All posts by h716a5.icu

The lowdown on Adani Sportsline and Capri Global, who own teams based out of Ahmedabad and Lucknow

Vishal Dikshit25-Jan-20232:43

WPL: BCCI rakes in big money on historic day

Following the sale of five Women’s Premier League (WPL) teams on Wednesday, there are two new players on the franchise cricket market in India. Here is the scoop on both of them.Adani SportslineAdani Sportsline is the sports arm of the Adani Group, an Ahmedabad-based conglomerate. They have been trying to get their hands on an IPL team for a while, and now that they have, they wasted no time in picking a name: Gujarat Giants.Adani offered more money than anyone – INR 1289 crore (US$ 158 million approx.) – at the WPL auction and will base their team out of Ahmedabad, which houses the Narendra Modi Stadium which can seat over 100,000 people.They had bid for one of the two new men’s IPL teams in 2021 as well, when the BCCI expanded the tournament from eight to ten teams, but weren’t successful.Founded in 2019, Adani Sportsline already owns two cricket franchises: Gulf Giants in the ILT20 which kicked off this year in the UAE, and Gujarat Giants in Legends League Cricket (LLC), a competition running for two seasons and played between former players.Related

England national coach Jon Lewis appointed head coach of WPL team UP Warriorz

Mithali Raj roped in as mentor and advisor of WPL team Gujarat Giants

Owners of Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, RCB win bids to own Women's Premier League teams

Gulf Giants are led by England batter James Vince and coached by former Zimbabwe captain and England coach Andy Flower. Gujarat Giants were captained by Virender Sehwag and included big-name players such as Chris Gayle, Daniel Vettori and Graeme Swann.”The Indian women’s cricket team has been doing exceptionally well – and a cricket league for women is a significant step in creating more opportunities for women through sports,” Pranav Adani, director of Adani Enterprises, said in a statement on Wednesday after their winning bid. “Cricket is an inseparable part of the country’s fabric and Adani Sportsline was keen to begin their association with the sport with the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League.Adani Sportsline has also forayed into kabaddi, boxing and kho-kho all under the name Gujarat Giants with plenty of success. Their kabaddi team finished runners-up in the Pro-Kabaddi League in 2017 and 2018. Their boxing team won the inaugural Big Bout Boxing League in 2019 with some of the top boxers from India such as Amit Panghal. Their kho-kho team topped the table in the Ultimate Kho-Kho League in 2022 but lost in Qualifier 2.9:43

Moonda: WPL a game-changer for unearthing the depth of Indian cricket

Capri GlobalCapri Global Holdings is part of Capri Loans, an India-based NBFC (Non-Banking Financial Company), which spent INR 757 crore ($92.85 million approx.) on Wednesday for the cheapest women’s franchise in the WPL. They will be based out of Lucknow, which also has a fairly new cricket stadium and can host nearly 50,000 people.Like Adani, Capri already owns a cricket team and a kho-kho team. Their cricket team in the ILT20 is called Sharjah Warriors, who were initially captained by England’s Moeen Ali before he had to leave on national duty.Capri Global Group, which owns a number of subsidiaries, has a net worth of around INR 5400 crore ($700 million approx.) and is a listed company on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange. They were part of the auction for the two new men’s IPL teams a couple of years ago but were unsuccessful. But despite the setback, Capri continued their efforts to break into the lucrative franchise cricket space.”Capri Global’s association with WPL has been strategic in achieving our vision of encouraging sports across all strata and genders and establishing a deeper connect with our stakeholders and customers,” Rajesh Sharma, managing director, Capri Global, said. “We believe cricket is the most natural route to further that vision given its history in India.”Capri’s kho-kho team is called Rajasthan Warriors, which finished last among six teams in 2022. They also have a minor presence in kabaddi, as one of the sponsors of the Bengal Warriors since last October.

