All posts by h716a5.icu

Following Inter Miami's draw with LA Galaxy, Lionel Messi sent a heartwarming message to his wife Antonela Roccuzzo for her birthday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Messi sends birthday wishes to wifeRoccuzzo celebrating 36th birthdayInter Miami fresh from draw with LA GalaxyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Argentine World Cup winner broke Galaxy hearts in injury time after he linked up with Jordi Alba in classic fashion to draw Inter Miami level on the night and avoid a first defeat of the season. Fast forward to today, and Messi is celebrating his childhood sweetheart-turned-wife's 36th birthday. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner shared a post with his wife as the duo celebrated the event.

AdvertisementWHAT MESSI SAID

"Happy birthday, Princess! I love you," he wrote on Instagram.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Messi and Roccuzzo met as young children in Argentina, and while he later moved away from Argentina to train with Barcelona, the two reconnected after a tragedy and eventually fell in love. The pair have three sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

While things have been spectacular for the Argentine on the personal front, Inter Miami have been struggling throughout pre-season and Messi and Co. have been toiling hard to turn around their situation. With a draw and win in their first two MLS games, the Herons will take on Orlando City on Saturday, March 2 hoping pick up another victory.

Raphael Varane has revealed how he earned Cristiano Ronaldo’s respect, with the Frenchman saying there is “no need to be shy” around the Portuguese.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

French defender moved to Spain in 2011Would not be intimidated by anybodyLanded major silverware alongside CR7WHAT HAPPENED?

World Cup winner Varane completed a dream transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2011. Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo had already been at Santiago Bernabeu for a couple of years by that point and was very much the brightest light in Madrid’s galaxy of stars.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Varane could have been forgiven for feeling a little overawed in such illustrious company, but the classy centre-half merely made a point of making Ronaldo aware of who he was and that he would not be intimated by anybody.

WHAT VARANE SAID ABOUT RONALDO

Quizzed by on whether one of his first interactions with Ronaldo saw him respond with “I’m Rapha” after being referred to as “’Varane” by CR7, the current Manchester United star said: “Yes it’s true, I think that on the field there is no need to be shy. I am someone who is quite reserved outside but on the field you have to make your own place and be respected.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

That is a mindset that Ronaldo can get behind, as someone who has spent his entire career pursuing perfection. Varane shares a similar desire to win, but added on how even the very best in the business need to learn how to turn energy levels on and off. He added: “That's the challenge for great teams, to succeed in winning while exerting less energy on the pitch. You can't put your full energy into everything when there are games every three days. You can't run a marathon every day. I had periods where we played Clasico, Champions League, Clasico – in a week you feel like you've lived an entire life!”

Ash Herron, the wife of Nottingham Forest and USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner, has revealed which player broke her nose during a warmup.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Turner moves to Premier LeagueWife, Ash, breaks nose in warm upShe reveals which player did itGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Herron has revealed she suffered a broken nose during one of the pre-game warmups while watching her husband in action. Ash is one of many wives set to feature in the new Amazon Prime Video documentary called 'Married to the Game' which will showcase the lives of significant others who are with Premier League footballers.

AdvertisementNottingham Forest TwitterWHAT HERRON SAID

“I’ve got a broken nose right now because I went to a game and got hit in the nose,” Ash Turner told talkSPORT. “It happened during the warm up. It was [Gonzalo] Montiel. I don’t think it’s glitz and glamour.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Turner and his family made the switch from the MLS to the Premier League back in 2022, when he sealed a move to join North London giants Arsenal.

Speaking on the difference between the MLS and the Premier League, Turner's wife added: “I don’t think I was necessarily prepared for the intensity of the Premier League. We came from MLS and obviously that’s not as high profile. This league is just developed in people’s blood and it’s a beautiful thing. The pressure for the players and their families is something I don’t think you can prepare for. You have to just go through the journey and experience it and that’s where you really learn the ins and outs of everything."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR TURNER?

Turner and his Forest teammates are looking to get back to winning ways this weekend after suffering a disappointing 3-2 loss to Newcastle United last weekend. Nuno Espirito Santo's men will host West Ham United in their next clash at the City Ground on Saturday.

