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“We will continue exploring a window for organising the age-group tournaments post the IPL 2021,” secretary Jay Shah said

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2021A fresh surge in the number of Covid-19 cases around the country has led to the BCCI suspending the proposed 50-over inter-state Vinoo Mankad Trophy for Under-19 men at least till the end of IPL 2021, which is scheduled to get over on May 30.”While our endeavour was to get in as many matches as was practicable across different age groups in the season, prevailing circumstances have now forced us to suspend all age-group tournaments,” Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, said in an email sent to the various state associations on Tuesday. “This is on account of the fact that active COVID cases are on the rise and organising tournaments requires intercity travel, strict quarantine measures and the creation and maintenance of bio-secure bubbles for the participants. Moreover, the situation is presently not conducive in some states.”Related

• M Siddharth, R Sai Kishore carry TN to Mushtaq Ali Trophy title

• From 'total chaos', Mumbai become Mumbai again

• IPL 2021 to kick off on April 9; will be played across six cities

On January 30 this year, the BCCI had announced its plans of hosting the domestic 50-over competitions for men, women and Under-19 men despite the Covid-19 situation. The men’s national T20 tournament, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, was nearing completion at the time.That meant no Ranji Trophy for the first time since its inception in 1934-35, and, along with a number of other cancelled tournaments, no Cooch Behar Trophy for the Under-19 men or any of the boys’ Under-16 or Under-23 competitions. Similarly, there would be no age-group tournaments for women cricketers either.The postponement of these tournaments assumes greater significance than usual because there is the next edition of the men’s Under-19 World Cup scheduled for 2022 in the West Indies, and also the inaugural women’s Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh tentatively slotted for later this year too.”Considering the fact that the 10th and 12th Board Examinations are also around the corner across India, it is prudent that our young athletes have the opportunity to prepare and focus on these crucial examinations. Furthermore, our players’ health, safety and well-being are our primary concern,” Shah wrote. “I assure you that we will continue exploring a window for organising the age-group tournaments post the IPL 2021.”The BCCI had earlier asked the state associations to give their suggestions on the domestic calendar, which has had to be curtailed in a major way because of the pandemic and could only start in January this year.The 2020 edition of the IPL was held in the UAE, with the four-match Women’s T20 Challenge held alongside the playoffs of the men’s event, and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was played across seven centres in India in January. That was followed by the all-format series between India and England – currently in progress – and the men’s 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, which ended on March 14. The women’s 50-over competition is currently on (final on April 4) and the 2021 edition of the IPL is slated to take place in India – only in Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata – between April 9 and May 30.

ESPNcricinfo has learned that USA, Namibia and Netherlands are the other teams in the India-Pakistan group

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Nov-2025India and Pakistan will play each other in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup on February 15 in Colombo as per the tournament schedule that will be unveiled by the ICC in Mumbai on Tuesday.The marquee contest – the first time the two teams are meeting since three heated contests at the 2025 Asia Cup – will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium and is India’s third group match. ESPNcricinfo has learned India and Pakistan have been grouped along with USA, Netherlands and Namibia.India play their first group match against USA in Mumbai on February 7, the opening day of the T20 World Cup. They then take on Namibia in Delhi on February 12, followed by Pakistan, and their final group game is against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad on February 18. There will be three matches a day during the group stage of the tournament.The 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup from February 7 to March 8 is being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with Pakistan playing all their games in Colombo or Kandy. The format is the same as the previous tournament in 2024 in the USA and West Indies, where the 20 teams were divided into five groups of four. The top two teams from each of the four groups progress to a Super Eight phase, where they will be further divided into two groups of four each. The top two teams in each of the two Super Eights groups will qualify for the semi-finals, which will be followed by the final.Related

• T20 World Cup: India grouped with Pakistan, England with West Indies

• Italy's long road to T20 World Cup qualification

• 2026 Men's T20 World Cup likely from February 7 to March 8

• ICC shortlists venues for 2026 T20 World Cup

If India progress from the group stage, their three Super Eight matches will be in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kolkata. If they make the final four, their semi-final will be in Mumbai. It is understood the ICC has shortlisted Colombo or Kolkata as the other semi-final venue depending on whether Sri Lanka and Pakistan qualify. The final will be played in Ahmedabad, unless Pakistan qualify in which case it is likely to be in Colombo.Apart from hosts India and Sri Lanka, the other 18 teams participating in the T20 World Cup are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States of America, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Oman and UAEIndia are the defending champions, having beaten South Africa in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados.