Capitals were the only team to buy an Associate player: “You can only play five foreigners if you play an Associate player – so it makes all the sense”

Vishal Dikshit14-Feb-20232:15

Parth Jindal: “Felt like a student trying to learn entire year’s syllabus in last nine days”

The initial strategies at the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction on Monday expectedly showed that the three franchises out of five that own IPL teams had a better idea of how to go about it. Four of the first six players went to two of those franchises – Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians – and it was only later, by the time 14 players were sold, that the other teams had started building a core by spending INR 25.70 crore (US$ 3.13 million approx.) overall.Except one.Delhi Capitals, who also own teams in the ILT20 and SA20, still had their bag empty, despite bidding for nine of the 14 players who were sold. But despite turning up late for the party, Capitals took home some big names such as Meg Lanning, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma and Marizanne Kapp, among others. They bought as many players as were allowed (18), and still had INR 35 lakh (US$ 42,700 approx.) in their purse when they went home.Related

Mithali Raj: 'Happy women's cricket is now sustainable for young girls in India'

WPL – How the five teams stack up after the auction

Harmanpreet Kaur: 'WPL is a gamechanger for all of us'

Mandhana gets the biggest bid at WPL auction

2023 WPL auction: The list of sold and unsold players

Parth Jindal, their co-owner, said that they had come with a clear plan of a top limit for each player they wanted and withdraw when the bids exceeded those.”A lot of money got spent on the marquee list by the other teams,” Jindal told ESPNcricinfo. “People spent almost 30% of their purse on one player. Smriti Mandhana went for INR 3.4 crore out of 12 [crore], that’s 27-28% of their purse. That’s like spending 30 crore on one player in the men’s IPL. You can’t do that! According to me, you can’t do that, but they did.”People spent a lot on the marquee players and that didn’t leave much money for some of the other Indians. So when a few of the sets got over, we were in a very sweet spot because we had Jemimah, Shafali, Lanning, and we were ready with money to pick up whoever we wanted to pick up. We’re very happy, fingers crossed, we’ve built a good squad.”

“You can only play five foreigners if you play an Associate player in the XI. So it makes all the sense to take one. I don’t know why they [other teams] didn’t [buy an Associate player]”Parth Jindal

Capitals had also put in bids for some big-ticket players such as Harmanpreet Kaur, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Tahlia McGrath and Shabnim Ismail but opted out after a point. Till they finally bought a player – Rodrigues for INR 2 crore – that fit their budget.”We went till our ceiling for the player,” Jindal explained. “For each player we had a budget, and it was new to me, so I was given a budget and I was told, ‘don’t go beyond this under any circumstances’. When it hit that, we didn’t go ahead.”But who gives a team co-owner such instructions? Jindal said with a laugh that the limits were set by the same people who did the hard work in the lead-up to the first WPL auction: his support staff and scouting team, comprising head coach Jonathan Batty, assistant coaches Lisa Keightley and Hemlata Kala, and advisor Venugopal Rao.Jindal also revealed that Sourav Ganguly, who returned to the Capitals set-up recently, had suggested Batty and Kala for coaching positions, before they conducted a “robust interview process” and finalised Batty for the lead role. “I talk to about everything cricket because he’s my childhood hero,” Jindal said. “We interviewed everyone, and Jonathan was selected because he had great success at the women’s Hundred and Big Bash as well. We really liked meeting him.”Despite a slow start, Delhi Capitals took home some big names•BCCIWhen asked why exactly Capitals decided to buy a team in the WPL, which may not fetch the kind of returns a men’s IPL team did in the initial years, Jindal said it was a “long-term investment” that gave them an opportunity to invest in academies for girls in the coming years, and would encourage more women to pick up cricket.”It’s a huge amount of money [players have earned] and I said this a couple of times before but it’s amazing to think that if you are an English, Australian, South African or Indian player and you play for your national team, you’re going to be a ,” he said. “That’s amazing for all the girls out there in the world, to think that if I can play for my country, somebody’s going to pick me up in the WPL for more than a crore, which is a lot of money.”Another thing the Capitals think tank did differently at the auction was to buy an Associate player – Tara Norris from USA – something no other team did despite the rules allowing a team to field five – and not four – overseas player if one of them were from an Associate nation. There were 19 players from Associate teams in the auction pool.”You can only play five foreigners if you play an Associate player in the XI, so it makes all the sense to take one,” Jindal said. “I don’t know why they didn’t. I know Gujarat [Giants] tried later but they had run out of foreign slots.”About the captain, Jindal said Lanning, Rodrigues and Shafali were options, but the coaches would take a call once the squad assembles in the coming weeks.