The IPL has signalled that it might move away from the auction system after criticism of the system as “undignified and cruel” and “humiliating” to players

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-20186:20

Manjrekar: ‘A lot of cricketing sense at the auction’

The IPL has signalled that it might move away from the auction system, which was this week criticised as “undignified and cruel” and “humiliating” to players.New Zealand has become the first country where administrators have dared to voice disapproval of the auction. Heath Mills, chief executive of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association, told the : “I think the whole system is archaic and deeply humiliating for the players, who are paraded like cattle for all the world to see.”Mills was endorsing a tweet from Peter Clinton, a former chief executive of Wellington Cricket, who said: “The IPL Auction is such an undignified, cruel and unnecessary employment practice. Ridiculous that it exists today, belongs in the medieval ages.”The IPL is firmly established as the most lucrative career option for Twenty20 cricketers of note – the place where virtually every player wants to be – but Mills suggested that the acquiescence of the players should not be interpreted as contentment about the system.”There’s a lot of good things about the Indian Premier League and it’s been great for cricket but I’d like to see it mirror the rest of professional sport in the way they engage athletes,” Mills said.”Some players do exceptionally well out of if but the vast majority would like to see the system changed. They would like to negotiate with coaches and owners behind closed doors.”Mills’ criticism centred upon the players’ lack of control over their own destiny. Under the auction system, they are commodities, available to the highest bidder, and have no input as to where they play.”The players enter the auction not knowing where they are going, who their team-mates are going be, who’s managing them, who the owners are — no other sports league in the world engages players on that basis,” he said.”We’ve seen some players play for five or six teams over the 10 years the league has been going. Coaches cannot build an affinity with players, they can’t build a long-term culture. Players’ associations around the world would like to see it change.”Supporters seeking to identify with a club have also traditionally valued a mix of continuity and new signings, although the IPL’s heavy turnover does not seem to have hampered its popularity as it has become an irresistible part of the world cricketing calendar.The 2018 IPL auction kicked off in Bengaluru on Saturday•BCCINevertheless, the IPL is aware of the scepticism form the rest of the cricketing world towards its “mega auctions”. Hemang Amin, the IPL’s chief operating officer, said that auctions might give way to a draft system, which is well established across a wide range of sports.”Going forward, the thinking is that we will reduce, maybe not have mega auctions, but consider having a draft system for new players to come in, which acts as feeder system to teams,” Amin said at the end of the two-day IPL auction last weekend. “Hence, IPL Governing Council is thinking on the lines of how to cut down on the big auction and have the continuity with teams.”This year the IPL made it mandatory that teams had to spend a minimum 75% of their purse before and during the auction. That would include both retentions and buying new players. The total purse available for all eight franchises was US $100 million, out of which Amin said $96.875 million was spent by the end of the auction.Amin said the IPL had decided to reduce the number of players that remained unsold compared to the previous big auction, in 2014, so reducing the number of players actively rejected during the auction process.”If you look at the 2014 auction, we had presented around 320 players then before going into the accelerated bidding process. This time, we have taken learnings from previous years. We presented 170 players of which around 120 were sold. So if you compare to 2014 when 200 players went unsold, this time it was 50 or 60 who went unsold. Also on day one, 70 out of 110 were sold. So we’re trying to reduce the number of unsold players.”In all, however, 581 players were named in the final auction list. New Zealand managed to find seven sales from 24 names; England a similar outcome.Mills was not confident about change. He told the , “It’s almost got to the point where there’s more interest in the auction than the games and I think they’ll keep doing it even though the general player view it is that there’s better ways to do it.”

