Hogg’s effectiveness in conceding less than six runs an over.The figures are astonishing, yet Hogg has never had any physical restrictions. Even at 40, he has been one of the fittest and most agile players in the Scorchers side, his fielding still an outstanding feature of his game.The MacGill story is a different one, and yet he has been just as successful as Hogg. MacGill retired in May 2008, mid-Test-tour in the Caribbean, mentally and physically finished. His knees had given way. Carpal-tunnel syndrome was affecting his wrist. Touring had taken its toll. Cricket was a past life and MacGill was ready for a new one.Yet he returned to New South Wales grade cricket in November 2011 for Sydney University. After four T20s and three club matches, his old mate Stuart Clark gave him a job with the Sydney Sixers.There was trepidation on opening night against the Brisbane Heat. But 2 for 21 alleviated any doubts MacGill, or others, may have had about his place in the Sixers side.While the figures are not as eye-catching as Hogg’s – MacGill’s six wickets have cost 24.33 apiece while he operated at 6.95 runs per over – MacGill’s fingerprints have been all over the Sixers’ key wins, as his mastery, guile, and skill proving too good in the big moments.He removed Hayden and Brendon McCullum to set the first game up, and his was against Hobart in the semi-final. The tournament’s leading scorer, Travis Birt, held the key to the match on his broad bat. MacGill unlocked him with the artistry of a safe cracker, removing him with a wrong’un that would have caused even Shane Warne to tip his hat.MacGill, like Hogg, has had so successful a return that he has nominated and been picked up for
the Bangladesh T20 Premier League.Both men have been stars of tournament, but they have not overshadowed the biggest star of all, Warne. The king was expected to perform. We knew he could write his own scripts; only, this time he got to tell us what would happen before it actually happened.

With four forty-somethings having dominated the Big Bash, it is worth asking: are we too hasty to cast elder statesmen aside, or is it simply an indictment of the younger players coming through

At 42 he is as fit as he has ever been, and not surprisingly is still bowling with tremendous control and confidence. Warne may not have the mystery trickery he once possessed, but his powers of deduction, and his ability to break down a batman’s technique or tactics in a short space of time have never been greater.The special part about this year’s BBL is that Warne has taken us through it ball-by-ball with live in-the-run commentary that has been as insightful as brilliant.Hayden, too, has commentated while playing, giving frank and honest assessments of his opponents and cricket generally. His candour has been refreshing in a world where cricketers must tip-toe diplomatically across every single contentious issue.Hayden may have a little less hair these days but he is no less intimidating with bat in hand, and while he was not as dominant has his three former Australian team-mates, he was extremely
competitive.Which begs the question, is 40 the new 30?Thirty has been a taboo age for cricketers in recent times and yet as these four greats will attest, age is no barrier to success. Michael Hussey’s entire Test career has been played out after his 30th
birthday. Ricky Ponting has more Test centuries and fifties after 30 than he did before, at a better strike rate, while averaging barely half a run less. Both are getting ever closer to the big four-zero mark, and though they have been doubted through periods of poor form, they have proved beyond doubt they are still currently irreplaceable in the Australian Test line-up.With four forty-somethings having dominated the Big Bash, it is worth asking: are we too hasty to cast elder statesmen aside, or is it simply an indictment of the younger players coming through?Whichever way you look at it, the competition has been far better for the presence of the senior statesmen. You can’t buy experience, but you can buy experienced players, and in this instance they have been worth every cent.

Opener relishing chance to play Test on ground where he first came through as a teenager

George Dobell08-Sep-2021Haseeb Hameed has admitted there were times he wondered if he would ever play a Test in front of his “boyhood crowd” at Emirates Old Trafford.Haseeb developed through the Lancashire system and, after a bright start to his career, made his Test debut as a 19-year-old on the India tour of 2016. But after a prolonged slump in form, he was released by Lancashire at the end of the 2019 season.Now, however, he is back in England’s Test side. And after two half-centuries – and two century partnerships with fellow opener Rory Burns – in the last couple of games, he is set to make a memorable return to the ground in the fifth and final LV= Insurance Test starting on Friday.”Growing up it is the dream for a young Lancashire player to play a Test here,” Haseeb said ahead of England’s training session in Manchester on Wednesday. “But obviously when you’re going through difficult moments that seems a long way away. It’s only natural to feel that way and wonder if it will happen.Related