And which batter has collected the most ducks in the tournament’s history?

Steven Lynch03-Oct-2023England had scored 227 by the 25th over of their recent match against Ireland. What’s the highest score for that point of an ODI innings? asked Peter Fairfax from England

You’re talking about the third match of the recent series, in Bristol, which sadly was rained off with England looking set for a monster total after reaching 280 for 4 in 31 overs.After 25 overs, England had amassed 227 for 3. We know of only three higher scores at that stage of a one-day international: West Indies had 236 for 4 against England in Grenada in 2018-19 (England still won), Sri Lanka 233 for 0 against England at Headingley in 2006, and South Africa 229 for 2 against Australia in the 872-run match in Johannesburg in 2005-06.After 30 overs in Bristol, England had scored 272 for 3, a number exceeded only in the matches mentioned above in Johannesburg (South Africa 279 for 2) and Headingley (Sri Lanka 278 for 0). The highest known at the 40-over mark is England’s 356 for 3 against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2018; South Africa scored 353 for 3 against Netherlands in St Kitts during the 2007 World Cup (this match was reduced to 40 overs a side).I should point out that there are many matches for which we don’t have ball-by-ball details, so can’t pinpoint the score after a certain number of overs. But a lot of the missing ones are old games, from when huge totals were less common, so it’s unlikely – but not impossible – that there are any additions to the above list.Who has scored the most runs in a single World Cup? asked Pranab Mukherjee from India

This list is still led by Sachin Tendulkar, who piled up 673 runs in the 2003 World Cup. Matthew Hayden came close with 659 at the next one, in 2007. Three men topped 600 at the most recent World Cup, in England in 2019 – Rohit Sharma scored 648, with a record five centuries, David Warner 647, and Shakib Al Hasan 606.There are ten further instances of a batter scoring 500 or more runs in a single World Cup.Just to keep the bowlers happy, the record for a single World Cup tournament is 27 wickets, by Mitchell Starc in 2019; he passed the record of another Australian, Glenn McGrath, who took 26 in 2007. For that list, click here.Is it right that Graeme Hick was the last man to score 1000 runs in May? asked Dave Friston from England

It’s not quite right, if you stick to the exact wording of the question. Graeme Hick is the last man to score 1000 first-class runs in an English season before the end of May in 1988, but 410 of his runs came in April. The only men to score 1000 or more entirely in May are WG Grace in 1895, when he was 46, Wally Hammond in 1927, and the Lancashire left-hander Charlie Hallows in 1928.Apart from Hick, the following also reached 1000 before the end of May, with some of the runs coming in April: Tom Hayward in 1900, Don Bradman in both 1930 and 1938, Bill Edrich in 1938, and Glenn Turner in 1973.Nathan Astle shares the record for the most World Cup ducks, five, with Pakistan’s Ijaz Ahmed•Matthew Ashton/EMPICS/Getty ImagesWhich batter has collected the most ducks in the World Cup? asked Jamie Robertson from England

Two men lead the way in this mournful list with five ducks in World Cup matches: Nathan Astle of New Zealand, and Pakistan’s Ijaz Ahmed. Astle did make two World Cup hundreds, while Ijaz ended up with a winner’s medal in 1992, so it wasn’t all bad news for them.Seven men have collected four World Cup ducks, including England’s 2019 Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan (two of his ducks came for Ireland in 2007). One of the others with four, the West Indian Keith Arthurton, bagged three of his during a horror stretch in the 1996 tournament, in which his scores were 1, 0, 0, 1 and 0.She might not thank us for pointing it out, but actually a woman leads the way overall. Denmark’s Susanne Neilsen had only 11 innings in World Cups, but she was out for nought in six of them. Five other women have collected five ducks in World Cup matches.What’s the highest run-aggregate in a one-day international in which both sides lost all ten wickets? asked Varun Reddy Sevva from India

This question came about when you spotted that the website’s list of the highest run-aggregates in ODIs, which goes down to 650, did not include any matches in which both sides lost ten wickets. But the highest in which 20 wickets went down just misses that list: there were 642 runs in a 2016-17 match in Greater Noida, when Afghanistan were all out for 338 off the last ball of their innings, and Ireland replied with 304 in 47.3 overs.The World Cup record was set in Taunton in 2019, when Australia (307) beat Pakistan (266) in a match of 573 runs and 20 wickets. The record in all List A cricket is 699 runs, in the Ford Trophy game between Auckland (356) and Canterbury (343) at Eden Park in 2012-13.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Liverpool have got their explanation as to why Virgil van Dijk's goal against Manchester City was disallowed, with Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief Howard Webb confirming the VAR decision was correct. The club had formally lodged a complaint to PGMOL after the Dutch defender's goal was chalked off during their 3-0 defeat to Pep Guardiola's men.

