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Center fielder Justin Dean's lifetime Major League Baseball statistics include two at-bats—and possibly one season saved.

In Game 6 of the World Series, Dean made headlines across the sports world with the heads-up play of the playoffs. When Blue Jays right fielder Addison Barger clubbed a double to deep left-center in the ninth inning, Dean alertly put his hands in the air as the ball wedged itself underneath the Rogers Centre fence. The ball was called dead, and two batters later the Dodgers forced Game 7.

Los Angeles went on to win its second straight World Series, but Dean will not be around to celebrate on Opening Day next year. On Thursday, the Giants claimed him off waivers.

Despite making a slice of baseball history, Dean has barely seen MLB action. He has played in 18 regular-season and 13 postseason games, primarily as a substitute in some form or fashion. His two career regular-season plate appearances include a strikeout against Toronto and a groundout against the Reds, both in August (he's a .252 minor-league hitter).

It might take him one game with San Francisco to match his airtime with the Dodgers, but it doesn't matter—he'll be a hero to Los Angeles for his feats in Ontario for life.

يستعد فريق بيراميدز لخوض مباراة قوية أمام التأمين الإثيوبي، بالمواجهة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن لقاءات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وتلعب المباراة بين بيراميدز والتأمين الإثيوبي، على أرضية استاد الدفاع الجوي في إطار منافسات إياب دور الـ32 من دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

يدخل بيراميدز اللقاء وعينه على بطاقة التأهل إلى دور المجموعات، بعد أن انتهت مباراة الذهاب بالتعادل الإيجابي 1-1، وهي نتيجة تمثل ضغطًا على الفريق الأزرق قبل لقاء اليوم.

طالع | قائمة بيراميدز لمباراة التأمين الإثيوبي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

ويسعى بيراميدز لتأكيد بدايته القوية هذا الموسم، ومواصلة مشواره القاري بنجاح، خاصة بعدما نجح في كتابة التاريخ مؤخرًا بالتتويج بلقب دوري أبطال إفريقيا لأول مرة في تاريخه، أعقبها الفوز بكأس السوبر الإفريقي على حساب نهضة بركان المغربي.

ويدخل بيراميدز المباراة ولديه رغبة في تحقيق انتصار جديد يعزز مكانته بين كبار القارة، ويؤكد جدارته بمواصلة الدفاع عن لقبه القاري. القناة الناقلة لمباراة بيراميدز والتأمين الإثيوبي اليوم في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

ومن المقرر أن تذاع مباراة بيراميدز والتأمين الإثيوبي، عبر قناة ON Sports 2.

Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland, Oman and Papua New Guinea have battled their way through the qualifiers to the tournament proper. What lies ahead of them?