Arsenal have a proud history of producing incredible talent through their youth system.

Hale End has been responsible for legends from years past, such as Liam Brady, David O’Leary, and David Roecastle.

That tradition has carried on through the eras, with Cesc Fàbregas, Ashley Cole and even the injury-riddled Jack Wilshere all spending time in the famous academy.

That same system also produced arguably the club’s best player in the current squad, Bukayo Saka, and it looks like there is another wave of promising prospects coming through, including one youngster who is already worth millions more than a former youth player now making a name for himself in France: Mika Biereth.

Biereth's impressive rise

Arsenal signed Biereth from Fulham’s academy in the summer of 2021, and following several loan moves to RKC Waalwijk, Motherwell and finally, Sturm Graz, he was sold to the latter for just £4m plus add-ons in the summer.

Now, it could be said that agreeing to that much money plus a sell-on clause for a youngster who’s never even played for the first team was smart business from the Gunners.

Yet, considering he had racked up a tally of nine goals and four assists in 22 games at the back end of last season, it did feel like they could have asked for more.

This season has proven that to be true, as the Danish youngster was able to chalk up a tally of 14 goals and five assists in just 25 games for the Austrian outfit before the winter transfer window opened, in which he secured a £10.8m move to AS Monaco.

On the French Riviera, the former Gunners’ prospect has simply gone from strength to strength.

In just ten appearances, totalling 688 minutes, the 22-year-old has been able to score ten goals and provide two assists, meaning he’s averaging 1.2 goal involvements per game, or one every 57.33 minutes.

That means that in 35 appearances across both clubs this season, Biereth has scored 24 goals and provided seven assists, which begs the question: was selling him a mistake?

Appearances

35

Minutes

2659′

Goals

24

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.88

Minutes per Goal Involvement

85.77′

Well, regardless of the answer, Arsenal can at least rest assured that one of their new academy stars is already worth considerably more than him.

The Hale End star worth millions more than Biereth

One of the few positives from this season is that when we are talking about a new Hale End star, at least a couple of players could come into consideration.

However, in this instance, it is most certainly Ethan Nwaneri who has gone from an exciting prospect for the future to an essential part of the first team at just 17 years old.

Granted, the injury crisis in attack has somewhat accelerated his integration, but from how well he’s played this year, you’d have no idea this is his first proper campaign of senior football.

The often “unplayable” teenager, as dubbed by Wilshere, has made 26 appearances for the first team this year, totalling 948 minutes, in which he’s scored seven goals and provided one assist, meaning he is averaging a goal involvement every 3.25 games, or every 118.5 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, this has seen his valuation soar, with Football Transfers pricing him at up to €37.5m, which comes out to around £31m, or just over £20m more than Monaco paid for Biereth in January.

Appearances

26

Minutes

948′

Goals

7

Assists

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.30

Minutes per Goal Involvement

118.5′

Ultimately, with how badly Arsenal need a striker at the moment, there is a strong argument to be made that selling the young Dane was a mistake.

However, any annoyance stemming from that decision should be quickly forgotten, as in Nwaneri, it looks like they could have a future superstar on their hands.

Arteta must drop Arsenal's "big-game player" to unleash "monstrous" ace

The exceptional midfielder will give Arsenal an edge.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 4, 2025

Three Tottenham players were not awarded Europa League winner's medals on the pitch after their 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Wednesday.

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Three Tottenham players didn't receive medalsPictured without them during celebrationsSituation is explained by UEFAFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Son Heung-min, Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur were not handed medals as Tottenham players queued to receive them on the Bilbao turf, with all three celebrating on the pitch with the trophy without them. UEFA later offered an explanation.

AdvertisementAFPTHE EXPLANATION

UEFA explained that due to the number of injured players participating in the ceremony, they ran out of medals to award to every member of the playing and coaching staff. Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison and Timo Werner were among the players to have been ruled out of the game but still queue to be handed a medal, with UEFA only bringing 30 out onto the pitch despite clubs being allowed to be presented with 50.