Jurgen Klopp provided an injury update on Trent Alexander-Arnold after the assist king was taken off at half-time despite bossing it against Burnley.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Alexander-Arnold set up Jota to create PL historyWas subbed at half-time after discomfort in the kneeKlopp assured that it is "nothing really bad"GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

In an unexpected turn of events during Liverpool's 3-1 win against Burnley the England international saw his afternoon cut short raising concerns about his fitness. Alexander-Arnold played a crucial role in Liverpool's early success in the match, setting up the opening goal for Diogo Jota with a precise corner kick, that saw him set a new Premier League record for most assists (58) by a defender surpassing team-mate Andy Robertson.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Klopp opted to replace Alexander-Arnold as a precautionary measure and put on Harvey Elliott, who put in an inspired performance with a couple of assists. This substitution reshuffled the team's formation, with Curtis Jones stepping into an unfamiliar role at right-back in the absence of Conor Bradley, who is in Northern Ireland mourning the loss of his father.

WHAT KLOPP SAID

Speaking after the match, Klopp revealed: "Same area in the knee. Nothing really bad but he felt it again. We have to see. We were made aware of it so thought 'what can we do' then Trent said 'no it's fine'. But it's not as he feels it so we had to be careful."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

LIVERPOOL'S GROWING LIST OF ABSENTEES

Alexander-Arnold's recent injury setback adds to Liverpool's growing list of absentees, including key players like Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker, Thiago Alcantara, and Joel Matip, who are sidelined due to various short and long-term injuries. The club's medical team is likely to conduct further assessments, including scans, to determine the extent of Alexander-Arnold's injury and establish an appropriate course of action.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their attempts to bolster the playing squad before the end of the summer transfer window.

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

Gers boss Michael Beale has been backed by the board over the last few months as he has made nine new signings; including Abdallah Sima, Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, Danilo, Kieran Dowell, Dujon Sterling, Jose Cifuentes, Leon Balogun, and Jack Butland.

According to the Daily Mail, the Light Blues are one of several sides eyeing up Peterborough United central defender Ronnie Edwards as the English head coach looks to improve the depth of his side.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

The report claims that Premier League trio West Ham United, AFC Bournemouth, and Crystal Palace have also been keeping tabs on the 20-year-old centre-back.

Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony is also quoted as saying that "three" Premier League teams will bid for him before the deadline, whilst Rangers appear to be eyeing their own swoop for his services.

How good is Ronnie Edwards?

The superb 5 ft 11 brute is an excellent young defender who has caught the eye with his performances in League One over the last 12 months or so.

Edwards' displays in the third tier of English football last season suggest that he has the potential to be an upgrade on current Rangers prospect Leon King in that position at the heart of the defence.

The Posh enforcer only turned 20 in March of this year but was able to start 40 league matches for his club during the 2022/23 campaign, which shows how much faith his manager had in him.

Edwards averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.04 across those 40 games as he delivered consistently impressive displays at the back. Meanwhile, King averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.89 over 15 outings in the Scottish Premiership for the Light Blues.

In fact, Connor Goldson (7.29) was the only Rangers centre-back who averaged a higher rating than 6.96 for the club last term, which illustrates how well the Peterborough star performed – albeit at League One level.

The Gers target made 3.4 tackles and interceptions combined per league match for his side – more than any of Beale's players managed – and won an outstanding 73% of his ground duels throughout the campaign.

King, on the other hand, made 1.6 tackles and interceptions per game and won 67% of his battles on the deck for the Scottish giants.

These statistics suggest that Edwards has the potential to make more defensive interventions than the Scottish battler whilst being more efficient in doing so, which speaks to his physical strengthdespitef his age.

The Peterborough warrior, who was dubbed a "Rolls-Royce" by his club's director of football Barry Fry, has showcased his ability to dominate opposition attackers whilst also winning possession back for his team regularly.

His performances for the English side suggest that the potential is there for him to be a big upgrade on King for Rangers if he can translate his form over to Scottish football, which is why this could be a shrewd signing for Beale this summer.

Leeds United have been rocked by news that another one of their key men has now suffered a serious injury concern at Elland Road, as per recent reports.

What's the latest news involving Leeds United?

According to German outlet BILD, Eintracht Frankfurt are considering making Robin Koch's loan spell at Deutsche Bank Park into a permanent one in 2024. It is unclear whether Leeds United would be willing to agree to any such proposal; however, it should be noted that Koch has impressed since arriving back in Germany in the summer.