08-Oct-2021Netherlands By Hemant BrarPath to the World Cup
Having participated in the 2016 T20 World Cup, Netherlands got a direct entry into the T20 World Cup Qualifier, where they won five out of six league games and then trounced UAE in the playoffs to seal a World Cup spot. They went on to win the Qualifier, beating Papua New Guinea in the final.Peak in cricket (so far)
Beating England at Lord’s in a last-ball thriller at the 2009 T20 World Cup, and then repeating the feat in the 2014 edition with a 45-run victory in Chattogram. Another high was chasing down 190 in 13.5 overs against Ireland in Sylhet, also in the 2014 edition.Players to watch
Ryan ten Doeschate: He was the second-highest run scorer for Netherlands in the Qualifier. A year later, he topped the run charts for Essex at the 2020 Vitality Blast. Although his recent form hasn’t been great, and he no longer bowls in T20, the 41-year-old will be determined to make an impact in what will be his last tournament.Roelof van der Merwe: Another globe-trotting veteran, van der Merwe can change the complexion of a match with both his lower-order hitting and left-arm spin. In this year’s Vitality Blast, he picked up 11 wickets in seven games at an economy of 7.19 in Somerset’s run to the final. This will be his fourth T20 World Cup; the first two came for South Africa.Paul van Meekeren: A tall fast bowler who can touch 140kph, van Meekeren also possesses a handy slower ball. Earlier this year, in his debut CPL season, he picked up eight wickets in as many games at an economy of 7.93 for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, the eventual champions.How far might they go?
Netherlands are paired with Sri Lanka, Ireland and Namibia in Group A, from where the top two teams will qualify for the Super 12s. If they can beat Ireland in their opening game, they should make it to the next round, given they are favourites against Namibia. Anything beyond that will be a miracle.It’s a tough road for Namibia, who will come up against Sri Lanka, Ireland and Netherlands in the early part of the tournament•Peter Della PennaNamibiaBy Peter Della Penna
Path to the World Cup
Namibia went undefeated in the Africa Regional Finals to earn a trip to the T20 World Cup Qualifier. After two defeats to Netherlands and PNG forced their backs to the wall at the start of group play, Namibia rallied for five straight wins to clinch a spot in their maiden T20 World Cup.Peak in cricket (so far)
Qualifying for the 2003 World Cup, where they went winless. More recently, they achieved ODI status by winning the 2019 World Cricket League Division Two on home soil.Players to watch
Gerhard Erasmus: The captain is the spine of the batting order, capable of anchoring the innings or revving up the engine when necessary. In a big win over Singapore in the World Cup Qualifier, he struck four sixes in a 29-run over. He also later showed his class with a half-century against Ireland. Erasmus bowls more than handy offspin and is also Namibia’s best fielder.JJ Smit: The 25-year-old allrounder’s value as batter and bowler is at the death. He does not bowl at express pace but is accurate with his yorkers. He has also turned many middling totals into challenging ones with his belligerent striking, such as in his 59 off 25 balls with five sixes in a win over Oman that clinched their spot at the World Cup.Bernard Scholtz: Namibia’s all-time leading wicket-taker in first-class and T20 cricket, Scholtz is not a big turner of the ball but relentlessly probes away with accuracy to build pressure that results in breakthroughs both for him and anyone bowling in tandem. He was the Player of the Tournament in the 2015 T20 World Cup Qualifier, and had the most wickets among spinners at the 2019 Qualifier.How far might they go?
Namibia have drawn the short straw, getting paired with former world champions Sri Lanka, along with Ireland and Netherlands, both of whom they lost to in the T20 World Cup Qualifier by wide margins. It will be an uphill battle to advance to the Super 12s.Scotland didn’t make it past the first round in the 2016 T20 World Cup•Getty ImagesScotland By Sruthi RavindranathPath to the World Cup
Scotland were the best team going into the 2019 World Cup Qualifier, ranked 11th in T20Is, but had a lacklustre outing, with three wins and three losses in the group stage, eventually finishing fourth on the Group A table. But they won the third qualifying playoff against hosts UAE and clinched their spot at the T20 World Cup for the second straight time.Peak in cricket (so far)
After failing to qualify for three T20 World Cups in a row, Scotland made it to the 2016 edition after winning the Qualifiers in 2015 (jointly with Netherlands), but exited in the first round after notching up a solitary win, against Hong Kong. They gained their best-ever ranking of No. 11 in T20Is in 2017, and got their first win against England in a one-off ODI in Edinburgh in 2018.Players to watch
George Munsey:The hard-hitting opener was Scotland’s highest run scorer in the Qualifiers in 2019, with 234 runs in eight matches. His T20I career strike rate of 155.01 is fourth best among batters who have faced a minimum of 500 balls. One of his best performances in international cricket came in September 2019 against Netherlands, when he hit 127 not out off 56 balls, the highest score in T20Is by a Scotland player.Safyaan Sharif: Sharif has emerged as the leader of Scotland’s pace attack in recent years. The right-arm quick was the top wicket-taker for Scotland in the 2019 Qualifiers, with 13 wickets in seven matches. He enters the T20 World Cup having just taken his best T20 figures – 4 for 24 against Zimbabwe in September.How far might they go?