• Controversial offside call at Etihad Stadium

  With City leading 1-0, Van Dijk’s thumping header appeared to have levelled the score, but referee Chris Kavanagh disallowed the goal for offside after the assistant's flag went up. It was a ruling which was confirmed moments later by VAR Michael Oliver. The decision hinged on whether Andy Robertson, who was standing near the six-yard box, had obstructed Gianluigi Donnarumma’s ability to react. While Robertson never touched the ball, the officials deemed his movement to duck under Van Dijk’s header as an "obvious action" that interfered with play. According to Law 11, an offside player can only be punished if their action "prevents an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball" by either blocking vision or directly impacting the opponent’s ability to make a move. Liverpool believe neither of these conditions applied.

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  What did Webb say?

  While speaking on the show, Webb acknowledged the controversy but remained adamant that the decision was not unreasonable given the evidence.

  "Interfering with an opponent where the offside position player doesn't play the ball and the officials have to make a judgment whether the actions of that player impact an opponent, are some of the most subjective decisions that we have to make," said Webb.

  "Therefore, it's no surprise that some people believe this goal should have stood, so I think it's important that we look at the facts of what actually happened in this situation. We know the corner comes in and the ball reaches Van Dijk. As the ball's coming across the penalty area, the Manchester City players move out, they leave Robertson in that offside position in the heart of the six-yard box.

  "When Van Dijk heads the ball forward, that's the moment when we have to make an offside judgment about Robertson and about what he's doing there. We know he doesn't touch the ball but what does he do? Well, as the ball moves towards him, three yards out from goal, right in the middle of the six-yard box, he makes that clear action to duck below the ball. The ball goes just over his head, and the ball finds the goal in the half of the six-yard box where he is. Then, the officials have to make a judgment – did that clear action impact on Donnarumma, the goalkeeper, and his ability to save the ball? And that's where the subjectivity comes into play.

  "Obviously that's the conclusion they drew on that. They looked at that position, they looked at that action, so close to the goalkeeper, and they formed that opinion. I know that's not a view held by everybody, but I think it's not unreasonable to understand why they would form that conclusion. The player is so close to the goalkeeper, the ball's coming right towards him and he has to duck to get out of the way of the ball – and they form the conclusion that that impacts Donnarumma's ability just to dive towards the ball and make that save. And then, of course, once they've made that on-field decision, the job of the VAR is to look at that and decide, was the outcome of offside clearly and obviously wrong?

  "Only Donnarumma truly knows if he was impacted by this and, of course, we have to look at the factual evidence, and when we see that factual evidence of that position of the player ducking below the ball, so close to the goalkeeper, the VAR determines that the outcome of offside is not clearly and obviously wrong, and they stay out of it."

• Line of vision and beyond

  Webb claimed that VAR officials must weigh several other factors, other than the line of vision, before intervening. 

  He said: "You do hear the assistant [on the VAR audio], in this case, talk about line of vision. I agree with you, the line of vision normally would relate to the view being blocked of the ball. On that one, he does see the ball all the way, but the assistant also talks about other things, ducking below the ball, being close to the goalkeeper.

  "Those in themselves can be enough to penalise a player for offside, [by] interfering with an opponent. Even if the keeper can see the ball coming all the way along, he's still in front of the goalkeeper, he still makes that ducking action that could still cause hesitation from the goalkeeper. Goalkeepers work on reactions that make it possible to pull out some incredible saves and that's the judgment formed on the field. So, [apart from] the line of vision, there's other aspects that can also say that this is an offside offence, and that's why the VAR left it alone."

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  Slot draws comparison to City's own controversy

  Liverpool boss Arne Slot referenced a strikingly similar situation from last season, when Bernardo Silva appeared offside in the build-up to a Manchester City goal against Wolves; a strike that was ultimately allowed to stand after a VAR review. Webb, however, argued that the two incidents were "fundamentally different."