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“But I’m extremely grateful to be in this position where there is an opportunity to hopefully play in front of my local boyhood crowd and play in a Test match for England. I feel very lucky and privileged to be in this position.”Despite the disappointing manner in which his career at Lancashire ended, Hameed insisted he is relishing his return to the club and ground where he spent the formative years of his career.”My memories of Lancashire are all positive,” Haseeb said. “I started playing for the club at the age of nine and did so through to the age of 22.”It was where I made my first-class debut and my maiden first-class century. I was part of a very strong age group team that won multiple national championships, so my memories here are very positive. I had a lot of success here.”I’ve always said that the club holds a special place in my heart. And I don’t want the last couple of years to overshadow what I feel like has been a good relationship and a good time at the club.”Haseeb also paid tribute his previous coach at Lancashire, Peter Moores, for helping him rediscover his form. It was Moores who recognised his potential and promoted him to the first-team squad as a 16-year-old. So when Moores, who had by then moved to Nottinghamshire, saw that Haseeb was out of contract at the end of 2019, he was keen to sign him.”I knew Peter a little from our time at Lancashire,” Haseeb said. “I hadn’t worked with him extensively, but he was the first one that got me involved training with the pros when I was 16.”Going to Notts was just the fresh start which I needed in a new environment. I walked in and the guys, the coaching staff and players alike up there were brilliant. They welcomed me with open arms and made me feel comfortable very quickly. And we just got to work.”Mooresy and myself just had a few conversations about where to head in terms of the work and we just set out a plan and tried to execute it.”And what went wrong towards the end of those years at Lancashire? “I feel like there’s a number of reasons and there’s not many reasons,” he said. “It’s an interesting one. The way I put it in my mind now is that it was something that was just part of the journey. I guess it was quite extreme in terms of the highs of India, then the lows were very low.”It was just part of something that I had to experience. I guess there’s a number of different reasons as to why that could be the case but it is not something I want to dwell on too much.”I’m just happy to take the learnings from that and hopefully be confident that it will help me going forward and make me a better player and person for it.”

La Liga president Javier Tebas admitted that he's "worried about the racists" ruining the Clasico as Real Madrid host Barcelona on Saturday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Barca fans chanted "Vinicius die" before Bayern clash
• Tension rising before season's first Clasico
• Tebas hopes to watch a "tolerant match"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  With Madrid set to host Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu, Tebas’ worries stem from recent incidents involving intolerant fan behaviour, raising questions over crowd conduct during the iconic rivalry. And his concerns over potential disturbances are not unfounded. Recently, videos circulated widely on social media, showing some Barcelona fans chanting hostile slogans targeting Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr., including a disturbing “Vinicius Die” chant ahead of Barcelona’s Champions League fixture against Bayern Munich at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In response to these rising concerns, La Liga has joined forces with the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration to combat racial intolerance within the sport. The newly signed agreement, witnessed by Tebas, aims to reinforce cooperation to reduce racist incidents in football, including the Clasico. A vital component of the agreement is the introduction of the MOOD tool, a digital program designed to track and manage hate speech online. This tool, backed by La Liga, will identify, report, and remove threatening or insulting messages directed at players, thereby providing a proactive approach to combating social media abuse.

• WHAT TEBAS SAID

  Speaking about the agreement, Tebas underlined the necessity of involving “the greatest number of agents possible” in the effort to eliminate racism from Spanish football, stressing that this partnership aligns with La Liga’s longstanding commitment to fighting discrimination both on and off the field. However, he voiced his fears and said, "I am worried about the Clásico and I am worried about the rest of the matches because of the racists and the intolerant. I don't think there are more acts of violence, but there is a much greater sensitivity to reporting this type of behaviour. (I hope) it is a tolerant match, as the last Clasicos have been."

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Spanish football has faced several troubling incidents over the past year, but initiatives such as this agreement represent a renewed effort to secure a safer, more inclusive environment for players and fans alike. With Real Madrid and Barcelona’s upcoming clash in El Clasico, the stakes extend beyond the pitch, symbolizing a commitment to progress against the longstanding issue of racism in football.