They are likely to progress to the Super 12s – they start their first round against Bangladesh (ranked sixth to Scotland’s 15th), but their next two games are against Papua New Guinea and Oman, the teams they beat in the Qualifiers. But keeping in mind their fickle form in that tournament, and that they haven’t had much T20 game time ahead of the main event, they might be surprised by these teams.This will be Papua New Guinea’s first-ever T20 World Cup appearance•International Cricket CouncilPapua New GuineaBy Peter Della PennaPath to the World Cup
After a series of close playoff heartbreaks at the 2013 and 2015 T20 World Cup Qualifiers, in 2019, Papua New Guinea progressed from the East Asia-Pacific regional qualifier to top Group B at the global qualifier in the UAE, their 5-1 record clinching them an automatic berth. Their only loss in the group stage came against Scotland. Arguably their most impressive win came by five wickets with an over to spare against Netherlands before to the same opponents in the tournament final.Peak in cricket (so far)
Securing ODI status in 2014 at the 50-over World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand. They had a brief lapse in status from 2018 to 2019 after a poor finish at the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, but regained it a year later at WCL Division Two in Namibia.Players to watch
Assad Vala: Papua New Guinea’s do-everything captain is a towering figure, literally and figuratively, in the national team. The six-foot tall batter’s size translates into muscle at the crease where he is a powerful striker of the ball at No. 3 and consistently PNG’s top scorer. He also regularly bowls a full quota of offspin and is often a handful for left-handers to get away.CJ Amini: The long-time vice-captain is a third-generation national team player. A showstopper in the field at backward point, he has produced some of the most spectacular run-outs and catches in world cricket to not be captured by television cameras. His fielding prowess often overshadows the fact that he is also a quality legspinner and capable of smashing a few quick runs in the death overs.Norman Vanua: The allrounder started off the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier by taking a hat-trick against Bermuda, and through the tournament proved himself to be PNG’s best death bowler with his accurate yorkers. With the bat, he has shifted roles between being a pinch-hitting opener and an inspirational finisher. Aside from Vala, he’s the most likely to clear the ropes.How far might they go?
PNG’s fortunes are the hardest to predict because of their difference in form between formats. They lost eight straight ODIs in the two months leading into the 2019 Qualifier, before morphing into a T20 juggernaut in the UAE. They are in similarly terrible ODI form going into the T20 World Cup, having lost another eight in a row to stretch their ODI drought to 16 straight losses. But few would discount their chances by conflating their ODI form with that in T20Is.Oman captain Zeeshan Maqsood’s first task will be to take his team to a top-two finish against Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh and Scotland•Peter Della PennaOmanBy Peter Della PennaPath to the World Cup
Oman entered the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE as one of the group favourites and performed like it. Only a last-day slip-up in the group stage to Jersey denied them an automatic berth in the T20 World Cup – that went to Ireland, who finished with the same 4-2 record as Oman but with a superior net run rate. Oman then lost to Namibia in their opening playoff match before finally clinching a spot in the T20 World Cup in a tense second-chance eliminator against Hong Kong.Peak in cricket (so far)
Beating Ireland in their opening match of the 2016 T20 World Cup in Dharamsala. It showed that their qualification journey was no fluke and they used it as a springboard to securing ODI status in 2019.Players to watch
Bilal Khan: Oman’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, with 51 scalps, Bilal is one of the most devastating fast bowlers at Associate level. The left-armer generally bowls in the 135-140 kph range, but gets prodigious swing with the new ball and is a menace at the death with his yorkers. His new ball spell in the Qualifier reduced Hong Kong to 13 for 4 and then he came back with the old ball to end with figures of 4 for 23.Zeeshan Maqsood: The 33-year-old built his early reputation as a firecracker at the top of the order. In more recent times, he has been far more potent with the ball while leading Oman’s arsenal of left-arm spinners. He can still bring explosiveness with the bat when called upon, and is arguably Oman’s best player of spin, another reason why he shifted himself down to the middle order upon taking over as captain in 2018.Naseem Khushi: The 39-year-old wicketkeeper is Oman’s most explosive death-overs hitter. In that same must-win game against Hong Kong, he deflated the opposition by belting an unbeaten 26 off 9 balls. He is sometimes held back as late as No. 9 in the batting order, but can be promoted higher to suit the very specific requirement of teeing off in the last four overs, something he does better than most at Associate level.How far might they go?
Oman gained the biggest advantage due to the tournament venue reshuffle, which now sees them hosting matches in the opening round. They are a far stronger and deeper team than they were at the same event five years ago. Now that two teams advance from each opening round group instead of one, they have the strongest odds of any of the Associate teams to reach the main draw.