WHAT UEFA SAID

UEFA said: "To our great displeasure, we did not have enough medals available on stage during the trophy ceremony presentation due to an unexpected discrepancy in the player count, as more team members – including injured players – participated in the ceremony than initially anticipated. The missing medals were promptly delivered to the winning team in the dressing room, along with our sincerest apologies for the oversight."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR TOTTENHAM?

Tottenham complete their Premier League campaign against Brighton on Sunday, before aiming to assemble a squad that can compete in the Champions League next season.

Everything you need to know about Geovany Quenda's salary details playing for Sporting CP

Portuguese sensation Geovany Quenda made his senior debut with Sporting CP at just 17 years old after impressing with the youth team and during pre-season under Ruben Amorim in 2024. The youngster earned high praise from Amorim for his ball-playing ability and maturity on the field.

Despite his age, Quenda has featured as a regular starter throughout the 2024-25 season, excelling in the right wing-back role with strong performances both offensively and defensively.

It didn’t take long for top European clubs to take notice, but it was Premier League side Chelsea that ultimately secured his signature. Quenda is set to move to Stamford Bridge for the 2025-26 season.

Given his youth, Quenda's current salary at Sporting CP remains relatively modest compared to more senior players. However, a significant pay raise is expected upon his move to Chelsea.

So, exactly how much does the future Chelsea star currently earn playing in Portugal?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

*

Geovany Quenda's wages at Sporting CP in numbers

Geovany Quenda, a Portuguese player, has a contract with Sporting that provides him a weekly salary of £7,783 ($10,332) and an annual salary of £404,732 ($537,267). He is among the lower-paid players in the Sporting team.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in Pounds

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in Pounds

Annual wages in USD

Geovany Quenda

Portuguese

£7,783

$10,332

£404,732

$537,267

AdvertisementAFPTop earners at Sporting CP

Francisco Trincao earns the most at Sporting CP.

Next are Viktor Gyokeres and Pedro Goncalves in second and third places, respectively.

Fourth is Danish midfielder Morten Hjulmand, with Jeremiah St Juste rounding out the top five.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in Pounds

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in Pounds

Annual wages in USD

Francisco Trincao

Portuguese

£63,775

$85,508

£3,316,306

$4,446,441

Viktor Gyokeres

Swedish

£39,246

$52,621

£2,040,804

$2,040,271

Pedro Goncalves

Portuguese

£39,246

$52,621

£2,040,804

$2,040,271

Morten Hjulmand

Danish

£32,705

$43,851

£1,700,670

$2,280,226

Jeremiah St. Juste

Dutch

£31,907

$42,096

£1,632,643

$2,189,017

Top earners in Liga Portugal

Four of the five highest-paid players in Liga Portugal are from Benfica.

Renato Sanches is the highest-paid, followed by Francisco Trincao from Sporting CP.

Anatoli Trubin, Angel Di Maria, and Arthur Cabral are third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages in Pounds

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in Pounds

Annual wages in USD

Renato Sanches

Benfica

£113,610

$151,723

£5,884,318

$7,889,583

Francisco Trincao

Sporting CP

£63,775

$85,508

£3,316,306

$4,446,441

Anatoli Trubin

Benfica

£62,957

$84,412

£3,273,789

$4,389,435

Angel Di Maria

Benfica

£62,957

$84,412

£3,273,789

$4,389,435

Arthur Cabral

Benfica

£62,957

$84,412

£3,273,789

$4,389,435

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AFPHighest paid players in the world

No players from Liga Portugal are among the top five highest-paid worldwide, despite their high earnings.

The top five are from the Saudi Pro League, with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr earning the most.

Karim Benzema, formerly of Real Madrid, is second, and Riyad Mahrez, now with Al-Ahli, is third.

Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly, both from Senegal, are fourth and fifth, respectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

£3,216,155

$4,210,425

£167,250,468

$218,942,120

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

£1,608,178

$2,105,213

£83,625,234

$109,471,060

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

£839,469

$1,098,921

£45,652,372

$57,43,893

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

£643,271

$842,085

£33,450,094

$43,788,424

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

£558,038

$730,509

£29,017,956

$37,986,458

Sam Conners claims three wickets before visitors fight back in brisk century stand

ECB Reporters Network07-Apr-2023England Lions star Jack Haynes and Brett D’Oliveira impressed as Worcestershire fought back on the second day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match against Derbyshire at Derby.Haynes made 62 from 109 balls and Worcestershire skipper D’Oliveira scored an unbeaten 87 off 122 balls to take his team to 331 for 6, a lead of 10.Sam Conners claimed three wickets to reduce the visitors to 139 for four before Haynes and D’Oliveira added 111 in 20 overs.Derbyshire took their first innings to 321 with Zak Chappell scoring 46 on debut and Matthew Waite finishing with figures of 4 for 50.Chappell bagged two wickets to raise Derbyshire’s hopes of a first innings lead before D’Oliveira and Waite put Worcestershire ahead.After the frenetic pace of day one, this was more in keeping with the rhythm of the championship in early season.Derbyshire added 21 to their overnight total in seven overs with Chappell falling four short of a fifty when he upper cut Josh Tongue to third man.A warm, sunny day provided good conditions for batting but Derbyshire’s persistent pace attack demanded respect which meant Worcestershire were forced to take a more measured approach.Even so, Ed Pollock’s occupation verged on self-denial until his attacking instincts got the better of him and he pulled the 56th ball he faced down the throat of deep square leg.At lunch, Worcestershire had taken 24 overs to score 66 although both Azhar Ali and Jake Libby looked set to take advantage of another good Derby pitch.That they failed to do so was down to lapses in concentration and the patience of the bowlers with Conners removing both after switching to the City End.Azhar negotiated a testing spell from Suranga Lakmal only to be drawn into fencing at a ball he could have left and was caught behind.Libby was the next to walk off shaking his head in frustration after an unbalanced clip off his legs was superbly snaffled by Billy Godleman plunging away to his right at midwicket.That brought in Adam Hose for his first championship innings since August 2019 and not surprisingly he struggled to get going before he was given lbw to a ball that looked to be going down.At that stage, Worcestershire were still 182 runs behind and Derbyshire had an opening if they could strike again quickly.Haynes and D’Oliveira denied them, the former playing with assurance on the ground where he scored an excellent century last season while his captain lifted the scoring rate.After Haynes completed his 50 from 93 balls, D’Oliveira drove Anuj Dal for six as the pair completed a century stand from 109 balls.Haynes had hardly played a false shot but he became the latest batter to assist in his own downfall when he skied a hook to deep square to give Chappell his first wicket for Derbyshire.The fast bowler had another in his next over when Gareth Roderick was pinned lbw on the back foot to shift the balance of the game back towards the home side.D’Oliveira and Waite changed the momentum again to earn their side a second batting point and although Derbyshire claimed a second new ball they could not breakthrough.

Just a week on from having opted not to bring in any new attacking recruits in the January transfer window, Manchester United were dealt a cruel and untimely blow in mid-February, with man of the moment, Amad Diallo, having been struck down by injury.

The diminutive Ivorian had emerged as the shining light in an otherwise grim campaign for the Red Devils prior to that, impressing, in particular, following Ruben Amorim’s arrival at the club, with 11 goals and assists chalked up in just 20 games under the Portuguese coach.

It was Amorim then who had to break the news that his wing wizard would likely be out for the rest of the campaign, albeit while having since offered a flicker of hope that the 22-year-old could actually return before the season is over.

Whatever does occur with regard to the former Atalanta man in the remainder of 2024/25, it does appear that he will be a central part of Amorim’s side next term, be it as a wing-back or in a more advanced number ten berth.

That said, if recent reports are to be believed, INEOS could actually be looking at acquiring an upgrade on the £19m signing, ahead of next season.

Latest on Man Utd's search for a forward

As noted above, the decision was made in the winter window not to add to Amorim’s forward ranks, with that coming despite the ‘loss’ of two somewhat exiled figures from the 40-year-old’s first-team squad, in the form of Antony and Marcus Rashford.

With the pair looking unlikely to be welcomed back into the fold next term – with Jadon Sancho also still in line to join Chelsea on a permanent basis – the Red Devils’ attacking ranks remain rather depleted, with Alejandro Garnacho, Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund currently the only fit, senior forwards available to the former Sporting CP boss.