  "I think there's a clear difference here in that the ball goes directly over the goalkeeper Jose Sa's head," Webb explained. "It doesn't go over Bernardo Silva. Bernardo Silva is an offside position when John Stones heads the ball forward. Importantly, he moved to the left, away from the flight of the ball, and the ball goes straight over Sa, it doesn't go over the head of Bernardo Silva in the way that it went over the head of Robertson, who ducked below it.

  "So, I think it's difficult here to see this and think in any way that Jose Sa is impacted by an action of Bernardo Silva. If the ball had gone over Bernardo Silva's head, maybe causing Jose Sa to hesitate in case it hits Bernardo Silva, then we'd come out with the same outcome of check complete on the on-field decision of disallowed goal."

  While Liverpool’s frustration simmered, City made the most of their good fortune. With momentum on their side, Guardiola’s men tightened their grip after the interval, with Jeremy Doku scoring the third to see out the match and maintain their unbeaten record at the Etihad. They climbed to the second spot after the victory, cutting down the gap at the summit with Arsenal to just four points.

The Angels formally interviewed franchise icon Albert Pujols for their managerial opening earlier this month, but he was not offered the job.

Now the Angels are opening up the search beyond Pujols, according to a report from Sam Blum of

While Pujols is still viewed as the favorite, Angels general manager Perry Minasian will handle additional interviews for the club—a list that is expected to include both Torii Hunter and Kurt Suzuki—who are also former Angels players.

The Angels also have Rangers special assistant Nick Hundley, Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and former Twins manager Rocco Baldelli on their list of potential interviews.

RELATED: Ranking the Best Managerial Job Openings of the MLB Offseason

To date, it is unclear who the club has formally spoken to outside of Pujols.

As for Pujols, the Angels aren't the only team interested in potentially bringing him in as a manager. ESPN reported earlier this week that the Orioles plan to interview the future Hall of Famer.

Over the last couple of years, Tottenham Hotspur have shifted their recruitment focus to landing young talents who can develop and become key members of the first-team squad.

Lucas Bergvall joined the Lilywhites in a £8.5m deal from Djurgarden as an 18-year-old, but has been catapulted into the deep end due to the injury crisis endured throughout 2024/25.

The Swede has since racked up over 50 appearances for the club, arguably being one of their most important players – as seen by his goal against West Ham United last weekend.

He’s also been joined in the squad by Xavi Simons over recent weeks, after the Dutchman completed his own £52m transfer to North London in an attempt to further reinforce Thomas Frank’s ranks.

At just 22, he’s already a somewhat experienced option, racking up over 160 senior appearances, but still having the potential to grow into an elite-level talent in the near future.

Both players will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of one player who made a huge impact at the club over a short period of time, subsequently capturing the hearts of the fanbase.

Dele Alli’s time at Tottenham Hotspur

Dele Alli was seen as a youngster with huge talent at Spurs, but despite his early success at the club, he struggled to maintain his top-level performances.

The Englishman joined the Lilywhites in a £5m deal from MK Dons back in the summer of 2015, taking the Premier League by storm in his first couple of seasons.

He managed to register 46 goals and 35 appearances in his first 146 appearances for the club, with his first best spell in the capital coming early on in his stint.

Such form allowed the attacking midfielder to claim the PFA Young Player of the Year award twice, but his time with the Lilywhites would rapidly deteriorate over the following years.

José Mourinho’s appointment as boss saw the former Chelsea man question the players’ work ethic, which resulted in the star often being in minutes off the bench to make any form of impact.

Attitude issues also floated beneath the surface, before leaving on a free transfer to join Everton in January 2022 – bringing a sad end to what was once a promising start to his career at the club.

Other off-the-field issues have since reared their head, with the player now without a club after being released by Como at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

The player who is Frank’s own version of Alli

Given the huge investment into the first-team squad over recent years, it’s no surprise to see current boss Frank being the beneficiary of the talent currently on the books of Spurs.

The likes of Bergvall and Simons currently provide the goods within the midfield department, with such an area set for many years to come, given their tender ages.

Such a duo will likely hold the keys to any future success during the Dane’s tenure – especially if the first couple of games in the current season are anything to go by.

Djed Spence is another player who could play a huge part in the first-team squad, enduring a rapid rise to stardom in North London as a result of their recent injury crisis.