The Copa America is South America’s quadrennial international football tournament. The continent’s answer to UEFA’s European Championship, the competition has thrown up some dramatic finales over the last few years, with a centenary edition adding to the chaos.

The 48th edition of the Copa America saw the United States of America host the tournament. Usually contested between 12 teams, which include invitees from other confederations, the tournament had six nations joining the South Americans for the first time since 2016 – which was the previous time the US were hosts.

The competition, which was established in 1916, was initially a round-robin format until 1975, when it was changed to its current format of a group stage followed by knockout football.

But who has won the event more than any other country? Football FanCast has taken a look back at the list of previous Copa America winners over the last 108 years.

The top 12 European Championship goalscorers of all time

With the Euros now upon us, here’s who leads the way as the tournament’s all-time top scorer.

By
Brogan Clasper

Jun 11, 2024

8

Bolivia – 1 win

1963

Bolivia’s one and only Copa America triumph came in 1963 where they also played hosts. They finished top of the seven-team round-robin which included a dramatic 5-4 win over Brazil in the final game.

They won five and drew one of their six games, with Maximo Luis Alcocer the hero after scoring the winner against Brazil to ensure they would finish above runners-up Paraguay.

7

Colombia – 1 win

2001

Also winning one Copa America title is Colombia, who, like Bolivia, also hosted the event in their only tournament triumph to date. Under newly appointed manager Francisco Maturana, they progressed out of Group A by winning all three games without conceding a goal, before beating Peru in the quarter-final, Honduras in the semi-final and Mexico in the final.

Ivan Ramiro Cordoba was the match-winner in the final, and Colombia astonishingly went the whole tournament without conceding – a record that still stands today.

6

Peru – 2 wins

1939, 1975

Peru are one of three countries to win the Copa America twice, with their first coming in 1939, taking full advantage of home comforts as they won all four of their games.

They were also the first winners of the tournament which had a knockout stage in 1975, coming out on top against Brazil in the semi-finals and then Colombia in the final. In the two-legged final, both teams won a game each, meaning the final required a replay, where Peru came out on top 1-0, with Hugo Alejandro Sotil Yeren the match-winner.

5

Chile – 2 wins

2015, 2016

Before 2015, Chile had never won the Copa America, coming close on four occasions as runners-up. However, a maiden tournament win quickly brought another, with Chile lifting the trophy in successive years.

Jorge Sampaoli was the manager to lead Chile to their first-ever Copa America triumph in 2015, defeating Argentina in the final on home soil in a penalty shootout.

Then, a year later, in a centenary edition of the tournament, Juan Antonio Pizzi was the man in charge of Chile, who once again came out on top against Argentina in the final. Eduardo Vargas, Alexis Sanchez and Claudio Bravo were just some of the standout stars during the memorable two years.

Perhaps the most iconic moment would be Alexis Sanchez’s winning penalty in the 2015 final, as he showed nerves of steel to nonchalantly pass the ball in, handing his nation a first major honour.

4

Paraguay – 2 wins

1953, 1979

Paraguay are the only previous winners who didn’t win the competition on home soil. In 1953, Paraguay and Brazil required a play-off after they were tied for points in the round-robin format. Paraguay would come out as 3-2 winners in Peru.

Paraguay would lift their second Copa America title in 1979, when there was no host nation, with games simply played home and away. They defeated Brazil in the semi-final and then Chile in the final, which required three games.

The two-legged final was decided on points rather than goals scored over the two matches. Both sides finished with a win apiece, which meant a play-off was required. After the third game ended 0-0, Paraguay were only then crowned champions by virtue of their 3-1 aggregate scoreline across the three games.

Paraguay have also been runners-up on four occasions, most recently in 2011 when they were beaten by Uruguay.

3

Brazil – 9 wins

1919, 1922, 1949, 1989, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2019

Third on the list is Brazil, which may come as a surprise to some. Their tally of nine Copa America titles could be many more, but they have finished as runners-up on 11 occasions, with the most recent of those heartbreaks coming in 2021 against Argentina.

Their first title came in 1919 on home soil, as did their last in 2019, with the wins in 1922, 1949 and 1989 also coming when Brazil played hosts.