It is no surprise then that adding a new attacker is likely to be a priority this summer, with reports in Spain indicating that INEOS are already pressing ahead with their market moves, having reportedly lodged a bid to sign Barcelona sensation, Raphinha.

Transfer Focus

The claim is that the Old Trafford side have made an offer worth in the region of €70m (£59m), with Amorim keen to bring the former Leeds United man back to England, amid his fine form of late in Catalonia.

As per the reports, it remains to be seen whether the LaLiga giants would be willing to accept what is described as a ‘generous’ offer for the player, with the Red Devils having taken the ‘firmest step so far’ toward landing the 28-year-old this summer.

Should that marquee move be made, it could see Raphinha cement a place for himself as the attacking figurehead in Amorim’s forward line.

How Raphinha compares to Amad

There may be a hint of controversy of signing a man with Elland Road connections, but make no mistake, if INEOS can get Raphinha in the door this summer, it would be a real coup for the club.

The one-time Sporting star – who played alongside Bruno Fernandes during his solitary season in Lisbon – has elevated his talents since shining in Yorkshire a few years ago, having chipped in with 29 goals and assists in 67 games during his prior spell in English football.

Now, however, it could be said he is arguably “Europe’s best player in 2024/25”, in the words of Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, having been simply electric under Hansi Flick, both domestically and in the Champions League.

In all, the 31-cap Brazil international – who can operate on either flank or in a central attacking midfield berth – has racked up a mammoth total of 48 goal involvements in just 41 games this season, forming a devastating partnership with teen superstar, Lamine Yamal, under Flick’s watch.

Amad, of course, had delighted in the early months of the campaign, although the one-time Sunderland loanee doesn’t come close to those kinds of numbers, having recorded ‘just’ 16 goals and assists prior to his injury blow.

Stat (*per game)

Amad (PL)

Raphinha (LaLiga)

Games

22

27

Goals

6

13

Assists

6

8

Big chances missed

1

17

Big chances created

5

23

Key passes*

1.8

2.8

Pass accuracy*

85%

78%

Successful dribbles*

1.6

1.5

Possession lost*

11x

17x

Both men appear to be at their best when operating off the right flank, with the ability to cut in onto their favoured left foot, although unsurprisingly, it is the more experienced Barca man who is currently at the peak of his powers, as evidenced further by his club total of 93 goals and assists in just 129 games.

Amad, by contrast, has just 21 goals and assists in 52 games for the Red Devils, having endured a slow rise since initially joining the club under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back in January 2021.

The United man certainly has time to progress and reach loftier heights, yet if Amorim is looking for a Premier League-proven, ready-made upgrade, then Raphinha would surely be the perfect solution.

Amorim has saved Man Utd millions on Quenda by unleashing "powerful" teen

Man Utd could have saved themselves a £40m fee by unleashing a perfect Quenda alternative

1 ByRobbie Walls Mar 18, 2025

Former Real Madrid hero Ivan Helguera has lifted the lid on the alleged mistreatment he faced before leaving the club.

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Helguera reveals bitter fallout with MadridEx-Spain international admits emotional toll was severeClaims he was stripped of his shirt numberFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Los Blancoslegend Helguera has launched a scathing attack on his former club, revealing on the podcast that he was mistreated and emotionally broken during his final years at the Santiago Bernabeu. Despite winning two Champions League titles and helping the team to a league win, Helguera claims the board and sporting director Predrag Mijatovic "made his life miserable."

AdvertisementAFPWHAT IVAN HELGUERA SAID

On the podcast, Helguera recalls the shocking betrayal by Real Madrid's hierarchy despite being a title-winning regular: "The board, the president especially, and a former player who I didn't expect from him, who was the sporting director, Mijatovic, took away my number and told me I wouldn't play again. They made my life miserable. I don't really know why. They told me I wasn't going to play and that they wanted to sell me. They told me I wasn't going to play and that they wanted to sell me. I had a three-year contract, I didn't understand because I had just won the league and had played."

The emotional toll peaked as former Spanish international felt isolated and disrespected by the club’s leadership: "Emotionally, I was screwed. My head told me they were screwing me and screwing my life up. The president didn't even greet me and I was playing."