On Thursday night, the 27-year-old defender netted the winner for Eintracht Frankfurt in their 2-1 victory at home in the Europa Conference League over Aberdeen, lending further credence to the thought of him potentially leaving and netting Leeds United some extra cash back in the coffers, as per BBC Sport.

Cited by Leeds Live, Leeds United loanee Djed Spence is injured and will miss the Whites' Sky Bet Championship clash against Watford this weekend. Patrick Bamford and Stuart Dallas are back in full training; however, Junior Firpo is still sidelined and Joe Rodon will be suspended for the visit of the Hornets owing to his dismissal in Leeds United's 0-0 draw away to Hull City in midweek, as per Sky Sports.

Last week, it was reported by Football Insider that Leeds were keen to open contract talks with attacker Wilfried Gnonto meanwhile, who has come off the back of a summer of uncertainty due to interest from Premier League outfit Everton in his services. Nevertheless, he is now focused on Leeds United and the upcoming campaign.

Who is injured now?

Despite positive news that the Whites are keen on renewing Gnonto's contract at Elland Road, BBC journalist Adam Pope has issued a worrying update detailing that the Italy international has sustained a serious injury concern.

Referencing several of his other teammates in addition, Pope took to social media platform X to say: "Farke says Gnonto is out with lateral ligament damage to his ankle. Not sure on his return time. Ampadu is fine. Dallas will be quite a few weeks away from 1st team action."

19-year-old Gnonto has mustered six appearances for Leeds United across all competitions this campaign, registering a solitary goal in the process, as per Transfermarkt. Demonstrating his ability to cause regular problems for opposition backlines to contend with, Gnonto has had an average of around 1.8 shots per game and completed around 2.6 successful dribbles per 90 minutes in the Sky Bet Championship this term, according to WhoScored.

Nevertheless, his injury concern will come as a bitter blow to Leeds and Farke, who are hoping to climb into the playoff positions this weekend if they can see off Watford at home. Whether his injury lay-off impacts his contract negotiations at the club will also be another concern, though for now, their only hope will be that he is not out of action for too long.

Manchester United could target a surprise big name arrival in the goalkeeping department despite the recent arrival of Andre Onana at Old Trafford, according to recent reports.

What's the latest news involving Manchester United?

According to The Manchester Evening News, both Mason Mount and Harry Maguire are set to be available for selection in the Red Devils' Carabao Cup tie against Crystal Palace on Tuesday after recovering from their respective injury concerns.

Due to Manchester United's shortage of players capable of playing on the right flank currently, the prospect of summer signing Mount being used on the right-hand side has been mooted in recent weeks. Erik Ten Hag hasn't ruled out turning this scenario into a reality, stating in a recent interview: "This has been discussed before, but we have options on the right and we will see how we fill it in. We have the options but also they have to be available and then you have to get the routines in. But the principles and rules – they are clear."

Recent reports emerging out of Italy have emerged claiming that Manchester United could look to make another move to try and lure Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot to Old Trafford in the January transfer window. Newcastle United and Atletico Madrid are also keeping tabs on the France international's situation, which is complicated further from his current employers' point of view as his contract at the Old Lady is due to expire in the summer of 2024.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Ben Jacobs also hasn't ruled out the possibility of Manchester United bidder Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani potentially submitting another bid as his quest to acquire full control at Old Trafford continues to roll on.

Who are Manchester United linked with?

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United are believed to view Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak as an extremely attractive potential acquisition at Old Trafford, though any deal would most likely occur next summer rather than in the January window.

Oblak is said to be open to a potential switch to the Premier League giants; however, Atletico Madrid will look to demand in the region of €50 million (£43 million) before sanctioning any exit for the Slovenia international.

Labelled the "best in the world" by Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, Oblak has made a profound impact during his long spell in the Spanish capital, keeping 193 clean sheets in 398 appearances across all competitions for the La Liga giants, as per Transfermarkt.

As per FBRef, Oblak has excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the metric of goals conceded per 90 minutes, having shipped an average of just 0.82 combining his match involvement in the last 365 days, putting him in the 97th percentile for this statistic.