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2

Uruguay – 15 wins

1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935, 1942, 1956, 1959, 1967, 1983, 1987, 1995, 2011

The first-ever World Cup and Copa America winners were Uruguay, who have lifted the latter of the two competitions 15 times. Their last triumph came back in 2011, and the longest they have gone without a CONMEBOL title is 16 years.

Now under the leadership of Marcelo Bielsa, Uruguay had to settle for third place after a penalty shootout victory over Canada in the bronze-medal match.

1

Argentina – 16 times

1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993, 2021, 2024

Defending champions Argentina edged ahead of Uruguay after their triumph in 2024, which was secured after an extra-time victory over Colombia.

Argentina have finished as runners-up on 14 occasions, with La Seleccion suffering a number of heartbreaks in recent years prior to their 2021 triumph.

Lionel Messi finally got his hands on the trophy after a 1-0 win over Brazil in the final, 100 years after they first won the tournament on home soil in 1921 – before doing it all over again three years later thanks to substitute Lautaro Martinez’s 112th-minute winner.

Their recent triumphs are made all the sweeter as Argentina had lost four of the previous six finals before 2021, which included two penalty-shootout defeats to Chile in back-to-back championships. They also hosted and lifted the trophy in 1925, 1929, 1937, 1946 and 1959.

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Leeds United have been urged to complete a bargain buy this summer as they look to rebuild after missing out on promotion to the Premier League.

Concern in the Championship for Leeds

A 1-0 defeat to Southampton in the Championship play-off final consigned Daniel Farke's Leeds side to another season in the second tier, and is likely to have incited a fire sale at Elland Road.

Crysencio Summerville heads the exit queue amid Premier League interest, while the likes of Wilfried Gnonto, Archie Gray and Georginio Rutter may not be too far behind as the Yorkshire side look to raise around £100m in player sales to balance their books before they can spend.

With money expected to be tight this summer, free transfers and loan moves will be even more important than usual, and Leeds have already been linked with a temporary move for Chelsea defender Alfie Gilchrist. Now, they are on the hunt for a bargain.

Steinsson personally eyeing Leeds move for Jebbison

It has been claimed that Leeds technical director Gretar Steinsson is a big fan of a move for Daniel Jebbison this summer, with the Sheffield United youngster out of contract as it stands and set to become a free agent on July 1st.

Becoming the youngest-ever player to score on his Premier League debut back in 2021, the forward has endured a tough time since and missed much of this season with a blood clot. But he remains very highly rated.

Speaking on X, teammate Oliver Norwood tipped Jebbison for big things back in 2023, explaining that the 20-year-old "will play at the top level & hopefully with us" when asked who fans should be most excited about from the Blades' academy.

And reporter Graeme Bailey has now revealed that Steinsson is personally a fan of the type of deal that Jebbison would represent.

“He is the sort of player Gretar Steinsson wants", Bailey explained. "Young, physical, something different to what they have in the squad, obviously youth. It would be a good deal, he is only young.

“There would be compensation to play but it wouldn’t be very expensive in terms of actual market value. It represents a good deal on all fronts really if they can get it over the line. It would be a decent coup because there is a lot of interest in him.”

It comes as HITC report that Jebbison is unlikely to remain at Bramall Lane after his £4,000 per week contract expires this summer, with the 20-year-old set to move on and Leeds pushing to secure him as a "priority" target.

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Though Sheffield United have offered him a new deal, there is interest both in England and across Europe, meaning that a move away from the relegated side seems likely ahead of the new campaign.

Jebbison's potential arrival could spell bad news for veteran striker Patrick Bamford, who has been tipped to leave Leeds this summer as part of a rejuvenation of the squad.

Jimmy Adams upstaging Wasim Akram in St John’s or Pat Cummins’ Australia beating Bazball? Pick between two classics

Deivarayan Muthu08-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The ENG-AUS 2023 Birmingham Test moves to the round of 16.