Despite coach Fabio Capello’s support, the former defender was frozen out, and forced toward a Valencia exit: "These guys tell me not to even play you in training.' The following year, Mijatovic told me they were taking my number away and were going to make my life miserable again. And then Valencia arrived. In fact, I didn't even go to the meetings because there could be so much tension."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The defender and defensive midfielder spent eight years at Madrid and won three La Liga titles and a UEFA Super Cup alongside two European crowns in 2000 and 2002. After leaving to join Valencia, he won the Copa del Rey in 2008.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Madrid are expected to undergo tactical changes under new head coach Xabi Alonso, likely moving away from the system he used at Bayer Leverkusen. The Spanish giants are aiming to compete for the Club World Cup this summer, with their campaign kicking off against Al-Hilal on June 18.

He believes the short turnaround is a huge challenge for both sides but particularly Cameron Green

Alex Malcolm05-Jun-2023Rarely before has a group of players faced such a short turnaround from an IPL straight into a Test match in England but that is the challenge facing players from both India and Australia ahead of the World Test Championship final at the Oval with former Australia all-format allrounder Shane Watson describing the transition period as “extreme”.Modern players are used to jumping from format to format without much time but most of India’s team are facing an unprecedented turnaround between the IPL and a Test in England with Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami playing in the IPL final last Monday, leaving them just over a week to prepare for the WTC final starting on Wednesday. It is marginally more time than what New Zealand’s Trent Boult had last English summer when he played the IPL final on May 29 and played in a Test against England at Lord’s just four days later.Australia’s Cameron Green played the IPL Qualifier for Mumbai in Chennai on May 26 and flew home to Perth in Western Australia for the briefest of pitstops to see his partner, having not been home since January, before flying to London ahead of Australia’s first training session in Beckenham last Thursday. He has just five training sessions to acclimatise having never played first-class cricket in England before.David Warner is also facing the shortest turnaround from the IPL into a Test match in England that he has seen in his career having finished in the IPL on May 20. Josh Hazlewood, who played his last IPL match on May 9, has already been ruled out of the WTC final with Australia’s selectors deciding he needs more time to prepare for the first Ashes Test starting next Thursday.Watson is well-versed on switching between formats at short notice having been part of the IPL in 2013 and 2015 before playing in both Ashes series, albeit with longer lead-in times. He urged the players facing the same challenge to push themselves in the nets to get acclimatised to the Dukes ball after two months of T20 cricket in completely different conditions in India.”There’s no doubt that this transition period for the guys I think is going to have to be extreme,” Watson told ESPNcricinfo. “Get as much volume as they possibly can facing new balls, trying to get the nets as spiced up as possible.”That’s the only way you can get your game back into hitting the ball under your eyes. Yes, you need that positive, aggressive intent but still understanding what balls you can score off and what balls are higher risk.”Related