Australia have banned the pre-game activity that threatened to derail Ashleigh Gardner’s T20 World Cup as the allrounder challenged her side’s batters to fill their boots in the third T20I against New Zealand in Brisbane on Tuesday.Gardner missed the series opener against New Zealand in Mackay last Thursday after colliding with team-mate Georgia Wareham attempting to catch a soft “Vortex” ball in a warm-up drill.The reigning Belinda Clark Medallist initially laughed off the incident before leaving the ground in tears, fearing an eighth career concussion as she was ruled out of the contest.Related

• Gardner seals series win after Kerr puts Australia in a spin

• Gardner cleared of concussion after Wareham head clash

• Litchfield rescues Australia after dramatic pre-game injury to Gardner

She was cleared though and returned on Sunday with a Player-of the-Match effort, her 3 for 16 the headline act of a disciplined bowling performance in a 29-run win over New Zealand.The 27-year-old saw a neuropsychologist in 2018 after suffering four concussions in the space of 20 months.”It’s been nice to get back out there after a weird occasion, a head collision in a warm-up,” she said. “It was weird to wrap my head around, but I’ve felt really good the last couple of days.”I’ve had a lot of head knocks in the past; I know when I am concussed and when I’m not.”There was no sign of the Vortex before Sunday’s game, Gardner confirming their pre-match routine had been tweaked.”That’s the end of the Vortex for the rest of the tour,” she said.Ashleigh Gardner returned three wickets after missing the opening game due to a concussion scare•Getty Images

Usually happy to chase, captain Alyssa Healy opted to bat first on Sunday and force her team to set the pace ahead of next month’s World Cup defence in Dubai.Healy (38 off 25) got off to a flyer but Australia’s innings stalled, the hosts recording their worst collapse in the format when they lost their last seven wickets for 28 runs as Amelia Kerr returned career-best figures of 4 for 20.A total of 142 proved more than enough thanks to Australia’s bowlers. But Gardner wants to see improvements in their final hit-out in Brisbane on Tuesday before flying to the UAE.”There’s still a lot left in the tank; hopefully in this last game if we do bat first we can put a massive total on the board,” she said.She said there were no excuses given the side’s incredible batting depth meant Annabel Sutherland entered at the fall of the sixth wicket.”Sutherland at eight is pretty ridiculous,” she said. “Going into conditions like Dubai, we haven’t played there before [for Australia] so we’re kind of going into the unknown a little bit.”But knowing we have a defendable total like 140, we know our bowling unit is good enough to restrict them”The skill we possess, in all facets… it was pretty clinical.”

With three wins in three World Cup games, they’re basically showing off right now. But the toughest test is yet to come