After three unsuccessful loan spells with Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa, it appeared as though his career with the Lilywhites would be over – but he’s since secured his place in the first-team squad.

Such a crisis in Ange Postecoglou’s side last year led to the 25-year-old getting a regular role in the first-team squad – racking up a total of 35 appearances across all competitions.

Frank’s arrival has only strengthened the full-back’s grip on a starting role, being named as a starter in each of the Dane’s five competitive games in the Premier League and Champions League.

While he operates in a different role to former fan-favourite Alli, Spence, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, does possess some similarities to those of his compatriot.

Both joined the Lilywhites from EFL clubs, after the full-back joined from Middlesbrough, but also had question marks around their attitudes as the years have gone by.

The 25-year-old has been known to have had a feud with former boss Neil Warnock, with the player himself previously posting messages directed to his former boss on social media.

However, the biggest underlying comparison is the natural talent the duo have shown in the Spurs first team, helping them achieve all sorts of achievements along the way.

Whilst Dele failed to maintain his early success, Spence will be hoping he can go one better and play a vital role in Frank’s hunt to bring more trophies to North London in the near future.

It's not Kudus: Spurs sensation could become their best forward since Kane

Tottenham Hotspur may have hit the jackpot on one talent who could emulate Harry Kane’s success.

By
Ethan Lamb

Sep 18, 2025

The 2025 MLB season featured a wild finish, with a seven-game World Series that captivated the sports world. Less than a week after the Dodgers raised the Commissioner’s Trophy for the second straight year, all focus has turned to 2026. Based on early discussions, there should be a ton of player movement this offseason.

The free agent class has a decent number of big names in it, but the competition for those players could send teams browsing on the trade market. There should be plenty of options available. What follows is a look at the 10 best players who could be on the trade block this winter.

1. Tarik Skubal, SP, Detroit Tigers

Skubal is about to win his second AL Cy Young in a row, and he’s the Tigers’ best player. Despite that, the two sides remain far apart in discussions over a long-term contract. The ace lefty will be 29 when the 2026 season starts and will be a free agent after it ends. If they’re not going to pay him what he’s worth, the Tigers may be better off getting a haul for him before he walks away, especially if they don’t plan on spending enough cash this offseason to build a World Series contender.

In 2025, Skubal went 13–6 with a 2.21 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 241 strikeouts against 33 walks in 195 1/3 innings. He was second in baseball in FIP (2.45), third in strikeouts per nine innings pitched (11.1) and led MLB pitchers in fWAR (6.6). Over the past three seasons, Skubal has made 77 starts, going 38–13 with a 2.39 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 175 ERA+ and 571 strikeouts in 467 2/3 innings. He’s baseball’s most dominant pitcher and is in the middle of his prime. Any contender would be crazy not to at least explore a deal to get him.

Fits: Mets, Giants, Padres, Red Sox, Astros

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has explained why somebody had to babysit Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal during a triumphant Euro 2024 campaign.

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• Records shattered by hottest of prospects
• Claimed continental crown day after turning 17
• La Roja will continue to handle him with care

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The record-setting teenager – who made his senior bow at club level when just 15 years of age – is now the proud owner of a European Championship winners’ medal. He helped his country to see off England in a major international final the day after celebrating his 17th birthday.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Spain had to bend German labour laws during that tournament – with anybody under the age of 18 not supposed to work beyond 8pm on any given day – and they also had to make sure that the youngster was not included in any team outings to local bars and restaurants.

• WHAT DE LA FUENTE SAID

  With that in mind, De la Fuente has told of how Yamal had to be supervised in the team hotel: “It is important we do our work as educators and developers; there’s no escaping the fact that he was 16, a kid. There are questions of privacy, protection. When the players went out to eat, he couldn’t because he was underage. Someone with responsibility would stay at the hotel, looking after him. There are parental authorisations but, more so, a responsibility to society. The federation’s institutional responsibility goes beyond rights, legal requirements, authorisation, parental consents. So there are some inconveniences to being young – although we would all love to take a few years off.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  While Spain are handling Yamal’s undoubted potential with care, De la Fuente admits that the hottest of prospects is a special talent that deserves to be mentioned alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Co. He added: “Lamine is very good. It’s true what I said: that he’s touched by God’s wand. There are players that are different. I don’t want to get into those comparisons, because I know we’re going to start [that], and they’re different footballers, different eras. But the talent? Pfff… there’s something that sets them apart. The super mega cracks, football geniuses, those who [made] history, all have something. At that young age they all seemed different, older.”