Despite current Manchester United number one Onana's inconsistent start to life at Old Trafford, it would seem harsh to look to bring in another elite-level shot-stopper in the mould of Oblak to compete for opportunities between the sticks so soon.

Stats highlights from the second day’s play at Eden Gardens.

HR Gopalakrishna and Mathew Varghese01-Dec-2007Stats highlights from the second day’s play at Eden Gardens.

VVS Laxman became the leading run-scorer in Tests at Eden Gardens © AFP
The day surely belonged to Sourav Ganguly, who scored his first Test hundred in Kolkata, his home town. In seven Tests prior to this one at Eden Gardens, Ganguly had only one fifty – a 65 against Australia in 1998. Ganguly has no fifty in four ODIs he’s played at the ground. It was also his first century against Pakistan. VVS Laxman continued his great run in Kolkata, and became the leading Test run-getter at Eden Gardens during the course of his unbeaten 112, going past Mohammad Azharuddin. Laxman now has 898 runs at an average of 81.63 with three hundreds – the same as Rahul Dravid – in Kolkata, but is till two short of Azhar, who had five hundreds in seven Tests. Wasim Jaffer became the third batsman to score a double-hundred at Eden Gardens, after Rohan Kanhai and VVS Laxman. It is Jaffer’s second score over 200, his best being 212 against West Indies in St John’s. India’s total of 616 for 5 declared was their second-highest against Pakistan, after their 675 for 5 declared in Multan in 2004. It was also their third total in excess of 600 at Eden Gardens; India had scored more against Australia in 1998 and in 2001 – when Laxman scored 281. Danish Kaneria finished with figures of 2 for 194 from his 50 overs, the most runs conceded in an innings at Eden Gardens.

Newcastle United host Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday evening, but they have suffered a potentially massive injury setback ahead of the game.

Which Newcastle players are fit vs Brentford?

The Magpies have endured a stuttering start to the season, having strutted into it as likely top-four candidates after a stellar campaign last time around, in which they finished fourth in the table.

The 5-1 win at home to Aston Villa on the opening Saturday of 2023/24 suggested that Eddie Howe's side had gone up another level as a team, but since that point, things have spiralled rather alarmingly. While there was no shame in losing 1-0 away to Premier League champions Manchester City, the 2-1 loss at home to ten man Liverpool at St James' Park was worrying, before being beaten 3-1 at Brighton.

Newcastle return to action after the international break on Saturday evening, hosting a dangerous Brentford side, and the hope is that this is a game that allows them to turn their season around.

There are injury problems going into the game, with Joe Willock still out, although the likes of Sven Botman and Elliot Anderson are expected to be fit.

Will Sandro Tonali miss Newcastle-Brentford clash?

According to The Chronicle, who relayed the information from Howe's press conference, Newcastle could now be without Sandro Tonali for Saturday's visit of the Bees, acting a possible huge blow:

Howe said: "He came back from Italy duty with a strain. He’s had a scan but we will see."

Tonali is already a vital player for Newcastle, announcing himself in style with a goal in the win over Villa, and while he is still adjusting to life in the Premier League, being without him against Brentford would hinder their chances of getting a positive result at St James' Park. The Bees actually top the expected goals table so far this season, so they certainly carry plenty of threat, especially if the spine of your side is weakened.

The Italian has already been described as "magnificent" by Howe, who clearly values him greatly as a player, and the Magpies would lose so much without him in the starting lineup, whether it be his quality on the ball or work ethic off it.

With both Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton searching for their best form at the moment, Tonali's absence could be felt even more, so the hope is that he passes a fitness test and is ultimately named in the team on Saturday.

The importance of a win cannot be stressed enough, following three defeats in succession, and if Newcastle are to secure back-to-back top four finishes, these are the sort of matches where dropped points can be so costly.

Granted, Brentford are a good side in their own right, but with the battle for Champions League football set to be far more fierce this season – the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea should all be a lot stronger than they were in 2022/23 – Howe's men need to get on a good run in between these two international breaks, or risk falling away before the campaign has properly got into full swing.