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Taunton08-Jun-2019There is no team flexing quite as hard as New Zealand at this World Cup right now. Three matches in, six points in the bank, they are parked in front of the gym mirror in a tight tank top, making their pecs dance to the hard house music playing in their airpods.They might be alone in the establishment for now, because this, after all, is New Zealand. They are a team the cricket world is almost hard-coded not to take much notice of until the much later stages of a global event. But make no mistake. Them traps are popping. The forearms are rippling. Those shoulder muscles that have other muscles growing on them….yeah, they have those.They have, of course, been done a favour by the scheduling, because their games so far have been against three of the four lowest-ranked teams in the competition, which is almost the ideal first week. The deadlifts and bench presses await, but for now, New Zealand are breezing nicely through the easy settings on the exercise bike.Rahmat Shah walks off after getting out•Getty ImagesThe pitches, additionally, have also been the stuff of their dreams. The green-tinged track at Taunton was basically a Hamilton clone. The pitch at Cardiff for the opener against Sri Lanka might justifiably be cause for a copyright complaint from the Christchurch curator. Tree-lined grounds, lush outfields, bone-chilling breezes. If there were a few more drunks yelling curse-laden advice/abuse from the stands, this would basically be home.Watch on Hotstar (India only) – Highlights of James Neesham’s five-forNevertheless, it is an impressive start, not least because so many have shone already. The first win was set up by Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson, before openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro put on their first century stand together. Their best batsman Ross Taylor then produced his first match-winning innings of the World Cup against Bangladesh.James Neesham, the allrounder, is not one of the glory muscle groups, like the biceps, or the glutes. He’s more like a quad – useful in most situations, without being an instant eye-catcher. But targeting Afghanistan’s batsmen with tight, back-of-a-length bowling, and gaining inconsistent bounce with a wobbling seam, he now has the tournament’s best figures of 5 for 31. They were his own best returns not just in internationals, but in his entire professional career. So quickly did Afghanistan’s top order unravel, nosediving from 66 for 0 in the 11th over, to 70 for 4 in the 15th as Neesham swung the match decisively in New Zealand’s favour in the space of eight deliveries.The exalted company Neesham keeps•ESPNcricinfo Ltd”The wicket suited him a little bit,” captain Kane Williamson said. “It suited guys that come in and hit the deck a little bit. He got the ball a little earlier than he has because the pitch had that extra bounce in it. Jimmy, when he’s bowling well, can get that pace out of a surface. The bowlers complemented each other nicely.”All this, New Zealand have done so far, while also gently drawing attention to one of their other cricket flexes – that they are the cuddliest, humblest, nice guyest team on the planet. When Rashid Khan took a ball to the helmet grille during Afghanistan’s innings, Williamson was forward in a flash – not to celebrate the wicket (the ball had been deflected into the stumps), but to check on a visibly shaken Rashid. Earlier, Colin Munro was seen tying batsman Hashmatullah Shahidi’s shoelace. Such is the earnestness with which this New Zealand team upholds this reputation, that Shahidi has probably never had a shoelace knotted so artfully.New Zealand now have India to play next at Trent Bridge – by far their toughest assignment yet. But it’s a challenge they can face knowing that a loss there will not mean death to their campaign. Compare their plight to that of South Africa, for example. Having lost three of three, Faf du Plessis’ outfit, are in the foetal position, on the couch, crying and eating ice cream from the tub as they try to console themselves about the messy breakup with AB de Villiers, amongst other things.New Zealand, meanwhile, are basically a gym selfie in cricket team form. #blessed # hardworkpaysoff.

With the summer transfer window well and truly back open, Aston Villa have a huge few weeks ahead.

After failing to qualify for the Champions League after defeat against Manchester United on the final day of the season, the West Midlands side find themselves in the Europa League.

That surely makes them less appealing to top players they are looking to sign, and also means they have less money, which could make it tough to turn the loan moves of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford into permanent deals. Spain international Asensio did not have a buy clause in his loan from Paris Saint-Germain, and it is unclear if he will come back.

Well, if it turns out that Asensio doesn’t re-sign for Villa, they seemingly have a replacement in mind.

Villa's potential Asensio replacement

It would certainly be a huge blow for Villa if they were to lose Asensio, who had a great impact and brought lots of technical quality in attacking areas to their squad. However, they seem to be targeting a fellow Spaniard to replace him.

According to a newspaper in Spain, via Caught Offside, Unai Emery and his side are seemingly targeting a move for Real Betis attacker Jesus Rodriguez. He reportedly has a release clause worth £30m in his current deal, but Betis are negotiating a new contract with the view of increasing the price of that release clause to around £43m.

Of course, the release clause makes this a complicated situation, and on top of that, Betis are thought to be set on keeping Rodriguez.

However, Villans’ sporting director Monchi ‘is determined to sign’ the attacker, and ‘will be leading negotiations to get the deal done’ this summer.

Why Rodríguez would be a good signing

Despite being just 19 years of age, Rodriguez had a strong second half of the campaign with Betis, after breaking into the first team under Manuel Pellegrini following a stint in the youth team until December.

The Seville-born sensation played in 32 senior games last season for the club, scoring three times and grabbing one assist. He played a lot of first-team football, too, notching up 1739 minutes, the equivalent of 19 full 90-minute games. If anything, that shows the trust Pellegrini has in him already.

The 19-year-old attacker performed well in the UEFA Conference League last season, too. Although Betis lost in the final to Chelsea, he had an important role in their quest to the final, playing eight games and scoring against Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok.