The oft-injured midfielder is set to face another spell on the sidelines after playing a limited role in Dortmund's season

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• Reyna will be out for "a few weeks"
• Returned from USMNT duty before pair of friendlies
• Played just 10 minutes for Dortmund this season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gio Reyna is once again facing time away from the pitch. The attacking midfielder, who has struggled for fitness for nearly two years, has suffered yet another setback, Dortmund manager Nuri Sahin revealed. He left the USMNT camp at the end of last week, and didn't feature in either of the U.S.'s friendlies against Canada and New Zealand.

  The USMNT struggled without him, losing to Les Rouges before stumbling to a 1-1 draw with the All Whites.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Reyna hasn't managed to stay fit for more than a year. The USMNT regular played just 280 minutes for Dortmund in the first half of the 2023-24 season, and managed 235 after an ill-advised January loan move to Nottingham Forest. He finished the season with just one goal contribution.

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  WHAT SAHIN SAID

  Sahin spoke on Reyna's injury woes in a press conference: "Gio Reyna will be out; he has picked up an injury with the national team," Sahin said. "He came straight back [from the national team] and I found him extremely sad; unfortunately, it will take a few weeks. And then I hope that he can continue on this good path afterwards."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REYNA?

  The attacking midfielder is set to undergo a period of rehabilitation from his latest knock. While his club return seems up in the air, Reyna will hope to be in contention for the next USMNT camp in mid-October – when new manager Mauricio Pochettino takes over.

The German's enforced exit proves that the Blaugrana remain beset by financial problems – four years after Josep Maria Bartomeu's resignation

Joan Laporta claimed in February of this year, "If we meet the budget, the darkest era in FC Barcelona's history will be over." Just over two months ago, he revealed that the "financial transition", from the edge of bankruptcy to economic stability, was "getting closer and closer".

Alluding to the mess he inherited from his disgraced predecessor, Josep Maria Bartomeu, Laporta said, "The culers (Barca fans) have been patient and we are working to turn the situation around from the one we found when we came to the presidency (in March 2021). The balance sheet this season will be positive and I hope soon we can be '1:1' (the Liga regulation that allows a member club to invest as much money in transfers as it generates in revenue).

"I am an optimist and a realist, and I know what I am talking about. We have grown in terms of income and we have reduced expenses, and we are in a situation in which we are about to resolve the Financial Fair Play (FFP) issues from last season."

Many Barca fans are beginning to wonder, though, if Laporta really does know what he's talking about, because just nine days before the close of the transfer window, the club is still not in a position to register star summer-signing Dani Olmo.

Consequently, Barca are once again scrambling around at the tail end of August, trying to either sell players or remove high-earners from the wage bill just to make ends meet. At the time of writing, Ilkay Gundogan – who only arrived in Catalunya last summer and was one of the Blaugrana's best players last season – is being pushed out the door, which only begs the question: Are Barcelona really making any progress under Laporta – or simply back to square one?

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  Perfect match

  Just like everyone else in football, Gundogan was aware of Barcelona's financial problems when he signed for the club on a free transfer last summer. He'd come close to joining twice before, but now, it seemed, the timing was right. He'd just brought the curtain down on his Manchester City career in the best possible fashion, by leading Pep Guardiola's side to a historic treble, and was looking for a new challenge.

  In Barcelona, he couldn't have wished for a better option. The Catalan club represented the realisation of a dream. He'd grown up watching Xavi running the "best midfield in the world" – now he'd have the chance to play under the Spanish legend.

  Crucially, Xavi was just as keen to have Gundogan on board. He was the first player that he requested Laporta sign last summer. Far more importantly, though, the pair just clicked from their very first conversation.

  "Xavi made his ideas of how the team wants to play very clear," Gundogan explained. "It's very similar to how we played in Man City. It's a similar school, Guardiola, Xavi… But in the way he approached the talks, with his honesty, I also saw sort of my own character reflected in him."

  That shared trait served neither man well, though, at a club that seemingly has little interest in facing up to the full extent of its problems on and off the field.