West Indies’ one-wicket jailbreak vs Pakistan – St John’s, 2000

After more twists and turns than a whodunnit, Jimmy Adams upstaged Wasim Akram to complete a one-wicket heist with a healthy helping of luck. West Indies benefited from two umpiring errors and Saqlain Mushtaq fluffing two run-out chances, including one when Adams and No. 11 Courtney Walsh were both stranded at the striker’s end.When West Indies were 202 for 9, still 14 runs away from victory, Saqlain panicked under pressure and failed to gather the throw cleanly at the bowler’s end. Adams and Walsh eventually scrambled a leg-bye, leaving Pakistan wondering what might have been. Walsh held on limpet-like for 72 minutes with his captain Adams, who remained unbeaten on 48 off 212 balls, as West Indies clinched one of their most memorable and dramatic wins in Test cricket at the turn of the century in St John’s.Despite the lapses in the field, Akram had kept Pakistan in it by taking out four of West Indies’ top six – he came away with a match haul of 11 wickets – but Adams had the final say when he squeezed a single to point off Akram.

Australia beat Bazball – Birmingham 2023

“Boring, boring, Aussies” was the chant from the Hollies Stand at Edgbaston on the fourth afternoon when Usman Khawaja was digging in and slowly building for Australia in their pursuit of 281. By the fifth evening, the crowd was stunned into silence as Australia aced the old-school long game to beat England’s new-age fast play.When Khawaja fell for 65, with Ben Stokes ending his near-five-and-a-half-hour vigil, Australia had slipped to 209 for 7. Then, when Alex Carey’s wicket left Australia at 227 for 8, it certainly felt like England’s Bazballers were on their way to another famous win. Australia captain Pat Cummins, though, flipped the mood and result with an unbeaten 44 off 73 balls, with No. 10 Nathan Lyon hanging on in an unbroken 55-run partnership for the ninth wicket.After having come under fire with his defensive fields on the opening day, Cummins played the decisive hand on the final day, absorbing good balls from Stokes and Ollie Robinson and lining up Joe Root’s part-time offspin for a brace of sixes. After sealing the deal, Cummins let out a big roar, threw his bat and punched his fist in a rare show of emotion that summed up how much this win meant to him and Australia.

Club are top of Division One heading into ‘Super September’ title run-in

Matt Roller24-Aug-2021Warwickshire have become the latest club to bolster their squad ahead of the County Championship’s ‘Super September’, signing the Barbados seamer Chemar Holder for their Division One run-in.Holder, who made his Test debut in New Zealand last December, will fly to London on Friday after the conclusion of West Indies’ Test series against Pakistan in Jamaica, and is due to be available for Warwickshire’s away fixture against Lancashire on August 30.Holder was the leading wicket-taker in the 2019-20 West Indies Championship, spearheading Barbados’ title-winning attack, and was part of the squad that toured England and New Zealand last year then made an ODI debut in Bangladesh at the start of 2021. He was not retained by St Lucia Kings in the CPL despite playing a part in their run to the final last season, opening up the opportunity to play county cricket.The decision to sign an overseas fast bowler is a change of strategy from Warwickshire, who employed top-order batters Pieter Malan and Hanuma Vihari as their international signings earlier in the summer. But with Dom Sibley set to be available after being dropped by England and fast bowlers Henry Brookes and Olly Stone both out for the season, they have opted to add depth to their seam-bowling stocks.Related

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Warwickshire start the final stage of the Championship top of Division One, carrying forward half the points they accumulated in their group games against Nottinghamshire. They finished seventh out of eight teams in the old Division One in 2019 and were winless in last summer’s Bob Willis Trophy, but have impressed in first-class cricket since Mark Robinson’s arrival as head coach.Paul Farbrace, Warwickshire’s director of cricket, said: “We’re delighted to add Chemar to our bowling unit ahead of what is an exciting four games in the LV= Insurance County Championship. Chemar is a young, tall, fast bowler who will offer us something different as we look to build on our impressive start.”In the red-ball game Chemar has impressed internationally and domestically and I know he’s extremely excited to wear the Bear and Ragged Staff. I’d like to thank batsmen Hanuma Vihari and Pieter Malan for their contributions, and we look forward to welcoming Chemar very soon.”Holder said: “Warwickshire is a fantastic club with a proud history of winning trophies and overseas stars. The Bears squad have a great opportunity to win a trophy this season and I can’t wait to contribute and help the team achieve their goals. I’m incredibly excited to test myself in such an illustrious competition.”