There is no doubt about it, Rodriguez stepping into Asensio’s shoes at Villa Park would be no mean feat. Not only is he ten years younger and therefore far less experienced, but the impact he had at Villa would be tough to recreate.

Even Asensio himself struggled to continue the form he showcased during the early part of his career in the West Midlands. He scored eight times and grabbed one assist in 21 games, but after a rapid start, couldn’t keep up his hot run of form past the start of April.

When looking at the underlying stats on FBref last season for both Rodriguez, a Spain U21 international, and Asensio, there are some numbers that stack up well against each other. One of those is goal-creating actions, in which the Betis man averaged 0.41 per game compared to the Villa loanee’s 0.66, showing they are both involved in their team’s goals regularly.

Described as an “explosive” player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Rodriguez will certainly bring dynamic ball-carrying to Villa Park, more so than Asensio of the stats are anything to go by. The 19-year-old averaged 4.31 progressive carries each game last season, compared to Asensio’s 2.72 per 90 minutes.

Goal-creating actions

0.41

0.66

Progressive carries

4.31

2.72

Carries into penalty area

3.17

0.93

Take-ons completed

2.44

1.06

Ball recoveries

4.72

3.05

It is not hard to see why Rodriguez will be Emery’s new Asensio. Not only are they both Spanish attackers who can play across the frontline, but he has the technical quality of the former Real Madrid star, combined with the habit of being involved in goals, even if that is not directly.

This seems like a deal Monchi wants to get over the line, and for £30m, the value of his current release clause, it could be an excellent piece of business for the Villans.

He's scored at Villa Park: Aston Villa racing to sign "fantastic" £42m star

Only Jacob Murphy, Mohamed Salah and Anthony Elanga assisted more goals than him last season…

1 ByTom Cunningham Jun 12, 2025

Scott McTominay and his ‘Queen of Italy’ girlfriend Cam Reading have enjoyed a “special” summer of sunshine and spas.

Scotland international enjoyed dream season in ItalyPartner joined him for exciting new adventureTaken the opportunity to unwind over the summerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Scotland international midfielder has earned a relaxing break on the back of helping to guide Napoli to Serie A title glory in 2024-25. He enjoyed a dream debut campaign at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

McTominay has been taken into the hearts of a passionate fanbase in Naples, earning MVP recognition along the way, while his partner is considered to have become WAG royalty after joining her beau for an Italian job.

THE GOSSIP

Having lapped up wild trophy-winning celebrations, the volume has been turned down by McTominay and Reading during their post-season vacations. They have been chasing the sun and unwinding alongside close friends.

DID YOU KNOW?

Some “special” memories have been made along the way, with McTominay preparing to turn his attention back to the real business of competing for precious victories with club and country.

Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile was spotted on crutches during the Blues' 4-1 win over Benfica in the Club World Cup Round of 16 clash. The French centre-back started the clash for Enzo Maresca's side but was subbed off in the 70th minute. Following the break in play due to stormy weather, Badiashile was spotted on the sidelines on crutchess as he watched his team win 4-1 after extra-time.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Benoit Badiashile suffers injury against Benfica
• Spotted in crutches on the touchline during win
• Linked with a move this summer to Marseille

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Badiashile has surprisingly started Chelsea's last two games at the Club World Cup amid speculation he could move on in the summer. However, the Frenchman had to be subbed off in the 70th minute against Benfica with an apparent injury.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The injury now appears to be a serious concern for Chelsea as Badiashile was spotted on the touchline in crutches, when the Blues and Benfica returned to the field of play after a storm forced a lengthy break in play. The Blues headed to extra-time after Angel Di Maria's 95th minute strike levelled the game before Maresca's side went on to win 4-1.

  Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream now

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Badiashile may have therefore played his final game with Chelsea as he has been linked with a move to Marseille. The Frenchman's future has become future as he has been low on Maresca's list of centre-backs with Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah, taking priority.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  Chelsea go on to play Palmeiras in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup. As for Badiashile, it is uncertain whether the interest from Marseille may be under threat because of the injury.