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  'Didn't come here to lose these games'

  Gundogan had turned down far more lucrative offers from elsewhere to join Barca, having been swayed not solely by Xavi but also by memories of growing up watching Ronaldinho wowing Camp Nou with his still-unrivalled box of tricks. However, he quickly came to realise that the old image of Barca as '' no longer holds true. According to reports in Spain, he and his wife Sara felt "abandoned" by Barca as they attempted to settle in the city – which eventually led to an apology from the club.

  Of far greater concern to Gundogan, though, was the character of his colleagues. This was a man who had become renowned and revered at one of the greatest club sides the game has ever seen for repeatedly stepping up to the mark when his team needed him most. Gundogan wasn't just a serial winner – he was a big-game player that turned into "prime Zinedine Zidane" at the business end of every season.

  So, it came as no surprise to see him score six minutes into his first competitive Clasico, last October. However, what came as a serious shock to Gundogan was his team-mates' reaction to Barca going on to lose the game 2-1, after conceding an injury-time winner to Jude Bellingham.

  "I have just come to the dressing room," Gundogan said in a post-match interview with , "and, obviously, players are disappointed after such a big game, such an important game and such an unthinkable result, but I would like to see more anger, more disappointment.

  "This is part of the problem: you have to express more emotions when you lose and when you know you can play better. You have to do better in certain situations but we don't react. I didn't come here to lose these kinds of games. I also have a responsibility as a senior player not to allow these things to happen to the team, because we need to hang in there more."

  Barca defender Inigo Martinez dismissed the significance of Gundogan's criticism, arguing that sometimes players say things that they don't mean "in the heat of the moment". But Gundogan meant every word – and he repeated many of them after Barcelona capitulated in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final loss to Paris Saint-Germain.

  Once again he expressed his bitter frustration at the lack of "anger" after such an avoidable defeat and even called out Ronald Araujo for stupidly getting himself sent off at a crucial juncture in the contest – which didn't go over well with the Uruguayan.

  Again, though, that's part of the problem at Barca these days. There's a fragility about the team and indeed the club that means they find it difficult to deal with home truths.

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  'Stability and time'

  It's certainly no coincidence that a clearly upset Laporta decided against travelling with the team for the Liga clash with Almeria on May 16 – just a day after Xavi had openly discussed the club's financial problems.

  "The cule must understand that the situation is very complicated to compete economically," he told reporters. "It has nothing to do with what we had 25 years ago when the coach would come and say 'I want this player, this one, and this one.' It doesn't work like that anymore. I understand that and we're going to adjust to [the situation]. That doesn't mean we're not going to compete. We need stability and time."

  Barca have little of either. Laporta formally sacked Xavi less than two weeks later, and in the most disrespectful and farcical fashion imaginable, creating even more chaos at the club. And while their 2024-25 Liga campaign kicked off with a win in Valencia on Saturday, Barca's financial situation remains as uncertain as it is unresolved.

  Indeed, it's telling that several top Catalan journalists – some of whom are Barca fans – are losing faith in the current administration, given the Blaugrana find themselves cash-strapped and in registration mess for the second summer in a row.

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  Ridiculous recruitment

  The hope remains that Olmo will be registered before deadline day, but that most likely depends on allowing Gundogan, who still has two years left on his contract, to leave for nothing just to create room on the wage bill.

  Some have argued that Olmo's arrival means the 33-year-old Gundogan is no longer required, particularly as doubts have been raised over his suitability to the pressing game new coach Hansi Flick is hoping to implement. However, whatever way Laporta and his supporters try to spin it, Gundogan's enforced exit is a damning indictment of the club's ridiculous recruitment policy and only serves to highlight their ongoing inability to balance the books.

  It's certainly hard to have much faith in Barca's bid to buy and sell their way out of trouble when one considers that of the seven players signed across 2023 – Gundogan, Julian Araujo, Vitor Roque, Oriol Romeu, Joao Felix, Joao Cancelo and Inigo Martinez – only the latter is likely to still be at the club come the close of the current transfer window.

  It is Gundogan's exit that really grates, though. For starters, he remains one of the best attacking midfielders in the game, as underlined by the fact that only Bruno Fernandes created more chances than Gundogan across Europe's 'Big Five' leagues last season. He contributed 13 assists – the biggest haul at Barca – and was also directly involved in more goals (19) than in his final, treble-winning campaign at City (18), suggesting he still has at least another couple of big seasons left in him.

  He'll be missed just as much for his character as his quality, though.