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Gill, Jadeja and Shami along with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and R Ashwin played in the last WTC final in England in June 2021 following the IPL. However, the postponement of the 2021 IPL on May 2 gave them more than a month to prepare, albeit with significant Covid challenges.Many of India’s players also toured England after IPL seasons in 2014, 2018, and 2022 but had significantly more time to prepare on each occasion with the tours starting in July or August.Like Watson, Warner and Steven Smith played in the 2013 and 2015 Ashes after playing in the IPL. But they also had a lot more time to prepare and even played first-class matches in England before the first Test of those series. In 2015 they played a two-Test series in the West Indies between the IPL and the Ashes. Warner and Smith also played in the IPL in 2019 and then had the 50-over World Cup in England prior to the Ashes.Watson believes there can be no wasted moments in the training days the players have.Shane Watson made a Test hundred at the Oval in 2013, the same year he was named player of the IPL•AFP”I didn’t have that quick a turnaround,” Watson said. “It was always a challenge. Whether it’s going into a winter Ashes series or whether it’s going from a T20 series in Australia, flying and playing a Test match pretty much straight away, it is a big challenge.”The thing you’ve got to understand is what you really need to work on if you’ve only got a couple of days.”For me, the biggest thing came down to most importantly my defence. I ended up having to just work on facing the moving ball, making sure I was batting against bowlers with the moving ball or was getting throws against the moving ball and then just making sure I was locking in with my defence. Also just starting to get your head around leaving the ball again. What are the danger areas, more so the lines that bowlers would bowl and especially. The biggest challenge for all these guys and to Cameron Green is going to be around the Dukes ball because it swings so consistently.”That’s where having a couple of tour matches, in particular, to get used to the ball just consistently swinging and doing something is what you really need to get your head around it. So for these guys having such a quick turnaround and not having a tour match, it’s going to be a huge challenge. Just to be able to get your game plan really locked in and then be able to do it ball after ball for a longer period of time.”Josh Hazlewood has already been ruled out•ICC via Getty ImagesBowling workloads are also a major issue that may challenge India more than Australia. Hazlewood has already been withdrawn given his compromised preparation but Australia’s other four quicks in Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Michael Neser have had long lead times to build up their red-ball bowling loads with Neser playing five first-class games for Glamorgan.Both Green and India’s bowlers do not have the same luxury and face a similar, albeit slightly less farcical challenge to what Boult faced last year.”My body was always a challenge building up workloads at the best of times,” Watson said. “Going from T20 cricket intensity with not a lot of fatigue compared to having to try and get your body up and get used to bowling a bit more with fatigue, that was always a challenge for me anyway. So I was always very careful and tried to map it out as much as I could.”But obviously it’s a really quick turnaround for a few of the bowlers in particular. Again, it’s going to be sink or swim. They’ve got no choice. They’ve just got to throw themselves into it and hope that their bodies can hold up and the captains are able to manage the bowlers who are going into playing this Test without a lot of work under their belt.”

Nottingham Forest are enjoying their best season in the Premier League for decades with Nuno Espírito Santo’s surprise outfit on course to qualify for the Champions League after a very memorable campaign, and they’re already making summer transfer plans to help maintain their lofty status.

Nottingham Forest praised after excellent Premier League campaign

Forest take on Brighton in the FA Cup quarter-finals this afternoon, and if they get past Fabian Hurzeler’s side, Nuno will have a trip to Wembley to add to his growing list of accomplishments at the City Ground this season.

Nottingham Forest now make contact to sign £20m "freak of nature" for Nuno

An approach has been made this week.

ByCharlie Smith Mar 29, 2025

Only lead title contenders Liverpool have won more games than Forest this season, which is testament to the fine job done by Nuno, who’s also resurrected his managerial career after failed stints at Tottenham and the Saudi Pro League.

His side are undoubtedly this season’s head-turning package that nobody expected, with the likes of Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White, Murillo, Ola Aina and Matz Sels forming an impressive spine which rivals have seriously struggled against.

Man United (home)

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Aston Villa (away)

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Everton (home)

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Tottenham (away)

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The flair of Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi, combined with Elliot Anderson’s reliability in midfield, has also seriously contributed to Forest’s race for Europe – and there is every chance Nuno’s side will do the unthinkable and finish in a top-four place.

If they manage to find themselves in next season’s Champions League draw, Forest could benefit from a major cash windfall, which may even greatly assist them in the transfer market.

If they’re to carry on at this level, Forest will need to reinvest into the squad and keep up their evolution. Reports suggest Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham is a target for Nuno, following his excellent campaign with Sunderland in the Championship, while there are even rumours of a potential Forest move for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

Nottingham Forest plan "audacious" move for Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz

Now, as per GiveMeSport, £150,000-per-week midfielder Douglas Luiz is back on Forest’s radar as well – after they expressed interest in January.

Luiz, who bagged 10 goals and 10 assists for Aston Villa in all competitions last season before joining Juve in the summer, hasn’t exactly set the world alight in Turin and could now leave at a “reduced rate”.

That is according to GMS, which also writes that Forest are plotting an “audacious” move for Luiz as a result, and could well look to tempt him with a return to the Premier League just one year after he departed for Italy.

“Influential figures” at Forest are seriously considering an approach to the Brazilian, with Juve willing to sell for below £40 million after previously demanding north of that asking price.

Despite impressing for Villa last season, Luiz has started just three Serie A games during his time at Juve, with recently dismissed boss Thiago Motta seemingly not fancying the South American.

It is unclear whether Igor Tudor has different plans for Luiz, but Forest appear to be making their interest known ahead of the summer.