For not a single question did Ganguly appear ill-equipped or unprepared

Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai23-Oct-2019The conference room on the first floor of the BCCI headquarters in south Mumbai has hosted many press conferences by cricket administrators over the years. This Wednesday afternoon didn’t seem any different for the media persons who had started to sprawl on the floor after waiting for one-and-a-half hours, except it was.As is usually the case, the BCCI media managers first clear the way for the administrators, who then stroll in like heavyweight boxers – at the pace they want, surrounded by people. On this occasion, there was just a burst of buzz among the people at the door, the quick removal of the lens covers by the camerapersons, and the rather abrupt arrival of the new BCCI president. Sourav Ganguly paced inside with his face set and sat on his chair before you could blink.The media manager always introduces the person about to speak, even if it is Virat Kohli. This time, he had just started to ask the press if their “cameras were rolling” and if everyone was ready, when Ganguly cut him short and said, “Firstly, good afternoon, everyone. And I’m ready, so you can start.” Zap came a question and pat went back the answer from Ganguly. He was not here to waste his or anyone’s time.As my colleague Sharda Ugra observed, Ganguly wore black-rimmed glasses for a change to a press conference, and not his usual glasses or contact lenses. Was it for more gravitas, while he answered one question after another about the state of affairs in Indian domestic cricket, the administration, the BCCI-ICC relationship, how Kohli and the teams had to be supported, and everything else that was asked? It was Ganguly’s first official day as the president but he had a grip on everything already. For not a moment did he appear ill-equipped or unprepared.Neither did he beat around the bush as many BCCI office-bearers have in the past. It was this way or that for Ganguly, there were no creeks of vagueness or ambiguity his answers could fall into.”Is domestic cricket your priority?””Yes, it’s the first thing the Apex Council will look at,” Ganguly replied.”Is split captaincy on your agenda?””This is the work of the selectors,” he said, ending the discussion there.At one point, a senior journalist asked him if the Apex Council was going to effectively replace the working committee, and Ganguly cut him short, courteously but firmly” “No, it [the journalist’s interpretation] is not correct, the Apex Council can give any powers to the office-bearers. It’s not the right interpretation of the [Supreme Court] order.”When he was asked about the BCCI’s representation at the ICC and about the revenue the Indian board gets, Ganguly explained the situation, adding, “Don’t just go on hearsay.”No airs because of his position, no irritable behaviour, no grumpiness.Not just his entry and answers, his demeanour and conduct too were unlike any other administrator’s. Even when he visited the BCCI headquarters on Tuesday to meet the outgoing Committee of Administrators and the board CEO Rahul Johri, he was in formal-casual attire and sat next to the driver in his car with a laptop bag on his right shoulder.On Wednesday, he had arrived with the same blue bag on his shoulder, no deputy to open his car door. Nearly swallowed by the cameras, he soon entered the BCCI building, wearing a formal shirt and trousers, with a blue blazer hanging over his right arm.Three hours later, he appeared in front of the press wearing the same blazer with the BCCI emblem on the breast pocket. “I got this when I was captain of India and decided I will wear it [today] but did not realise that it was so loose,” he joked.Before leaving for the BCCI office on Wednesday morning, Ganguly got a picture of him clicked at one of the top floors in his hotel. In the picture, now doing the rounds on social media, you can see the Arabian Sea, the Wankhede floodlights almost lost in the high rises and the concrete horizon in the background, and the clearer Brabourne Stadium in the front to the right. Ganguly is standing on the left, wearing the same blue blazer, and looking back towards the two stadia with a glass wall separating them. You can barely see his face but you know he is smiling.Mumbai will be like his second home for the next ten months and it’s a city he shares a strong relationship with. “I came here as a young boy. I remember scoring my fist hundred for India here, it was against Pakistan in an Under-19 match at the Wankhede Stadium,” he recalled. “That hundred actually triggered my career off, I got picked for Ranji Trophy, my [first home] Test match hundred here, [I’ve had] Test wins here. And then coming back to the IPL last year for Delhi Capitals and winning again [against Mumbai Indians]. This ground [Wankhede] has never let me down, so hopefully in my next role in a different capacity, I’ll be able to get this administration and Indian cricket stronger.”In his 25-minute press conference as the BCCI president, Ganguly did not reveal anything starkly new compared to all he has spoken about in the last ten days, in both Mumbai and in Kolkata. But when he was asked to talk yet again after walking out of the BCCI office later in the evening, he said, “I’ve been giving bites ever since I’ve taken over,” and drew laughter.After the alleged cases of corruption, the Supreme Court’s intervention and the BCCI being bogged down in many ways in the last few years, cricket fans will now hope Ganguly starts his new stint the same way he ended his first day in the office: with purpose and clarity.

A big summer awaits for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side.

Having not replaced Kyōgo Furuhashi in January, the Hoops will be targeting a new centre-forward, while Kieran Tierney’s return will create much fanfare, replacing the outgoing Greg Taylor at left-back.

In the meantime, ahead of a huge Champions League play-off tie in August, Rodgers will also be looking to bolster his midfield options, so have the club identified their number on target?

Celtic's 'ideal successor to Callum McGregor'

It’s safe to say that Rodgers and Co have been winning plaudits for their recruitment, and it’s clear to see why. The return of a fan favourite in Jota got supporters off their seats and the same will occur when Tierney puts pen to paper in the summer. He was, after all, a bit of a legend during his first stint at Parkhead.

So, what’s next for the Celts?

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Well, as reported by Football Insider, Celtic have ‘identified’ midfielder Elvis Rexhbecaj as Callum McGregor’s ‘ideal successor’, adding that current club Augsburg may be willing to sell for as little as £3m, considering he is out of contract in 2026.

A further report from Sky Sports Germany suggests that the Premiership outfit are ‘monitoring’ his situation in Germany, with Besiktas and Hoffenheim also interested in his services.

Rexhbecaj played alongside Celtic’s record-signing Arne Engles 38 times in Bavaria, with the 27-year-old having made 84 appearances for the Fuggerstädter in total, previously spending time at fellow-Bundesliga clubs Wolfsburg, Köln and Bochum.

In an interview with FIFA’s official site, Rexhbecaj stated he is “happy at Augsburg”, adding that “I’ve got the sense that I’m here for the long haul”, but with his contract running down, could the German club decide to sell?

How Elvis Rexhbeçaj would improve Celtic

Rexhbecaj’s performances for Augsburg this season have been described as ‘fantastic’ by local media, deployed in numerous different midfield positions by manager Jess Thorup, but predominantly playing as a defensive anchor.

So, let’s analyse his Bundesliga statistics.

As the table outlines, Rexhbeçaj’s statistics don’t exactly leap off the page, as he is pretty solid, if unspectacular, when it comes to passing as well as all of the defensive metrics, namely ball recoveries, interceptions, blocks and tackles.

Nevertheless, considering that Dominik Schneider of FussballTransfers reports that Parma, Beşiktaş and numerous EFL Championship clubs are all also ‘interested’ in signing him and the fact that FBRef compares him to Newcastle’s £55m man Sandro Tonali, he must be doing something right.

So, could he be the perfect McGregor deputy, perhaps even the captain’s long-term successor?

Last month’s Glasgow derby defeat to Rangers at Parkhead hammered home McGregor’s importance to this Celtic team, with Rodgers himself admitting afterwards that there’s “no doubt” his team missed the skipper, struggling to cope without the “tactical balance” he provides.

Kieran Devlin of the Athletic labeled McGregor Celtic’s ‘most important player’, and the Hoops’ lack of midfield control without him highlighted why.

So, let’s see how McGregor and Rexhbeçaj compare.

As the table outlines, McGregor comes out on top for pretty much every metric this season, % of ground duels won the sole exception, albeit there are stylistic similarities between the pair.

It’s also worth taking into account that Rexhbeçaj is playing at a considerably higher level; according to Global Football Rankings, the Bundesliga is the third strongest league in the world, while the Scottish Premiership ranks 43rd.

What is clear is that Celtic require midfield reinforcements so if Rexhbecaj is available at a cut-price this summer, he could be a useful addition.

Celtic ace left for £600k, now he's similar to a future Ballon d'Or winner

The player Celtic lost for just £600k is now similar to a star who has been tipped to win the Ballon d’Or.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 1, 2025